Differences Between System32 and SysWOW64
The users can find two separate folders of program files on the 64-bit versions of Windows. But the story does not end here and the users will find two directories of a separate system where executables and DLL libraries could be stored includes System 32 and SysWOW64.However, they are a bit different in the capabilities as even though the name is System 32, it is full of 64-bit files and the SysWOW64 is full of 32-bit files. So, being the user you must be curious to know about the purpose of these two folders and what is the difference between these two.
SysWOW64
The WOW 64 is the part of the operating system which allows Windows 32-bit on Windows 64-bit software. In simple terms, the program will allow Windows to run programs of 32-bit on the 64-bit version of Windows. WOW64 redirects the access of files to ensure whether the programs are working properly. Whenever you will opt to install a version of the 32-bit program on the version of 64-bit program windows, then it will be written to the folder of C:/Program Files which indicated by WOW64 at files (x86) as C:/Program. If the access to the folder C:/WindowsSystem32 is required by it, then it is pointed by WOW64 as C:/Windows/SysWOW64 and a redirector of the file system is used by the windows.
It is noteworthy that when the windows allow the running of the programs then, it all happens in the background transparently and automatically and without even the program is not allowed to know that it is running on the operating system of 64-bit versions. It often helps to run the programs without going through any modifications to the windows of 64-bit versions. WOW64 ensures the separate registry areas for the programs of 64-bit and 32-bit by redirecting registry access.
System32
Both files of the Windows system which include files of the DLL library and.EXE program utilities are contained by the directory of the System32. As most of the files found in the directory of the System32 are the parts of the operating system of Windows, sometimes software programs of third -party install their files of DLL to the folder. The users who are running several applications on their system may installed them in their folder of program files or somewhere else but all these files often load libraries of system-wide from the folder of system32.
Difference between the System32 and SysWOW64
It is of immense help when these two files got separated as the DLL files of64-bit need by 64-bit programs and DLL files of 32-bit are needed by programs 0f 32-bit. When a file of DLL needs to load on a 32-bit program, then it often crashed. But the loading could be made easy by separating the 32-bit and 64-bit software into two different folders of program files. While separating the programs, windows ensured that both files would not get mixed up and helps to solve the problems. However, it is noticeable that not all files of DLL are required to be stored in the files of the program. The several applications of 32-bit programs are hardcoded for utilizing the directory C:/Windows/System32 and then the applications having versions of windows 64-bit were recompiled by the developers but still, they continued the use of directory C:/Windows/System32 rather than renaming it.
Elisa Wilson is a qualified IT engineer by education. After working in the IT sector for a decade, she began writing about it two years ago. She loves to write about emerging technology like office.com/setup.
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