Can't enable .NET Environment in Windows 10 1903

I did run a test and was able to replicate the strange listing in the OptionalFeatures menu, showing all .NET disabled.  I could not find a way to uninstall the latest .NET Cumulative Update - KB4522738. However, I still ran the Add-Capability command to reinstall NetFx3~~~~ and the long command to try to add back everything else.

DISM /Online /Add-Capability /CapabilityName:NetFx3~~~~

DISM /Online /Enable-Feature /All /FeatureName:Microsoft-Windows-NetFx3-OC-Package /FeatureName:Microsoft-Windows-NetFx4-US-OC-Package /FeatureName:Microsoft-Windows-Client-EmbeddedExp-Package /FeatureName:Microsoft-Windows-NetFx3-WCF-OC-Package /FeatureName:Microsoft-Windows-NetFx4-WCF-US-OC-Package

The second command worked, except for /FeatureName:Microsoft-Windows-Client-EmbeddedExp-Package. But it fixed the OptionalFeatures.exe menu and i was then able to add back anything missing normally, using that OptionalFeatures menu.

Because I have never seen this happen on a device, unless I force it, I don't know if what I did replicates your situation, but as far as I can test, it seems still repairable by using the above DISM commands.

Meanwhile, I am glad to hear that you have it fixed for now and hope there may be enough info here to help others, if they want to try the repair, rather than a reinstall.

HenryYHO's workaround did not work al all...

We just had a machine in that was not in any kind of Insider loop. Exactly the issue as described in the thread: Feature list unrecognizable, bunch of software stopped working because of missing .net. Including Powershell that has gone down the drain. 

Got interested in trying out Don Cuthbert's solution. Only, none of the KB's he mentions (KB4506991 or KB4495620) are present. So his solution never works. 

This machine is Windows 10 Pro (in Dutch), 1903, build 18362.418 with following updates present (and uninstallable if needed)

KB4517389

KB4521863

KB4520390

KB4515871

KB4515383

KB4508433

KB4509096

KB4498523

User describes the problem having started after an update. 

Is any of these KB's relevant to Don Cuthbert's solution, i.e. that you can uninstall it, run the first command in Don's solution, install it, and then run the second command from Don (the long one)? I am going to give it a shot myself, and see what happens. 

Wouter Pinkhof 

OK, follow up on this: when trying to uninstall KB4517389, I get an error after a while. No details given. Downloading and running the standalone says the update is already installed...

I think the USB is probably fine, as you used it to install Windows.  E:\sources\sxs should have 4 files:

F:\sources\sxs>dir /b

Microsoft-Windows-InternetExplorer-Optional-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~en-US~.cab

Microsoft-Windows-NetFx3-OnDemand-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~en-US~.cab

microsoft-windows-internetexplorer-optional-package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~.cab

microsoft-windows-netfx3-ondemand-package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~.cab

You can check the status of the NetFx3~~~~ capability:

DISM /Online /Get-CapabilityInfo /CapabilityName:NetFx3~~~~

You can also try adding NetFx3 with the enable feature command, but this usually fails:

DISM /Online /Enable-Feature /All /FeatureName:NetFx3 /Source:E:\Sources\sxs

Another way is by adding the .cab files as packages:

DISM /Online /Add-Package /PackagePath:E:\Sources\sxs

If you need a Source for the first DISM command, insert your Windows 10 install media for build 18362 or mount the ISO file for that and direct DISM there as the source. If the install media, or ISO file is at drive E: then:

DISM /Online /Add-Capability /CapabilityName:NetFx3~~~~ /Source:E:\Sources\sxs\

If that succeeds, then you should be able to install KB4495620.  You can download it from the Microsoft Update Catalog.  Be sure to download the correct one for x64 unless you have 32-bit Windows 10 and also not the Server one.

I tried something different this time when trying to repair .NET and it appears to have worked.  I will try this again on another device to confirm.

I disabled .NET on build 18362.175 by uninstalling all of the default enabled .NET Features, using a DISM command (including the /Remove option).

I used DISM to attempt to add NetFx3 as a Windows Capability. This restores .NET to the list of Capabilities, but not to the list shown in optionalfeatures.exe.  This is the same as it behaved in the past also.

I then uninstalled the May 14, 2019—KB4495620 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 3.5 and 4.8 for Windows 10, version 1903. After downloading it from Windows Update Catalog, I reinstalled the .NET KB4495620, as Windows Update did not appear to immediately find it.

Then I ran the long DISM command to enable all of the disabled .NET features that was mentioned in an earlier reply:

DISM /Online /Enable-Feature /All /NoRestart /FeatureName:Microsoft-Windows-NetFx3-OC-Package /FeatureName:Microsoft-Windows-NetFx4-US-OC-Package /FeatureName:Microsoft-Windows-Client-EmbeddedExp-Package /FeatureName:Microsoft-Windows-NetFx3-WCF-OC-Package /FeatureName:Microsoft-Windows-NetFx4-WCF-US-OC-Package

After that, .NET was again looking normal in optionalfeatures.exe and the various features showed as Enabled in the command:

DISM /Online /Get-Features /Format:Table