Why are there copies of shared assemblies(GAC) in c:\windows\microsoft.net\framework*** directory

Question

This might not be constructive, Im just asking this out of curiousity.....

As of the question : I found two copies of same assembly(System.dll) in both the directories(c:\\windows\\assembly\\GAC_MSIL* * * And c:\\windows\\microsoft.net\\framework\\v2.0.50727)

They both are of same version(I even compared them with FC.exe, and they are same).

why couldnt 'whatever the assemblies' that are using the one in \\microsoft.net\\framework\\2.0.50727 just use the one in GAC??

Answer 1

Files are copied to the GAC, not the other way around. The files are installed to the .net folder, and that's their official location. The GAC is more like a "cache" of commonly used files, and not it's official location. In fact, that's it's name. Global Assembly Cache .

A Cache, by definition, is a copy of something. It can't be the source of it.