Repairing .NET 4.0 in Visual Studio 2010

I recently had problems installing security patches to the .NET 4.0 runtime, you know, the kind of problems that give you an absolutely generic installer error that leads absolutely nowhere.

Anyhow, I tried uninstalling .NET 4.5 and 4.0 completely and re-installing them - great, all fixed except for one problem - Visual Studio 2010 could no longer target .NET 4.0 (much less .NET 4.5+.)

Repairing Visual Studio didn't fix it, a whole slew of inane ideas and attempts didn't fix it - ultimately I found a guy who had a way that DID work for me that was short of uninstalling and installing Visual Studio again.

Just install the "Windows Phone Developer Tools" from 2010 (Web Installer.)  Running it will download all of the components and then it will begin installing, the second thing it installs is the .NET 4.0 multi-targeting pack.  As soon as that second item finishes installing just cancel the install - it won't roll you back.

Presto!  Visual Studio now recognizes .NET 4.0.

Thank you Xander Hyde wherever you are! -> http://tinyurl.com/qhtok24