deployment - does .Net 4.5 include .Net 4.0

Question

I am developing a C# desktop application using Winforms. I created an installation strategy using visual studios click once installation tool. Luckily it provides clients to detect, download and setup the related prerequisite components.

My question is I started to develop this app with .NET 4.0 and then upgraded it to .NET 4.5 now on the prerequisites list both 4.5 and 4 is checked. i am wondering if i uncheck the .NET 4.0 component would it be alright?

does .NET 4.5 include .NET 4.0?

Answer 1

When .NET 4.5 is installed it effectively replaces .NET 4.0 on the machine. .NET 4.0 gets overwritten by a new version of .NET 4.5 which - according to Microsoft - is supposed to be 100% backwards compatible.

Read these very good articles on the same:

.NET 4.5 is an in-place replacement for .NET 4.0

.NET Versioning and Multi-Targeting - .NET 4.5 is an in-place upgrade to .NET 4.0