Microsoft .NET 2 End of Life
Support dates and upgrade guidance — rebuilt from live data.
Microsoft .NET 2 reached end of life on 1 Oct 2018. It no longer receives security fixes.
Support timeline
Official dates, read directly from github.com and dotnet.microsoft.com.
| Milestone | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Initial release | 14 Aug 2017 | 9y 2mo ago |
| Support Status ended | 1 Oct 2018 | 8y ago |
| Latest release | 2.0.9 · 10 Jul 2018 | final |
Where to go from 2
Recommended target: Microsoft .NET 10 (supported until 14 Nov 2028).
The newest actively supported branch is Microsoft .NET 10 (latest release 10.0.12).
Frequently asked questions
Is Microsoft .NET 2 still safe to use?
Microsoft .NET 2 reached end of life on 1 Oct 2018, 2,926 days ago, and is no longer covered by standard support. Running it means no guaranteed security fixes.
Can I still download Microsoft .NET 2?
Yes — the final release (2.0.9) generally remains available from vendor archives and OS package mirrors, but installing it means running software with known, unpatched vulnerabilities.
What should I upgrade Microsoft .NET 2 to?
Upgrade to Microsoft .NET 10, the newest actively supported branch (supported until 14 Nov 2028).