What is .Net? 
There seems to be a lot of confusion out there about what the .Net framework is and what it does.  This quick description we hope will help remove some of these misconceptions.  .Net in it's simplest idea is a universal development tool to help make creation and development of software more streamlined.  It does not affect the way that your computer will run or give Microsoft more control over you computer.  It is safe and you will not even know its been installed on your computer.  If you are running windows 2000, or XP you may already have .Net installed on your computer.  It just may not be a current enough version.

How do I know if I need it?
You have to have version 1.1 installed.  To Check:

• Click the "Start" button on the desktop menu bar.
• Go to control panel
• select "Add/Remove" program
• Scroll down list and look for Microsoft .Net framework v1.1

What happens if I try the file without the .Net framework included?
The installer will stop and let you know if you don't have the correct version of .Net framework installed with a link to Microsoft's website.  If you continue without getting the framework the program will crash as soon as you try to use it.