Unable to uninstall: assembly is required by one or more applications

Un-installing from GAC can be done in various methods such as :-

1. Using windows explorer goto C:\Windows\assembly
2. Locate the assembly
3. use delete button (or) right click -> Uninstall

Alternate method is

1. Goto Visual Studio Command prompt
2. type gacutil /u Me.Test.Assembly

If both of these doesn't work then the assembly is used by some of the component. Ok now that you have known that assembly has a dependency but still you want to delete. This might occur in a scenario where in you want to update the assembly with the new version not by having side by side but having only latest version. This can be achieved by clearing some of the entries in the registry. The entry for the assembly can be in one of these two locations:-


HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Installer\Assemblies\Global
(or)
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Classes\Installer\Assemblies\Global


Locate the entry related to your assembly and delete it, this should remove the dependency. Now just go and uninstall from GAC using either of the two methods above.


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