Since this is an unstable update, we suggest that you do not install it on production environments, and only use it for testing purposes. This release introduces some exciting new features and improvements to .NET, which have been discussed in detail below. Before this release, Microsoft rolled out 7 preview updates as well. 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 has been tested with Visual Studio 17.4 Preview 2, 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.
New in .NET 7 RC 1
.NET MAUI
Microsoft has introduced .NET Multi-platform App UI (MAUI) with .NET 7 RC 1. This feature enables users to create cross-platform applications into a single API instead of separately creating APIs for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android platforms. This feature allows developers to conserve time and attain maximum productivity by creating only one API for all devices.
Cloud Native
This feature allows developers to create cloud-native applications, which are essentially a set of best practices to take advantage of, as Microsoft puts it, “resilience, scalability, efficiency, and velocity.” With these features, Microsoft also highlights other benefits of using .NET to develop applications:
Support for ARM64 devicesThe latest .NET version allows you to take advantage of modern lightning-fast performance gains with many advanced features.
.NET 7 RC 1 might not be entirely stable at the moment, but it lets the developers know what to expect when the stable version is released. This way, they are prepared and enabled to use maximum features to be more productive and create mesmerizing applications. If you feel like trying it out, you can download it from the direct download links shared below.
Download .NET 7 Release Candidate (RC) 1
Use the direct download links below to download the .NET 7 RC 1 Runtime, SDKs, and ASP.NET Core matching your operating system and architecture:
Runtime:
Download .NET 7.0.0-rc.1 Desktop Runtime for Windows x64 Download .NET 7.0.0-rc.1 Desktop Runtime for Windows x86 Download .NET 7.0.0-rc.1 Desktop Runtime for Windows ARM64 Download .NET 7.0.0-rc.1 Runtime for macOS x64 Download .NET 7.0.0-rc.1 Runtime for macOS ARM64 Download .NET 7.0.0-rc.1 Runtime Binaries for Linux Arm32 Download .NET 7.0.0-rc.1 Runtime Binaries for Linux Arm64 Download .NET 7.0.0-rc.1 Runtime Binaries for Linux Arm32 Alpine Download .NET 7.0.0-rc.1 Runtime Binaries for Linux Arm64 Alpine Download .NET 7.0.0-rc.1 Runtime Binaries for Linux x64 Download .NET 7.0.0-rc.1 Runtime Binaries for Linux x64 Alpine
SDKs
Download .NET SDK 7.0.100-rc.1 for Windows x64 Download .NET SDK 7.0.100-rc.1 for Windows x86 Download .NET SDK 7.0.100-rc.1 for Windows ARM64 Download .NET SDK 7.0.100-rc.1 for macOS x64 Download .NET SDK 7.0.100-rc.1 for macOS ARM64 Download .NET SDK 7.0.100-rc.1 Binaries for Linux Arm32 Download .NET SDK 7.0.100-rc.1 Binaries for Linux Arm64 Download .NET SDK 7.0.100-rc.1 Binaries for Linux Arm32 Alpine Download .NET SDK 7.0.100-rc.1 Binaries for Linux Arm64 Alpine Download .NET SDK 7.0.100-rc.1 Binaries for Linux x64 Download .NET SDK 7.0.100-rc.1 Binaries for Linux x64 Alpine
ASP.NET Core
Download ASP.NET Core Runtime 7.0.0-rc.1 Hosting Bundle for Windows Download ASP.NET Core Runtime 7.0.0-rc.1 for Windows x64 Download ASP.NET Core Runtime 7.0.0-rc.1 for Windows x86 Download ASP.NET Core Runtime 7.0.0-rc.1 Binaries for Windows ARM64 Download ASP.NET Core Runtime 7.0.0-rc.1 Binaries for macOS x64 Download ASP.NET Core Runtime 7.0.0-rc.1 Binaries for macOS ARM64 Download ASP.NET Core Runtime 7.0.0-rc.1 Binaries for Linux Arm32 Download ASP.NET Core Runtime 7.0.0-rc.1 Binaries for Linux Arm64 Download ASP.NET Core Runtime 7.0.0-rc.1 Binaries for Linux Arm32 Alpine Download ASP.NET Core Runtime 7.0.0-rc.1 Binaries for Linux Arm64 Alpine Download ASP.NET Core Runtime 7.0.0-rc.1 Binaries for Linux x64 Download ASP.NET Core Runtime 7.0.0-rc.1 Binaries for Linux x64 Alpine More download and install options here.
Install .NET 7 Release Candidate (RC) 1
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 2 (Offline Installers)Download .NET 7 (Offline Installers) Compatible With Visual Studio 2022 17.4Download .NET 7 Preview 4 (Offline Installers)Download .NET 7 Preview 2 (Offline Installers)Download .NET 7 Preview 1 (Offline Installers)
