MODDINGWIKI Users Troubleshooting NET 6 Install Issues

In Vortex 1.6.0 and above, the user must have .NET 6.0.0 or higher installed for the app to work correctly. If .NET is missing or incorrectly configured, Vortex will present a pop-up offering to download and install the framework to fix the problem automatically.

In the event that this automated solution doesn't work, it means that something in the user's configuration has been modified from the expected defaults and manual intervention is required.

What is .NET 6?

.NET 6 is framework created by Microsoft which provides applications with libraries it can usee to interact with the operating system. Learn more...

How can I download .NET?

If Vortex is unable to download and install the .NET, it can be fetched manually from the link below.

https://aka.ms/dotnet/6.0/windowsdesktop-runtime-win-x64.exe

You can also select the latest "Desktop Runtime" from this page.

Fixing Program Files permissions

Warning

With default settings on a clean install of Windows these permissions would already be set correctly. This issue can only occur by modifying these defaults in some way.

Note

This section is particularly relevant if the Program Files folder has been moved from the default location on C:\.

The most common reason for Vortex to be unable to detect a .NET installation is incorrect permissions on the Program Files folder in Windows. This may occur when upgrading from Windows 7 to 10/11 or can be result of users altering folder permissions manually.

In order for Vortex to use .NET in a secure sandbox it must have permissions set up for two special Windows accounts - "ALL APPLICATION PACKAGES" and "ALL RESTRICTED APPLICATION PACKAGES". (The exact names will vary by your system language.)

These permissions can be fixed by following the steps below:

1. Open the Start menu and type "cmd". This should show "Command Prompt" as a result.
2. Right-click on "Command Prompt" and select "Run as administrator".
3. Paste the command icacls.exe "c:\Program Files" /grant "*S-1-15-2-1:(oi)(ci)(rx)" into the command line - replacing the path to Program Files with the actual location on your PC - and press enter.
4. Paste the command icacls.exe "c:\Program Files" /grant "*S-1-15-2-2:(oi)(ci)(rx)" - replacing the path to Program Files with the actual location on your PC - and press enter.
5. Close the command prompt.

Note

If this does not resolve the issue, try repeating the steps above but replace the Program Files path with the dotnet folder e.g. c:\Program Files\dotnet.

What do these commands do?

These commands use a Windows feature called icacls to set the permissions against the Program Files folder.

• S-1-15-2-1 and S-1-15-2-2 are internal IDs that Windows uses to represent the special accounts "ALL APPLICATION PACKAGES" and "ALL RESTRICTED APPLICATION PACKAGES".
• io means "Object Inheritance" and ci mean "Container Inheritance" meaning you're granting the permission to Program Files and any subfolders it contains.
• rx means "Read, Execute" which are the two permissions required for Vortex to see the files exist (read) and run the .NET code (execute).

Further troubleshooting

If you're still having problems with this issue please check out the support options below:

• Support forum thread
• Discord server
• Create a support thread

Insecure workaround

Warning

This should be considered a last resort solution. Following these instructions may open up your PC to malicious applications.

In the event a user has followed all instructions above and still has the message in Vortex prompting them to install .NET, the requirement can be disabled entirely in the Vortex settings.

Under Settings -> Workarounds -> Installer Sandbox, there is an option to disable this feature. This will prevent further .NET 6 prompts but is not recommended.