Symbolic link to .net 4.5 app won't work

Question

Environment: Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1

I created a symbolic link to gacutil.exe for .NET 4.0. The command is:

mklink C:\Users\Administrator\bin\gacutil4.exe "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SDKs\Windows\v8.0A\bin\NETFX 4.0 Tools\gacutil.exe"

When the link is executed, it displays nothing.

C:\Users\Administrator\bin> gacutil

C:\Users\Administrator\bin>

In original directory, it displays help.

C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SDKs\Windows\v8.0A\bin\NETFX 4.0 Tools>gacutil.exe
Microsoft (R) .NET Global Assembly Cache Utility. Version 4.0.30319.17929
Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Usage: Gacutil < comman> [ < options > ]
...

C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SDKs\Windows\v8.0A\bin\NETFX 4.0 Tools>

In Microsoft Connect, a related feedback is found.

http://connect.microsoft.com/VisualStudio/feedback/details/690288/net-4-5-can-no-longer-load-assemblies-via-a-symbolic-link

Although the feedback describes it was fixed on windows 7, it should be fixed in windows server 2008 R2 as well. I have tried Windows Update, but the link still does not work.

Is there any solution for that? Or is there any optional KB/Hotfix I should apply to my machine?

Any help will be appreciated!

Answer 1

Just tried this locally.

You need to create a symbolic link for both the .exe and the .exe.config.

mklink C:\Users\Administrator\bin\gacutil4.exe "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SDKs\Windows\v8.0A\bin\NETFX 4.0 Tools\gacutil.exe"
mklink C:\Users\Administrator\bin\gacutil4.exe.config "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SDKs\Windows\v8.0A\bin\NETFX 4.0 Tools\gacutil.exe.config"