Setup Project (.vdproj) shows .NET Framework dependency in .NET 8 WinForms app.

Question

Setup Project (.vdproj) shows .NET Framework dependency in .NET 8 WinForms app.

Aman Agrahari 140

Hello,

I have migrated my WinForms application from .NET Framework 4.7.2 to .NET 8 (Windows Forms, framework-dependent deployment). The application builds and runs fine after migration.

To create an installer, I am using Visual Studio Installer Projects 2022 extension (which generates a .vdproj file). Firstly, I have published the main (which is the last project according to build order of application) project of my windows form application with this way (https://free.blessedness.top/en-us/visualstudio/deployment/installer-projects-net-core?view=vs-2022). Then followed the Microsoft documentation to create setup (https://free.blessedness.top/en-us/previous-versions/visualstudio/visual-studio-2010/k3bb4tfd(v=vs.100). The setup is created successfully, but in the Requirement on Target Machine -> Launch Conditions, it still shows:

.NET Framework (e.g., 4.7.2)
.NET Core / .NET Runtime

May be this cause problems during installation on a test machine, because the MSI seems to expect both .NET Framework and .NET 8 runtime, while my application only needs .NET 8 Desktop Runtime.

My questions:

Why does .vdproj still add a .NET Framework dependency after migration to .NET 8?

Is there a way to remove the old .NET Framework launch condition and only require .NET 8 Desktop Runtime?

What is the recommended way to package a .NET 8 WinForms app with MSI (keep using .vdproj, or move to MSIX / WiX / other tooling)?

Do I need to change anything in the .csproj or app.config files to stop referencing .NET Framework 4.7.2?

Environment:

Visual Studio 2022 (latest)
Windows 10 x64
Visual Studio Installer Projects extension
Application: WinForms .NET 8, framework-dependent deployment

Any guidance or best practices for setup creation in .NET 8 would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

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Answer 1

Gade Harika (INFOSYS LIMITED) 1,185 Microsoft External Staff

Thanks for your detailed question and for outlining your setup clearly. You're absolutely right to be cautious about the legacy .NET Framework dependency showing up in your .vdproj installer for a .NET 8 WinForms app.

Why the .NET Framework Dependency Appears

The Visual Studio Installer Projects extension (.vdproj) was originally designed for .NET Framework apps. Even after migrating to .NET 8, it may still include outdated launch conditions due to legacy defaults in the project template.

How to Remove the .NET Framework Launch Condition

You can manually remove the .NET Framework dependency by:

Opening the Setup Project in Visual Studio.
Navigating to Launch Conditions.
Deleting the .NET Framework condition.

Alternatively, you can edit the .vdproj file directly and remove the relevant launch condition entries.

Recommended Packaging Options

While .vdproj can work, it’s not ideal for modern .NET apps. Consider switching to:

WiX Toolset – powerful and flexible for MSI creation.
MSIX – modern packaging with built-in support for .NET Core/.NET 8.
Squirrel or NSIS – lightweight options for desktop deployment.

These tools offer better compatibility and control over dependencies.

Project File Cleanup

Make sure your .csproj file:

Targets net8.0-windows.
Doesn’t reference any .NET Framework assemblies.

Also, check app.config (if present) for legacy bindings and remove them.

Let me know if the issue persists after following these steps. I’ll be happy to assist further if needed. If the issue has been resolved, please click "Accept Answer".

Aman Agrahari 140 Reputation points

2025-09-29T09:17:45.3666667+00:00
There are few app.config files present in my applicaiton. Xml code present in these files are like -
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

<configuration>

<startup><supportedRuntime version="v4.0" sku=".NETFramework,Version=v4.7.2"/></startup>

</configuration>

There is one app.config file in a project which is having an additional section <appSettings> which is related to map localfilepath,etc.

Do I need to delete these files or just comment down some part of code.
Aman Agrahari 140 Reputation points

2025-09-29T10:27:05.5466667+00:00

I have commented down those startup section in app.config file and then redeployed the application. After that I installed the setup then this issue is coming.
Gade Harika (INFOSYS LIMITED) 1,185 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff

2025-09-29T12:02:16.3533333+00:00
Thanks for sharing the screenshot and additional details. The issue you're facing is due to leftover configuration from the old .NET Framework setup.

What You Need to Do:

Remove old .NET Framework references from all app.config files in your solution. These are causing the installer to expect .NET Framework even though your app now targets .NET 8.

After removing those entries, rebuild and republish your application.

In your setup project (.vdproj), go to Launch Conditions and delete the .NET Framework requirement manually.

Make sure your project settings are clean and only target .NET 8 Desktop Runtime.

If possible, consider switching to a modern packaging tool like WiX, MSIX, or Squirrel, which are better suited for .NET 8 apps.

Once you remove the legacy config and rebuild, the installer should work without expecting .NET Framework.

Let me know if the issue persists after following these steps. I’ll be happy to assist further if needed. If the issue has been resolved, please click "Accept Answer".
Aman Agrahari 140 Reputation points

2025-09-30T10:39:31.7866667+00:00

Please give me further suggestions
1> I have commented down
<startup><supportedRuntime version="v4.0" sku=".NETFramework,Version=v4.7.2"/></startup> from app.config files.
Then republish and rebuild the setup still it is showing reference of .NET Framework in launch condition.
Also, I have checked in a sample project it is not showing .NET Framework in launch condition.

