How to Determine If .NET Core is Installed

You can determine if .NET Core (now known as .NET) is installed on your system using the following methods:

1. Using Command Line (Recommended)

Windows, macOS, and Linux

Open a terminal or Command Prompt and run:
dotnet --list-runtimes
This command will display a list of installed .NET runtimes, including .NET Core and newer .NET versions.

Alternatively, you can check the installed SDKs with:
dotnet --list-sdks

If .NET Core is installed, you should see output like:
3.1.32 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk]
6.0.410 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk]
8.0.100 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk]

If .NET Core or .NET is not installed, you will see an error like:
Command 'dotnet' not found

2. Checking Version (If Installed)

To check the currently active .NET version, run:
dotnet --version
This will return the latest installed SDK version.

3. Checking via File Explorer (Windows)

Navigate to:
C:\Program Files\dotnet\

1. If this folder exists, .NET Core is installed.
2. Inside the sdk or shared\Microsoft.NETCore.App folders, you can see the installed versions.

4. Checking via Control Panel (Windows)

1. Open Control Panel → Programs and Features.
2. Look for entries like .NET Core SDK or .NET Runtime.

5. Checking via Registry (Windows)

You can check the Windows Registry using PowerShell:
Get-ChildItem -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\dotnet\Setup\InstalledVersions\x64\sharedhost" | Select-Object Name
This will show installed versions.