>>>>Uninstalling and then installing a new version of DxExperience and getting errors that the assemblies in the GAC cannot be deleted/updated etc. Look in c:\windows\assembly with explorer - no files. gacutil.exe /l = 0 files. AAARGH!.
>>>>
>>>>Turns out that in low memory conditions Windows 7 will shut off the Indexing Service which effectively shuts down the GAC - no read, no write, no see, no warning. Rebooting doesn't fix it, because it doesn't just stop the service - it turns it off as a Windows feature - just as if it were never installed.
>>>>
>>>>Turning it back on in control panel / windows features and then rebooting and the GAC is back - installing and uninstalling works again etc.
>>>>
>>>>Took a *lot* of googling and fiddling to figure this out, so I decided to post here hoping it may save somebody else the agony.
>>>
>>>Dang that's brutal. What caused the low memory situation?
>>>Tim
>>
>>I my case it could be old age - or it could be 2 instances of VS 2008, 1 of VS2010, vfp9, and multiple firefox pages all open at the same time. ( with probably some other stuff running as well) <bg> but not sure just when it happened as the GAC assemblies still work you just can't see them or add or delete new ones
>
>Wow, that sounds like my pc at any given time. I better be careful. I do have 12 Gig of RAM but I know I tax it heavily.
>Thanks
>Tim

Actually unless you're running a win 7 64 bit you're not taking 9 of them at all <g> But if you are, maybe the problem wouldn't happen in 64 bit.

Not even sure that's what caused it. But whatever turned off the indexing choked the GAC so if it happens, for whatever reason, this may help.