If you are a developer working in Visual Studio and need to build an application that specifically targets .NET Framework 4 (not 4.5, 4.6, or 4.8), you will need the . This pack allows your IDE to reference the correct assemblies, show the correct API documentation, and ensure your application runs on systems with only .NET Framework 4 installed. ⚠️ Important Note: Security & Support Microsoft ended mainstream support for .NET Framework 4, 4.5, and 4.5.1 several years ago. For security and compatibility, you should target .NET Framework 4.8 (the final version of the .NET Framework) whenever possible.
C:\Program Files (x86)\Reference Assemblies\Microsoft\Framework\.NETFramework\v4.0 microsoft .net framework 4 targeting pack download
Updated: April 2026
# Run this in the Package Manager Console or via dotnet CLI dotnet add package Microsoft.NETFramework.ReferenceAssemblies --version 1.0.0 After installing, you can verify the targeting pack is present by checking this folder: If you are a developer working in Visual