dotNetInstaller is a widely used, general-purpose setup bootstrapper for Microsoft Windows XP, 2003, Vista, 2008, 7, 8, 2012, 8.1, 10, 2016, 2019, 2022, and 11.
dotNetInstaller enables the developer to define the application prerequisites and install the correct version(s) of these components in a predictable order based on the processor architecture, user operating system type and language, allow the user to download these components from the web, install these components directly from a single packaged setup, local media or both. dotNetInstaller is very feature rich and runs on all known Windows operating systems with a very tiny footprint.
A boostrapper doesn't replace tools like InstallShield, Wise, Visual Studio Setup and Deployment Project or Wix. The goal is to create an application to help users with installing the correct prerequisites. Most real world applications need to install several components to work properly, including Windows Service Packs, Internet Explorer, MDAC or .NET Framework. This kind of applications are most commonly known as bootstrappers. dotNetInstaller is such a bootstrapper.
Publisher’s description
What is dotNetInstaller?
dotNetInstaller by DevAge, Vestris Inc. & Contributors is open-source Windows software in the package managers & updaters category. It ranks 43rd by popularity among package managers & updaters in this catalogue. It is written in C++.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides MSI installers for 32-bit Windows. Installation asks for administrator rights. A silent install is possible with the installer’s documented switches. An MSI package is available for deployment with Group Policy, Intune or Configuration Manager.
Popularity and file types
The Chocolatey package has been downloaded 2,831 times. The source code on GitHub (dotnetinstaller/dotnetinstaller) has 206 stars. Similar programs include Chocolatey, NuGet and uv.
Project description on GitHub: “A widely used, general-purpose setup bootstrapper for MS Windows.”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- MSI package for managed deployment
- Documented silent install
Cons
- No native ARM64 build
- 32-bit only
- Installation needs administrator rights
- No update for more than a year
In short: dotNetInstaller is an open-source package managers & updater tool for 32-bit PCs. Updates have slowed down. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Is dotNetInstaller safe to download?
- The file is served by github.com, the publisher’s own domain
- The download link uses HTTPS
- A SHA256 hash is published, so you can verify the file:
121CEDC056EBE7424E4C3BA54D948860C8D9D5D05A88E5AD36C4CF6314FA7743· Open the VirusTotal report for this hash - The link has not been checked yet
- The source code is public
- ExeAtlas does not host, wrap or modify installers
Related guide: How to check a file’s SHA256 hash on Windows
Recent versions
All 1 versions ›| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.2.115.0Latest | January 15, 2022 | — | 32-bit MSI |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id dotNetInstaller.dotNetInstaller -echoco install dotnetinstaller -ymsiexec /i dotNetInstaller.3.2.115.0.msi /qn /norestartmsiexec /x {7CB4378B-1798-4A69-8D00-D2CC3169FEFE} /qn /norestartRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Information
- Publisher
- DevAge, Vestris Inc. & Contributors
- Category
- Package managers & updaters
- Licence
- MIT
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/dotnetinstaller/dotnetinstaller
- Written in
- C++
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 32-bit
- Installer
- MSI
- Version
- 3.2.115.0
- Released
- January 15, 2022
- Added to the catalogue
- July 5, 2025
- Versions listed
- 1
- Chocolatey downloads
- 2,831
- GitHub stars
- 206
- GitHub forks
- 81
- Website
- dotnetinstaller.github.io
- winget ID
- dotNetInstaller.dotNetInstaller
- Chocolatey package
- dotnetinstaller
- MSI product code
- {7CB4378B-1798-4A69-8D00-D2CC3169FEFE}
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
Alternatives to dotNetInstaller
See all ›-
Chocolatey2.7.4.0Chocolatey is The Package Manager for Windows. It was designed to be a decentralized framework for quickly installing applications and tools that you need. It is built on the NuGet infrastructure and uses PowerShell as its focus for delivering packages.Open source386.2M ↓ -
Open source2.6M ↓ -
Open source183K ↓ -
Conan Package Manager2.33.0An open source, decentralized C/C++ package manager, to automate building and sharing of packages.Open source257.3K ↓ -
Open source78.1K ↓ -
Open source9.8K ↓ -
Open source3.9K ↓ - Open source9.5M ↓
Frequently asked questions
Is dotNetInstaller free?
Yes. dotNetInstaller is open-source software under the MIT licence.
Is dotNetInstaller safe to download?
The download comes from github.com, which belongs to the publisher; ExeAtlas does not host or change the file. Compare its SHA256 hash with the one shown here, or open the VirusTotal report for that hash.
How do I install dotNetInstaller with winget?
Open PowerShell or Windows Terminal and run the winget command shown on this page. winget downloads the official installer and checks its SHA256 hash before running it.
Can dotNetInstaller be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer, including msiexec for the MSI package.
Does dotNetInstaller run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
There is no ARM64 build; Windows 11 on Arm can run the 32-bit version through emulation.
What are alternatives to dotNetInstaller?
Chocolatey, NuGet, uv, Conan Package Manager and UniGetUI (formerly WingetUI) - Pre-Release. The alternatives page compares them.
