PDM Essentials, Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials and .NET versions

Hello,

I am trying to install PDM Essentials on 'Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials' (the small business version of Windows server).  By default, this version of Windows Server installs .NET 4.5.
I'm using an PTC provided USB stick for the install.   I'm using http://support.ptc.com/WCMS/files/155679/en/WCPDMEssentials.pdf as a guide.

Issue: the PDM Essentials installer bombs out because it cannot find the .NET 3.5.1 version.

Is there a workaround for this?  A particular PDM Essentials version required for the Server 2012 Essentials platform?  Is PDM Essentials fully qualified for this version of Windows Server that requires the updated .NET version?

Thanks for any info or assistance with this.

Best Regards,

An Inquisitive Student.