Fixing Error Code 0x800F0950: .NET Framework Installation Failed on Windows 10

How I Fixed .NET Framework Error 0x800F0950 on My Windows 10 PC
So here’s the thing — I recently needed to install an old piece of software on my Windows 10 laptop. Simple enough, right? But nope. Windows threw a weird error at me:

“Windows couldn’t complete the requested changes. Error code: 0x800F0950.”

At first, I had no clue what that meant. All I knew was that it wouldn’t let me install .NET Framework 3.5, and that app I needed just wouldn’t run without it.

What is This Error Anyway?
Turns out, this error usually shows up when you're trying to install .NET Framework 3.5 (which also includes 2.0 and 3.0) and something goes wrong during the process. Sometimes it’s because Windows Update isn’t working properly. Other times, the required files just aren’t there. And in some cases, it’s just Windows being Windows.

What Worked for Me
1. Tried the Windows Features Method First
I opened the “Turn Windows features on or off” window.

Checked the box for .NET Framework 3.5.

Hit OK… and waited.

Sadly, no luck. Same error came back.

2. Used DISM and a Windows ISO
This is what actually fixed it for me.

Here’s what I did:

Mounted a Windows 10 ISO (you can just right-click the ISO and choose “Mount”).

Found the drive letter for the mounted ISO — in my case, it was E:.

Ran this command in Command Prompt (as Admin):

bash
Copy
Edit
DISM /Online /Enable-Feature /FeatureName:NetFx3 /All /Source:E:\sources\sxs /LimitAccess
After a few minutes… done. No error this time. The framework installed successfully.

Other Things That Might Help
If the DISM method doesn’t do it for you, try this stuff too:

Run sfc /scannow in Command Prompt to fix corrupted system files.

Check Windows Update. If it’s broken, .NET might not install.

Make sure you’re actually online (yes, sometimes it’s that simple).

Try a different ISO in case yours is missing files.

Final Thoughts
Honestly, I spent way too much time chasing down this one error. But once I figured out the DISM + ISO method, it was smooth sailing.

If you're running into the same problem, try what I did — hopefully it saves you a headache.

Let me know in the comments if you found another fix — would love to hear what worked for you!