The production version of FxCop can be obtained through the MSDN Code Gallery (http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/codeanalysis/Release/ProjectReleases.aspx). As of this writing, the latest production release of FxCop is version 1.35. The latest beta release is version 1.36 Beta 2. The 1.36 beta is the first version that supports some of the new features of the recently-released .NET Framework 3.5. Due to significant changes to the FxCop API between versions 1.35 and 1.36, it makes sense for this document to solely target version 1.36. Since 1.36 is still in beta, there may still be changes to the API before it is finally released. Beta version 1.36 is available from the Microsoft Download Center at http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=3389f7e4-0e55-4a4d-bc74-4aeabb17997b&DisplayLang=en. Most developers have had good experiences with the 1.36 Beta 2. You will likely find it a better match for your needs than 1.35, especially if you are developing custom rules.

The code analysis features of Visual Studio Team System 2008 Development Edition most closely correspond to those available in FxCop 1.36 Beta 2. The API for developing custom rules is the same in both. However, Visual Studio includes additional rules out of the box that are not included in the free FxCop.

FxCop 1.36 will run under and analyze programs written for .NET Framework versions 2.0, 3.0, and 3.5.