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I need to run my .NET application on several clients' mashines. The problem is that the app will run on Windows XP machines of different users and we cannot assure that .NET is installed there and that the user have the rights to install it.

Are there any ways to automatically install .NET Framework on all clients mashines? What minimal permissions does client need to install it?

If it isn't possible do you know other solutions? May be I can use other frameworks like Mono Framework?

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Assuming youre using Visual Studio, you can setup your application as a click-once installer. You can pick your prerequisite packages that are required to run the program, and they will be downloaded from MS automatically if they are missing. Not sure if they will need admin permissions to install them, but more than likely they still will. The program itself, howver, can be installed by a basic user which is nice, and it will check back for updated versions when they launch it.

You can do a silent install on the MSI packages, which require no user intervention, and push them out with a GPO perhaps.

What version of .Net are you needing to install, and are you sure that you are even using functions from that version? Many times, things I've coded can easily compile as .Net 2.0, which you can be certain is installed on most XP machines at this point.

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I need at least .net2.0. But what if the is no .net framework installed on the mashine and user don't have admin permissions? –  algreat Mar 12 '13 at 13:57
Then they won't be able to run the program, its as simple as that. You'll need a way to get .Net on their PC, be it by manually installing it on each PC, or pushing out a group policy that checks if it is needed, and installs it silently if it does. No other ways around this I'm afraid. I find it hard to believe these machine don't have .Net 2.0 though, it was released in 2005! –  Lee Harrison Mar 12 '13 at 14:51
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