What install files in location - Program Files (x86)\Reference Assemblies\Microsoft\Framework\.NETFramework\v4.5

Question

Please bear with me on this, I will try to explain as clearly as I can.

I started a new project (class library) which targets 4.5 and not the client profile 4.5.

Answer 1

It's the Windows SDK:

The Windows SDK includes the reference assemblies, tools, headers, and libraries needed to build applications that target the .NET Framework 4.5.

(For 1.1 and 2.0, there was a separate .NET Framework SDK, but I can't find a link for any more recent versions - I don't think it's separately available)

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For part 2, no. The GAC is not searched at compile time. It's only used at runtime.