A shared file is a file that can be used by more than one application. The Windows operating system provides a number of shared files that can be used by any application installed. Software developers can also create shared files for their own applications. Shared files allow for the creation of more efficient applications and save time because the same code does not have to be created for each application. It is created once and used by many applications.
During installation, files identified as shared are registered in the Windows registry. Each time the shared file is installed, the registry increments the registry value associated with it. This registry value is also known as the ref count or the shared reference count. So if two applications install the same shared file, the registry value (ref count) is 2. During uninstallation, a shared file's registry value is decremented. When the registry value reaches 0 the file will be deleted
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