Microsoft is tiding up some of the loose ends that survived after the availability of the .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1. The Redmond company informed that a range of problems in the RTM (release to manufacturing) version of .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 were addressed by the .NET Framework 3.5 Family Update. In this context, the refresh made available on December 17 brings to the table solutions for the glitches plaguing the SP1 release. Microsoft has included no less than three items in the .NET Framework 3.5 Family Update, all up for grabs via the Download Center.

“The Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 Family Update provides compatibility roll-up updates for customer reported issues found after the release of Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 SP1,” the company informed. The software giant has provided additional details in KB959209, nevertheless the knowledge base article was not yet accessible at the time when this piece of news was written.

Both Windows Vista RTM, Service Pack 1 and Windows Server 2008 RTM/SP1 are targeted with the .NET Framework 3.5 Family Update. The refresh is available for the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of the Windows client and server operating systems, as well as for the IA64 variant of Windows Server 2008. The Redmond company detailed how the the three items of the family update (NDP35SP1-KB958484-x86.exe, Windows6.0-KB958481-x86.msu, and Windows6.0-KB958483-x86.msu) would have to be handled.

“Please remember that that you need to download and install all 3 updates provided below. Please install the update for 2.0 Service Pack 2 (KB958481) first, install the update for 3.0 Service Pack 2 (KB958483) next, and finally install the update for 3.5 Service Pack 1 (KB958484) last,” Microsoft advised.

The RTM edition of .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1 (SP1) was released in August 2008 and is available for download here.

Here are the links for the .NET Framework 3.5 Family Update:

Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 Family Update for Windows Vista x86, and Windows Server 2008 x86

Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 Family Update for Windows Vista x64, and Windows Server 2008 x64

Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 Family Update for Windows Server 2008 IA64