How to: Install an Assembly into the Global Assembly Cache (With Gacutil)

There are two ways to install a strong-named assembly into the global assembly cache (GAC)

 

• Using the Global Assembly Cache tool (Gacutil.exe).

  You can use Gacutil.exe to add strong-named assemblies to the global assembly cache and to view the contents of the global assembly cache.
  
  Example:- 
  The following example installs an assembly with the file name first.dll into the global assembly cache.
  
  Open command prompt, type the following command:
  gacutil -i <assembly name>
  
  
  gacutil -i first.dll 

  Using Windows Installer.

  You do this in Visual Studio 2012 and Visual Studio 2013 by creating an InstallShield Limited Edition Project.
  
  This is the recommended and most common way to add assemblies to the global assembly cache. The installer provides reference counting of assemblies in the global assembly cache, plus other benefits.