Introduction

Microsoft .NET Framework 4.8.1 has been available for download since August 9th, 2022 and is an in-place upgrade to .NET Framework 4.8.

.NET Framework 4.8.1 will soon be available on Windows Update and Microsoft Catalog. However, a small number of customers may have a business requirement to temporarily block the automatic installation through Windows Update in their managed environments. For example, client machines may directly connect to the Windows Update/Microsoft Update servers. In such cases you may require more time to test line-of-business applications in your environment.

This article describes how to temporarily block the installation of .NET Framework 4.8.1 and its corresponding language packs on all supported platforms.

Detailed Information

Important: Follow the steps in this section carefully. Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Before you modify it, back up the registry for restoration in case problems occur.

After you complete the steps in the "How to temporarily block the installation of .NET Framework 4.8.1" section, .NET Framework 4.8.1 and its corresponding language packs will no longer be offered through Windows Update.

How to temporarily block the installation of .NET Framework 4.8.1

  1. Back up the registry.

  2. Start Registry Editor. To do this, click Start, type regedit in the Start Search box, and then press Enter.

  3. Locate and then click the following subkey:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\NET Framework Setup\NDP

  1. After you select this subkey, point to New on the Edit menu, and then click Key.

  2. Type WU, and then press Enter.

  3. Right-click WU point to New, and then click DWORD Value.

  4. Type BlockNetFramework481, and then press Enter.

  5. Right-click BlockNetFramework481, and then click Modify.

  6. In the Value data box, type 1, and then click OK.

  7. On the File menu, click Exit to exit Registry Editor.

Notes 

  • After you follow these steps, Microsoft .NET Framework 4.8.1 will still be available through Windows Update and Microsoft Update Catalog.

  • For security, stability, reliability, and servicing, we recommend that you do not maintain this block for an extended time.

Organizations do not have to modify the registry in environments that are managed through an update management solution, such as Microsoft WSUS or System Center Configuration Manager. Organizations can use these products to fully manage the deployment of updates that are released through Windows Update or Microsoft Update. The procedure that is discussed in this article is necessary only for computers that directly connect to and receive updates from Windows Update.

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