The installer unpacked. A gray dialog with a green progress bar appeared. It didn't ask for internet. It didn't fail with a cryptic “0x800c0005.” It just... worked.
The size was precise: 49.3 MB. The version: 4.0.30319. The description: Microsoft .NET Framework 4 (Offline Installer). 0.30319 net framework v4 offline installer
The application could not start because the required version of .NET Framework is missing. Please install .NET Framework 4.0.30319. She groaned. “Just upgrade to .NET 8,” she muttered. The installer unpacked
Windows 7 booted. It took four minutes.