Global Assembly Cache

The Global Assembly Cache is a machine-wide cache. The GAC, as it's called, houses assemblies that are designed to be shared amongst several applications. Assemblies installed in the GAC must be signed with a strong name. There are several ways to install an assembly into the GAC:

• Global Assembly Cache Utility (gacutil.exe)
• Windows Explorer Folder Extension

Before an assembly can be installed in the GAC, it must be signed with a strong name using the Strong Name Utility (sn.exe).

The Global Assembly Cache Utility

The gacutil exe is a command-line utility used to list, install, and uninstall assemblies in the global assemble cache. To see all the options of the utility, open a command window and type To list assemblies installed in the global assembly cache, use the /l switch: To install assemblies into the global assembly cache, use the /i switch along with the path of the assembly containing the manifest: To uninstall an assembly from the global assembly cache, use the /u switch along with the name of the assembly without the .dll extension:

GAC Explorer

If you navigate to the Windows directory, you'll notice a directory called assembly. This is no ordinary directory. It has a special interface that allows you to manage components within the Global Assembly Cache.