Windows Server roles and features cannot be automatically installed or uninstalled via the Windows Features Control Panel while installing .Net framework 3.5

Recently while I was trying to install .Net Framework 3.5 in Windows Server 2012 R2 machine, I got the below error: “Windows Server roles and features cannot be automatically installed or uninstalled via the Windows Features Control Panel”.

I was trying to install SharePoint 2016 on windows server 2012 R2 where I got the above error. So I tried to download and install .Net Framework 3.5 in windows server 2012 R2. But simply .Net Framework cannot be downloaded and installed in Windows server 2012 r2.

It will give an error like below:
The following feature couldn’t be installed:
.NET Framework 3.5 (includes .NET 2.0 and 3.0)

Windows Server roles and features cannot be automatically installed or uninstalled via the Windows Features Control Panel.

To install Windows Server roles and features, start Server Manager, or use the Server Manager cmdlets for Windows PowerShell. For more information, see: Server Manager Help.

windows server roles and features cannot be automatically installed

Solution:
We have to installed .Net Framework 3.5 through Server Manager in Windows server 2012 r2. Follow the below steps:

Open Server Manager, then from “Configure this local server”, click on “Add roles and features” as shown in the fig below:

Windows Server roles and features cannot be automatically installed or uninstalled

This will open the Before you begin dialog box, click on Next.

Here in the Select installation type, choose “Role-based or feature-based installation” and then click on Next like below:

Windows Server roles and features cannot be automatically installed or uninstalled via the Windows Features Control Panel

Then in the Select destination server, select the “Select a server from the server pool” radio button and choose the server name and click on Next.

the following feature couldn’t be installed .net framework 3.5 server 2012

In the Select server roles, no need to select anything. Just click on Next like below:

windows 2012 windows server roles and features cannot be automatically installed

Then in the Select features screen, select .NET Framework 3.5 Features. And then .NET Framework 3.5 (includes .NET 2.0 and 3.0) as shown in the fig below:

the following feature could not be installed net framework 3.5 server 2012

Then click on Next which will open the “Confirm installation selections” dialog box. There choose the checkbox “Restart the destination server automatically if required.” Then click on Install.

installation of one or more roles role services or features failed

Also, you can read some Windows server 2012 R2 tutorials or windows server 2016 tutorials:
– How to install Active Directory on Windows server 2016 Step by step?

– How to rename domain name in windows server 2016?

– Windows Server 2016 Installation Step by Step with Screenshots

The above step will install .Net framework 3.5 in windows server 2012 r2 machine. After this, I can proceed with SharePoint 2016 installation steps.