2> What can be source of code where it is getting .NET Framework reference. Is it because of any internal dlls, external dlls, nuggets, app.config, .vbproj, appconfig.xml, appsetting.xml, etc.
3>There is a entry which may be causing issue
<BootstrapperPackage Include="Microsoft.Net.Framework.3.5.SP1">

<Visible>False</Visible>

<ProductName>.NET Framework 3.5 SP1</ProductName>

<Install>true</Install>

</BootstrapperPackage>

in .csproj file does it caused any issue. Also I have shared image where there is no package for .net 8.

Do I must change appconfig.xml to appconfig.json, appsetting.xml to appsetting.json.
Or anything else I should do.
Gade Harika (INFOSYS LIMITED) 1,185 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff

2025-09-30T11:46:41.0766667+00:00
Thanks for sharing the screenshot and additional details.

Root Cause:
The entry:

<BootstrapperPackage Include="Microsoft.Net.Framework.3.5.SP1">

<Visible>False</Visible>

<ProductName>.NET Framework 3.5 SP1</ProductName>

<Install>true</Install>

in your .csproj file is explicitly adding a dependency on .NET Framework—even though your app targets .NET 8. This is the primary reason the installer still shows a launch condition for .NET Framework.

These are the step-by-step process after checking rootcause.

Remove the BootstrapperPackage Entry
Delete the above XML block from your .csproj file. This will prevent the setup project from including .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 as a prerequisite.

Clean Up All Legacy Configs:
Ensure all app.config files no longer contain <startup> sections referencing .NETFramework.

Check for any lingering references in appconfig.xml, appsetting.xml, or .vbproj files.

Rebuild and Recreate Setup After cleaning up:

Rebuild your solution.

Recreate the setup project.

Manually remove any leftover .NET Framework launch conditions in .vdproj.

Consider Modern Packaging If the issue persists or you want better control over dependencies:

Use WiX Toolset for MSI creation.

Use MSIX for modern deployment.

Use Squirrel for lightweight desktop apps.

Let me know if the issue persists after following these steps. I’ll be happy to assist further if needed. If the issue has been resolved, please click "Accept Answer".
Aman Agrahari 140 Reputation points

2025-10-01T12:55:02.7733333+00:00

Should I also add the dll file that I have installed through nugget package manager in application folder of vdproj setup project. Also, where can I find those dlls of nugget packages and how to add them. Please tell me process.
Aman Agrahari 140 Reputation points

2025-10-02T12:43:42.2733333+00:00

I found a .dll file which is causing .NET Framework reference in my setup project. As soon as I'm adding RkLib.ExportData.dll file in application folder of vdproj setup project, it reflects .NET Framework in launch condition. Please tell if you get any .dll or nugget for this which should support in .NET 8 core. Or is there any way to make it to .NET core since my application code is working fine with this. Please suggest me what should I do.
Varsha Dundigalla(INFOSYS LIMITED) 2,700 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff

2025-10-03T08:56:00.07+00:00
Thank you for reaching out.

I understand what you’re looking for. RkLib.ExportData.dll was handy because it combined several export formats (Excel, CSV, Text, HTML) into one place. In .NET 8, Microsoft doesn’t provide a direct “all-in-one” replacement, but you can still achieve the same results using supported approaches:

CSV / Text export → The base .NET libraries (System.IO.File, StreamWriter) let you write out CSV or plain text very easily. For many cases this is often the simplest and most reliable way.

HTML export → You can generate basic HTML yourself using System.Text.StringBuilder and save it as an .html file. This gives you control over the output and doesn’t require any external dependencies.

Excel export → Microsoft’s supported way is the Open XML SDK (DocumentFormat.OpenXml package). It allows you to generate .xlsx files directly, without needing Office installed on the machine. If your needs are simple, another option is to write data to CSV using System.IO, which Excel can open natively.

Summary

There isn’t a single Microsoft library that exactly matches what RkLib provided, but by combining:

System.IO for CSV and text, simple string building for HTML, and the Open XML SDK for Excel, you can cover all of the same export scenarios while staying fully supported in .NET 8.
Aman Agrahari 140 Reputation points

2025-10-03T12:58:02.49+00:00

Ok, also when I add the dlls of nuggets like System.Data.DataSetExtention, CSVHelper, OpenFast, etc in application folder, it starts showing .NET Framework in launch condition though version of those dlls are .NET 8 compatible. why?
Varsha Dundigalla(INFOSYS LIMITED) 2,700 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff

2025-10-03T14:32:43.2366667+00:00
Thank you for reaching out.

I understand the confusion here. The extra .NET Framework launch condition you’re seeing is not actually coming from those NuGet DLLs themselves they are fully compatible with .NET 8. The issue is with how the Visual Studio Installer Projects (.vdproj) extension works.

That tool was originally designed for packaging .NET Framework apps, and its dependency detection logic is based on older rules. When you manually add DLLs like System.Data.DataSetExtensions, CsvHelper, or OpenFast into the setup project, .vdproj misinterprets them because some of those assemblies also existed in older .NET Framework versions. As a result, it assumes a .NET Framework prerequisite even though your project is targeting .NET 8.

If instead you add the Project Output from your .NET 8 project (rather than dropping DLLs in manually), the installer will carry the correct metadata and won’t add that unnecessary Framework condition.

In short:

The DLLs themselves do not require .NET Framework.

The installer’s legacy detection logic is what’s showing the Framework condition.

Your app will still run fine on .NET 8 — this is only a side-effect of using .vdproj, which was never fully updated for modern .NET.
Gade Harika (INFOSYS LIMITED) 1,185 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff

2025-10-06T04:08:48.39+00:00

Thank you for your response. We will now proceed with closing the case as per your confirmation. If you encounter any further issues, please feel free to raise a new thread.

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Setup Project (.vdproj) shows .NET Framework dependency in .NET 8 WinForms app.

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