Global Assembly Cache Folder (C:\Windows\assembly)

Bottom Line: DO NOT DELETE the C:\Windows\assembly folder or its contents! Deleting this folder will permanently break installed .NET Framework applications, Microsoft Office plugins, and critical Windows system utilities.

What is the C:\Windows\assembly Folder?

Located at C:\Windows\assembly (and C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\assembly), this folder is the Global Assembly Cache (GAC) for the Microsoft .NET Framework.

The GAC stores shared .NET assembly DLLs that multiple applications on your computer need to run. When developers build software using .NET (C#, VB.NET, F#), shared runtime components are registered in assembly so programs don’t need to ship duplicate copies of common DLL files.

Can You Delete C:\Windows\assembly?

⛔ DO NOT DELETE — HIGH DANGER!

• If you delete assembly: .NET applications will throw FileNotFoundException or AssemblyResolutionException errors and crash instantly on launch.
• System impact: Windows tools reliant on .NET (such as PowerShell modules, AMD/NVIDIA Control Panel overlays, and administrative tools) will stop working.

Safe Alternatives to Wiping the GAC

If you must clean up old .NET artifacts, never delete files manually in File Explorer. Use official Microsoft developer tools instead:

Safe Developer Method: Use gacutil (Microsoft SDK Tool)

Developers can safely uninstall a specific, unneeded assembly using the official .NET SDK tool:

gacutil /u "AssemblyName, Version=1.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=..."

Related Guides

• Learn about System32 Folder dangers.
• Understand the WinSxS Component Store.
• Check if you can clean MSOCache.