How to temporarily block the installation of .NET Framework 4.7.2

This article describes how to temporarily block the installation of .NET Framework 4.7.2 and its corresponding language packs on all supported platforms.

Microsoft .NET Framework 4.7.2 is an in-place upgrade to .NET Framework 4, 4.5, 4.5.1, 4.5.2, 4.6, 4.61, 4.6.2, 4.7. and 4.7.1.

Some customers may have a business requirement to block the automatic installation through Windows Update for .NET Framework 4.7.2 in their managed environments. This article describes how to perform this blocking action.

Note After you complete the steps in the "How to temporarily block the installation of .NET Framework 4.7.2" section, .NET Framework 4.7.2 and its corresponding language packs will no longer be offered through Windows Update.

Important Follow the steps in this section carefully. Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Before you modify it, back up the registry for restoration in case problems occur.
 

Known issues

• Applications that rely on .NET Framework to initialize a COM component and that run with restricted permissions may fail to start or run correctly, and return "access denied," "class not registered," or "internal failure occurred for unknown reasons" errors.
   

How to temporarily block the installation of .NET Framework 4.7.2

Important We strongly recommend that you do not block the installation of .NET Framework 4.7.2. However, you may have a business reason to temporarily block the installation. For example, you may require more time to test line-of-business applications in your environment. In such a case, you can modify the registry to temporarily block this installation.

Notes 

• After you follow these steps, Microsoft .NET Framework 4.7.2 will still be available through Windows Update and Windows Server Update Services (WSUS). Microsoft .NET Framework 4.7.2 will be categorized as a recommended update on these platforms.
• For security, stability, reliability, and servicing, we recommend that you do not maintain this block for an extended time.

Steps

1. Back up the registry.
2. Start Registry Editor. To do this, click Start, type regedit in the Start Search box, and then press Enter.
3. Locate and then click the following subkey:
    

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\NET Framework Setup\NDP

4. After you select this subkey, point to New on the Edit menu, and then click Key.
5. Type WU, and then press Enter.
6. Right-click WU, point to New, and then click DWORD Value.
7. Type BlockNetFramework472, and then press Enter.
8. Right-click BlockNetFramework472, and then click Modify.
9. In the Value data box, type 1, and then click OK.
10. On the File menu, click Exit to exit Registry Editor.

Note Organizations do not have to modify the registry in environments that are managed through an update management solution, such as Microsoft WSUS or System Center Configuration Manager. Organizations can use these products to fully manage the deployment of updates that are released through Windows Update or Microsoft Update. The procedure that is discussed in this article is necessary only for computers that directly connect to and receive updates from Windows Update.