This occurs if Visual Studio cannot find the reference assemblies folder.
Once installed, restart Visual Studio. Open your project properties, look under the "Application" tab, and select ".NET Framework 4.5" from the "Target framework" dropdown menu. Support Status and Modern Alternatives
Open your web browser and go to the official Microsoft .NET download site: .
The installation process places the reference assemblies into a specific system directory. Verify the installation by navigating to: C:\Program Files (x86)\Reference Assemblies\Microsoft\Framework\.NETFramework\v4.5\ net framework 45 developer pack link
The Developer Pack includes:
Right-click the downloaded .exe (e.g., NDP452-DevPack-KB2901983-x86-x64-ENU.exe ) and select .
Includes the actual .NET Framework 4.5 binaries required to run and test the application on your machine. This occurs if Visual Studio cannot find the
Looking for the ? While Version 4.5 reached its end of life on April 26, 2022, developers often still need it to maintain legacy applications or compile older projects in Visual Studio.
. NET Framework 4.5. 2, 4.6, and 4.6. 1 retired on April 26, 2022. Microsoft Learn
Visual Studio might be stuck using a cached layout. Fix: Run devenv.exe /InstallVSTemplates or simply reboot your machine. Support Status and Modern Alternatives Open your web
This is the most common scenario for developers today: you have a modern system (Windows 10 or 11) with Visual Studio 2022 installed, and you need to build or maintain an application that targets .NET Framework 4.5.
: These are metadata-only assemblies that represent the API surface area of .NET Framework 4.5. They tell the compiler which classes, methods, and properties are available.