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IIRC WoW just provided a layer to point 32bit binaries to 32bit libraries on 64bit systems. So you have the ass-backwards situation where %WINDIR%\System32 is
by mishac 10y ago
IIRC WoW just provided a layer to point 32bit binaries to 32bit libraries on 64bit systems.
So you have the ass-backwards situation where %WINDIR%\System32 is full of 64bit dlls, and %WINDIR\SysWOW64 is full of 32bit dlls.
- akira2501 10y agoIn traditional Microsoft fashion, it's both [0]. WoW is the 16bit compatibility layer on 32bit systems, WoW64 is the 32bit compatibility layer on 64bit systems. [0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_on_Windows https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_on_Windows
- blakeyrat 10y agoThe original WOW was doing a 16-bit to 32-bit layer. WOW64 (in 64-bit Windows OSes) does 32-bit to 64-bit. The naming of System32 made sense back when they came up with it, but now it's a bit ridiculous. However, since there are so many incompetent Windows programs using hard-coded paths instead of SHGetFolderPath (including, BTW, literally every Java desktop app that doesn't include its own shim-- the JVM itself has this bug!), it's something Microsoft doesn't have the ability to fix.