MS Access development
.NET framework 4.5.2 for Visual Studio 2010
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| Visual Basic 2010 Advanced Compiler |
If you have installed Visual Studio 2010 on Microsoft Windows 7, 8, 10 recently, you will notice that you have all .Net Framework versions available, and you will notice also that you Windows updates .net framework versions to a higher versions (i.e. If you have .net framework 4, windows will update this to 4.5) but you won't find .net framework v4.5 in your Visual Studio 2010, why ?!
Because targeting .NET framework 4.5 via Visual Studio 2010 Each version of VS prior to Visual Studio 2010 is tied to a certain .NET framework. (VS2008 is .NET 3.5, VS2005 is .NET2.0, VS2003 is .NET1.1) VS2010 and beyond allow for targeting of prior framework versions but cannot be used for future releases.
You must use Visual Studio 2012 in order to utilize .NET4.5.
Update (2025)
As of 2025, the available and commonly referenced .NET Framework and .NET platform versions fall into two main categories:
🧱 Classic .NET Framework (Windows-only, primarily for WinForms/WPF)
These are Windows-only versions used mostly for desktop applications like WinForms, WPF, and older ASP.NET Web Forms or MVC apps.
| Version | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| .NET Framework 4.5 / 4.5.1 / 4.5.2 | ⚠️ Outdated | No longer supported officially. |
| .NET Framework 4.6 / 4.6.1 / 4.6.2 | ⚠️ Outdated | 4.6.2 is still used, but 4.6.0 and 4.6.1 are unsupported. |
| .NET Framework 4.7 / 4.7.1 / 4.7.2 | ✅ Supported | Still supported; good choice for legacy WinForms/WPF apps. |
| .NET Framework 4.8 | ✅ Supported | Last major version with long-term support. |
| .NET Framework 4.8.1 | ✅ Current (Final) | Latest and final version of the classic .NET Framework. |
✅ Note: .NET Framework 4.8.1 is included with Windows 11 and is the last version — no future versions are planned.
🌐 Modern .NET (.NET Core / .NET 5+) — Cross-platform
These are cross-platform, open-source versions of .NET, supporting Windows, macOS, Linux, and more.
| Version | Release Year | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| .NET Core 1.x / 2.x | 2016–2018 | ❌ Outdated | Legacy Core versions; not recommended. |
| .NET Core 3.1 | 2019 | ⚠️ Ended in Dec 2022 | Last “.NET Core” LTS version. |
| .NET 5 | 2020 | ❌ Unsupported | First unified version; not LTS. |
| .NET 6 (LTS) | 2021 | ✅ LTS (until Nov 2024) | Widely used and stable for production. |
| .NET 7 | 2022 | ⚠️ Current, Not LTS | Feature-rich, but short support (18 months). |
| .NET 8 (LTS) | 2023 | ✅ LTS (until Nov 2026) | Latest LTS version. Highly recommended for new projects. |
| .NET 9 | 2024 (Preview) | 🔄 In development | Will be STS (short-term support); release expected Nov 2024. |
📝 Summary
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Use .NET Framework 4.8.1 if you’re maintaining or building WinForms apps on Windows.
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Use .NET 8 if you’re starting a new project and want modern, cross-platform capabilities.
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.NET Framework won’t get new versions — Microsoft is investing in .NET 6/7/8+ going forward.
♥ Here are some online Visual Basic lessons and courses:
