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Have you seen the SysWOW64 folder in Windows and got curious about this strange folder? Let’s demystify this folder and explain what it does.
Overview
A Windows 64-bits OS has a SysWOW64 folder. It also has a System32 folder. These folders contain OS files and application DLLs. A 64-bit Windows has a system called WoW64, a Windows Operating (OS) system sub-system that runs 32-bit applications on a 64-bit OS.
SysWOW64 and System32 folders are both located in the %windir% folder, usually C:\Windows folder. On a 64-bit Windows, the %windir%\System32 directory is reserved for 64-bit applications. This allows 32-bits applications to run on a 64-bits Operating System.
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The reason you use %windir% instead of C:\Windows is that the Operating System may be installed in an partition other that C:\. %windir% is a Windows variable that defines the path to the OS installation.
This guide will explain the SysWOW64 folder and the WoW64 sub-system and what the SysWOW64 folder does in your computer. The guide will also cover which program folders 32 and 64-bits applications store their files in 32-bit OS and 64-bits Windows OS.
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For a non-tech person reading this, I have done my best to explain this fairly tech topic in as much simplified language as I possible. My aim is that this guide works for both tech and non-tech readers.
Background of SysWOW64
Before 64-bits Windows OS was launched, a lot of 32-bits applications have been developed.
When 64-bits OS was launched, the 32-bits files of existing applications (they call them DLLs) are stored in a different folder %windir%\SysWOW64. On the other hand, 64-bits applications store their DLLs in %windir%\System32.
To hide the difference between the locations of 32-bits and 64-bits DLLs, Microsoft included WOW64 sub-system and SysWOW64 folder (%windir%\SysWOW64). The WOW64 sub-system hides this difference by using file system redirector (more on this shortly).
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SysWOW64 and File System Redirector
On 64-bits Windows, when 32-bit application attempts to access 32-bits %windir% directories, they are redirected to the SysWOW64 path.
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When a 32-bit application attempt to access %windir%\System32, %windir%\lastgood\system32, or %windir%\regedit.exe, the application is directed to the paths detailed in the table below:
| Original Path | Redirected Path for 32-bit (x86) Processes |
| %windir%\System32 | %windir%\SysWOW64 |
| %windir%\lastgood\system32 | %windir%\lastgood\SysWOW64 |
| %windir%\regedit.exe | %windir%\SysWOW64\regedit.exe |
SysWOW64, System32 and \Program Files Folders
In this section I will explain how applications work with a SysWOW64 and System32 folders 32-bits and 64-bits Windows.
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On a 64-bits OS, 64-bit applications store their files in %ProgramFiles% while OS files are stored in %windir%\System32 folder. On the other hand, 32-bits applications running on 64-bits OS store their files in %ProgramFiles(x86)% and core OS files on %windir%\SysWOW64.
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Program Files(x86) stores 32-bits application files
Program Files stores 64-bits application files
SysWOW64 folder stores 32-bit files
System32 folder stores 64-bit files
%ProgramFiles% is a Windows variable that points to the location of Program Files folder. %ProgramFiles(x86)% points to the Program Files(x86) folder.
Conclusion
The SysWOW64 is an important Windows folder that is only available in 64-bits Widows. SysWOW64 folder (full path %windir%\SysWOW64) store DLLs for 32-bits applications running in a 64-bits Window.
On a 64-bits system, WoW64 system sub-system creates a 32-bits layer that allows 32-bits applications to mimic a 32-bits Windows environment.
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