The %windir%\System32 directory is reserved for 64-bit applications. Most DLL file names were not changed when 64-bit versions of the DLLs were created, so 32-bit versions of the DLLs are stored in a different directory. WOW64 hides this difference by using a file system redirector.

In most cases, whenever a 32-bit application attempts to access %windir%\System32, the access is redirected to %windir%\SysWOW64. Access to %windir%\lastgood\system32 is redirected to %windir%\lastgood\SysWOW64. Access to %windir%\regedit.exe is redirected to %windir%\SysWOW64\regedit.exe.

If the access causes the system to display the UAC prompt, redirection does not occur. Instead, the 64-bit version of the requested file is launched. To prevent this problem, either specify the SysWOW64 directory to avoid redirection and ensure access to the 32-bit version of the file, or run the 32-bit application with administrator privileges so the UAC prompt is not displayed. 继续阅读 →