CODEWITHSUNDEEP
windowswinapi64-bitregistry32-bit
Blorgbeard
Blorgbeard

Reputation: 103467

Does KEY_WOW64_64KEY have any effect on 32 bit Windows?

It appears that specifying the KEY_WOW64_64KEY flag (reference) when accessing a registry key under 32-bit Windows XP has no effect - that is, no error is thrown, and the key is opened as if you hadn't had the flag set.

I know Windows 2000 throws an error when it encounters this flag.

I want to make sure my app is compatible with as many versions of windows (2k and later) as possible.

Is there a Microsoft reference that specifies each version of Windows' behaviour for this flag? In particular, I'd like something that validates my assumption that it has no effect at all on post-2k 32-bit Windows.

Upvotes: 11

Views: 5475

Answers (4)

Minh
Minh

Reputation: 424

According to this Windows page:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/sysinfo/registry-key-security-and-access-rights?redirectedfrom=MSDN

Both

KEY_WOW64_32KEY (0x0200)

KEY_WOW64_64KEY (0x0100)

will be ignored on 32-bit Windows.

And those flags are not supported on Windows 2000.

Upvotes: 2

Jeppe
Jeppe

Reputation: 31

I have tested on Windows XP 32 bit, and it seems to work OK.

Upvotes: 2

Ana Betts
Ana Betts

Reputation: 74652

Also, you should usually be avoiding this key - WOW64 provides a pretty complete "illusion" to 32-bit apps; just write your app properly on 32-bit without this flag, and it will still work on WOW64. Don't try to use this flag (and other mechanisms) to be "64-bit compatible".

Upvotes: -1

Larry Osterman
Larry Osterman

Reputation: 16142

I can't speak to Windows 2000 or XP, but I know that on Vista and above, KEY_WOW64_64KEY opens the registry key in the 64bit registry if it's a 64bit OS and the 32bit registry if it's a 32bit OS.

Upvotes: 5

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