Bill Ridgeway said:
Thanks. So lets run at this question from another angle. How do I know
whether or not I need to install .Net Framework? Is it safe to assume
that if everything runs that it is not needed?
Correct. If you see an application that complains about mscorlib or mscoree
not being installed, you are probably dealing with a .NET application.
If so, why is it being offered as a download from the Microsoft web site?
MS are pushing .NET as the "next wave" of programs. They have much more
stringent constraints upon them when they come from an untrusted source, and
are thus less likely to be viruses or spyware. Therefore they are trying to
convince developers to use .NET for their programs. Since they want all
programs to be .NET, it makes sense for people to install .NET to anticipate
this move. That said, and dealing with the fact that I'm a developer who
uses .NET a helluva lot, I wouldn't suggest downloading it if you have
limited/expensive bandwidth, unless you really want to use a program that
requires it.