How do I get Visual Studio Intellisense tooltips to show descriptions for .NET Framework 3.5?

Question

I need to use .NET framework 3.5 for my project because it uses some older functionality.

The tooltips in Visual Studio aren't showing descriptions like they do when targeting a later framework. I just see basic information like method signatures and data types. Is there a way to fix this?

I looked for the xml files in C:\Program Files (x86)\Reference Assemblies\Microsoft\Framework\.NETFramework\v3.5 and it looks like it just has the files for the 3.5 Client Profile.

I tried reinstalling the 3.5 framework from this link: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=21

I have no idea if it's working or not. When I run the executable nothing happens. I tried running as administrator. When I run it from command prompt there is no output.

I noticed the file is a hundred times smaller that the download for the latest .NET framework. Does that mean it doesn't include the files it's supposed to?

I'm guessing if there's a fix, it's either getting the correct xml files for .NET 3.5 or getting Visual Studio to use the xml files for .NET 4.6 even though my project is targeting 3.5.

Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

I don't think the earlier versions of .net provide the level of tooltips that your after unfortunately. One last thing you could try is to ensure you have all of the elements in the "Add windows programs and features" enabled. Not sure what version of windows your running on but this should explain what I mean:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/framework/install/dotnet-35-windows-10

You can enable the .NET Framework 3.5 through the Windows Control Panel. This option requires an Internet connection.

1. Press the Windows key Windows Windows logo on your keyboard, type "Windows Features", and press Enter. The Turn Windows features on or off dialog box appears.
2. Select the .NET Framework 3.5 (includes .NET 2.0 and 3.0) check box, select OK, and reboot your computer if prompted.