Can I consider .NET 3.5 Service Pack 1 and the .NET "Family Update" as optional?

Hello,

It's been a long while since I've connected this PC to the outside world, so I have a bunch of microsoft updates to install. First in the "high priority" category is a mouthful called, "Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1 and .NET Framework 3.5 Family Update for .NET versions 2.0 through 3.5".

Now I wouldn't have even flinched at this, but when I looked at the details it says, "Recommended hard disk space: 4380 MB" so I was like, holy crap!

I really don't want to throw away half a gig of hard drive space to M$ for no reason.. it feels like I'm tossing sardines to the bearded seal..

 

A special feature is that it adds security vulnerabilities to Firefox.

Fortunately Mozilla are on to this and Firefox now automatically blocks and warns against these M.$ Addons.

I absolutely refuse to allow .NET 3.0 and onwards on my machine.
I hate the .NET 2.0 I am stuck with, and if I ever have to re-install Windows then no .NET rubbish will ever be allowed.

Alan

 

I still have the older 1.1 .NET Framework and unless you run software or programs requiring higher versions of .NET, your machine and security should be okay. It comes down to user preference in most cases.