Since this is not a finalized update, we suggest that you do not install it on production environments, and only use it for testing purposes. However, if you are using an earlier preview version already, we strongly recommend that you upgrade to RC 2 because of its security fixes. This release introduces new features and improvements to .NET, which have been discussed in detail below. Before this release, Microsoft rolled out 7 preview updates and 1 Release Candidate. Click on the respective links below if you want to learn more about them:
.NET 7 Preview 1.NET 7 Preview 2.NET 7 Preview 3.NET 7 Preview 4.NET 7 Preview 5.NET 7 Preview 6.NET 7 Preview 7.NET 7 RC 1
.NET 7 RC 2 has been tested with Visual Studio 17.4 Preview 3, thus Microsoft recommends that you use it with preview channel releases of Visual Studio only to avoid compatibility conflicts. It can be installed on the following platforms using the direct download links shared below:
WindowsLinuxMacOS
Let us now dig into the new improvements this release has to offer before you download and test it out.
What’s New in .NET 7 Release Candidate 2
Inclusion of C# 11
C# (C Sharp) is still considered one of the popular coding languages. Microsoft has now included its latest available version, which is C# 11, to .NET 7. C# 11 includes a lot of new features and enhancements. You can learn more about it here.
Improvements to Libraries and SDKs
The .NET libraries and SDKs are constantly being updated by the Microsoft team. New APIs containing brand-new functionality are regularly added. Performance improvements are being made to existing APIs, providing you with benefits by simply upgrading. Completely new libraries are being made to assist your daily jobs. Similarly, the SDKs are also being improved alongside the libraries. Microsoft has also instructed the developers on how to perform certain tasks correctly and not be entirely dependent upon the new features, like implementing Generic Math interfaces correctly and preventing a behavioral change in built-in operators for IntPtr and UIntPtr. If you feel like trying out .NET 7 Release Candidate 2, you can download it from the direct download links given below.
Download .NET 7 Release Candidate (RC) 2
Use the direct download links below to download the .NET 7 RC 2 Runtime, SDKs, and ASP.NET Core matching your operating system and architecture:
Runtime:
Download .NET 7.0.0-rc.2 Desktop Runtime for Windows x64 Download .NET 7.0.0-rc.2 Desktop Runtime for Windows x86 Download .NET 7.0.0-rc.2 Desktop Runtime for Windows ARM64 Download .NET 7.0.0-rc.2 Runtime for macOS x64 Download .NET 7.0.0-rc.2 Runtime for macOS ARM64 Download .NET 7.0.0-rc.2 Runtime Binaries for Linux Arm32 Download .NET 7.0.0-rc.2 Runtime Binaries for Linux Arm64 Download .NET 7.0.0-rc.2 Runtime Binaries for Linux Arm32 Alpine Download .NET 7.0.0-rc.2 Runtime Binaries for Linux Arm64 Alpine Download .NET 7.0.0-rc.2 Runtime Binaries for Linux x64 Download .NET 7.0.0-rc.2 Runtime Binaries for Linux x64 Alpine
SDK:
Download .NET SDK 7.0.100-rc.2 for Windows x64 Download .NET SDK 7.0.100-rc.2 for Windows x86 Download .NET SDK 7.0.100-rc.2 for Windows ARM64 Download .NET SDK 7.0.100-rc.2 for macOS x64 Download .NET SDK 7.0.100-rc.2 for macOS ARM64 Download .NET SDK 7.0.100-rc.2 Binaries for Linux Arm32 Download .NET SDK 7.0.100-rc.2 Binaries for Linux Arm64 Download .NET SDK 7.0.100-rc.2 Binaries for Linux Arm32 Alpine Download .NET SDK 7.0.100-rc.2 Binaries for Linux Arm64 Alpine Download .NET SDK 7.0.100-rc.2 Binaries for Linux x64 Download .NET SDK 7.0.100-rc.2 Binaries for Linux x64 Alpine
ASP.NET Core
Download ASP.NET Core Runtime 7.0.0-rc.2 Hosting Bundle for Windows Download ASP.NET Core Runtime 7.0.0-rc.2 for Windows x64 Download ASP.NET Core Runtime 7.0.0-rc.2 for Windows x86 Download ASP.NET Core Runtime 7.0.0-rc.2 Binaries for Windows ARM64 Download ASP.NET Core Runtime 7.0.0-rc.2 Binaries for macOS x64 Download ASP.NET Core Runtime 7.0.0-rc.2 Binaries for macOS ARM64 Download ASP.NET Core Runtime 7.0.0-rc.2 Binaries for Linux Arm32 Download ASP.NET Core Runtime 7.0.0-rc.2 Binaries for Linux Arm64 Download ASP.NET Core Runtime 7.0.0-rc.2 Binaries for Linux Arm32 Alpine Download ASP.NET Core Runtime 7.0.0-rc.2 Binaries for Linux Arm64 Alpine Download ASP.NET Core Runtime 7.0.0-rc.2 Binaries for Linux x64 Download ASP.NET Core Runtime 7.0.0-rc.2 Binaries for Linux x64 Alpine More download and install options here.
Install .NET 7 Release Candidate (RC) 2
You can begin by downloading the right .NET version for you from the links above and then execute it to begin the installation process. Here is how: Once you have installed the newer .NET version, all your applications will run using the new build as the previous version will be replaced. You have now installed the .NET. You may check which .NET version is running by typing in the following command in Command Prompt:
How to Remove/Uninstall .NET
If you wish to remove .NET Release Candidate or Preview from your computer, you can simply uninstall it like any other regular application. Here are the steps to following:
Final Analysis
According to Statista’s statistics, .NET is no longer the most widely used framework today. However, a significant portion of the developers still use it, and they are going to need it to keep updating their apps. That said, .NET developers (and the framework) are not going anywhere anytime soon. Therefore, you might as well get used to it since it is still being widely used in 2022. This is why we recommend the .NET developers switch to the latest .NET version available for testing purposes and make their applications compatible before the actual release of the stable .NET 7. Also see:
Download .NET 7 Release Candidate 1 (Offline Installers)Download .NET 7 Preview 5 (Offline Installers)Download .NET 7 Preview 4 (Offline Installers)Download .NET 7 (Offline Installers) Compatible With Visual Studio 2022 17.4Download .NET 7 Preview 2 (Offline Installers)
