Re: SysWOW64 folder

[Crosspost to Win64-bit newsgroup]

Always state your full Windows version (e.g., WinXP SP3; WinXP 64-bit SP2;
Vista SP1; Vista 64-bit SP2; Win7; Win7 64-bit) when posting in a forum or
newsgroup. Please do so in your next reply.

What anti-virus application or security suite is installed and is your
subscription current? What anti-spyware applications (other than Defender)?
What third-party firewall (if any)?

Has a(another) Norton or McAfee application ever been installed on the
computer (e.g., a free-trial version that came preinstalled when you bought
it)?

A description of the differences between 32-bit versions of Windows Vista
and 64-bit versions of Windows Vista:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/946765
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Client - since 2002


Carl Larner wrote:
> Can anyone please advise of the nature of the sub folder 'SysWOW64' on a
> Window Vista 64bit computer. It would seam to have attracted a large
> amount
> of viruses, but only to this area.

Robert is going after your basic virus questions, but to answer your
question about what the SysWOW64 folder is -- it's the 32-bit version of the
"system32" folder in a 64-bit version of Windows. Any 32-bit Windows
applications, DLLs, etc, on your 64-bit Windows computer go in that folder.
So it has 32-bit versions of CMD.EXE, for example, along with lots of other
system applications. When you are running a 32-bit application, the SysWOW64
folder _appears_ to be located at \Windows\system32, not at
\Windows\SysWOW64. Only a 64-bit application can tell that the folder is
located at SysWOW64.

It is highly likely that you got infected by something nasty that was only
32-bit aware.

--
Charlie.
http://msmvps.com/blogs/russel




"PA Bear [MS MVP]" <> wrote in message
news:uf%...
> [Crosspost to Win64-bit newsgroup]
>
> Always state your full Windows version (e.g., WinXP SP3; WinXP 64-bit SP2;
> Vista SP1; Vista 64-bit SP2; Win7; Win7 64-bit) when posting in a forum or
> newsgroup. Please do so in your next reply.
>
> What anti-virus application or security suite is installed and is your
> subscription current? What anti-spyware applications (other than
> Defender)? What third-party firewall (if any)?
>
> Has a(another) Norton or McAfee application ever been installed on the
> computer (e.g., a free-trial version that came preinstalled when you
> bought it)?
>
> A description of the differences between 32-bit versions of Windows Vista
> and 64-bit versions of Windows Vista:
> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/946765
> --
> ~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
> MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Client - since 2002
>
>
> Carl Larner wrote:
>> Can anyone please advise of the nature of the sub folder 'SysWOW64' on a
>> Window Vista 64bit computer. It would seam to have attracted a large
>> amount
>> of viruses, but only to this area.
>

[Who's this Robert person, Charles? <wink>]

Charlie Russel - MVP wrote:
> Robert is going after your basic virus questions, but to answer your
> question about what the SysWOW64 folder is -- it's the 32-bit version of
> the
> "system32" folder in a 64-bit version of Windows. Any 32-bit Windows
> applications, DLLs, etc, on your 64-bit Windows computer go in that
> folder.
> So it has 32-bit versions of CMD.EXE, for example, along with lots of
> other
> system applications. When you are running a 32-bit application, the
> SysWOW64
> folder _appears_ to be located at \Windows\system32, not at
> \Windows\SysWOW64. Only a 64-bit application can tell that the folder is
> located at SysWOW64.
>
> It is highly likely that you got infected by something nasty that was only
> 32-bit aware.
>
>
> "PA Bear [MS MVP]" <> wrote in message
> news:uf%...
>> [Crosspost to Win64-bit newsgroup]
>>
>> Always state your full Windows version (e.g., WinXP SP3; WinXP 64-bit
>> SP2;
>> Vista SP1; Vista 64-bit SP2; Win7; Win7 64-bit) when posting in a forum
>> or
>> newsgroup. Please do so in your next reply.
>>
>> What anti-virus application or security suite is installed and is your
>> subscription current? What anti-spyware applications (other than
>> Defender)? What third-party firewall (if any)?
>>
>> Has a(another) Norton or McAfee application ever been installed on the
>> computer (e.g., a free-trial version that came preinstalled when you
>> bought it)?
>>
>> A description of the differences between 32-bit versions of Windows Vista
>> and 64-bit versions of Windows Vista:
>> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/946765
>> --
>> ~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
>> MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Client - since 2002
>>
>>
>> Carl Larner wrote:
>>> Can anyone please advise of the nature of the sub folder 'SysWOW64' on a
>>> Window Vista 64bit computer. It would seam to have attracted a large
>>> amount
>>> of viruses, but only to this area.

Sigh. I really wasn't having a good day, Robear. My apologies.

--
Charlie.
http://msmvps.com/blogs/russel




"PA Bear [MS MVP]" <> wrote in message
news:%...
> [Who's this Robert person, Charles? <wink>]
>
> Charlie Russel - MVP wrote:
>> Robert is going after your basic virus questions, but to answer your
>> question about what the SysWOW64 folder is -- it's the 32-bit version of
>> the
>> "system32" folder in a 64-bit version of Windows. Any 32-bit Windows
>> applications, DLLs, etc, on your 64-bit Windows computer go in that
>> folder.
>> So it has 32-bit versions of CMD.EXE, for example, along with lots of
>> other
>> system applications. When you are running a 32-bit application, the
>> SysWOW64
>> folder _appears_ to be located at \Windows\system32, not at
>> \Windows\SysWOW64. Only a 64-bit application can tell that the folder is
>> located at SysWOW64.
>>
>> It is highly likely that you got infected by something nasty that was
>> only
>> 32-bit aware.
>>
>>
>> "PA Bear [MS MVP]" <> wrote in message
>> news:uf%...
>>> [Crosspost to Win64-bit newsgroup]
>>>
>>> Always state your full Windows version (e.g., WinXP SP3; WinXP 64-bit
>>> SP2;
>>> Vista SP1; Vista 64-bit SP2; Win7; Win7 64-bit) when posting in a forum
>>> or
>>> newsgroup. Please do so in your next reply.
>>>
>>> What anti-virus application or security suite is installed and is your
>>> subscription current? What anti-spyware applications (other than
>>> Defender)? What third-party firewall (if any)?
>>>
>>> Has a(another) Norton or McAfee application ever been installed on the
>>> computer (e.g., a free-trial version that came preinstalled when you
>>> bought it)?
>>>
>>> A description of the differences between 32-bit versions of Windows
>>> Vista
>>> and 64-bit versions of Windows Vista:
>>> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/946765
>>> --
>>> ~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
>>> MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Client - since 2002
>>>
>>>
>>> Carl Larner wrote:
>>>> Can anyone please advise of the nature of the sub folder 'SysWOW64' on
>>>> a
>>>> Window Vista 64bit computer. It would seam to have attracted a large
>>>> amount
>>>> of viruses, but only to this area.
>

Just kidding: S*** happens.

Charlie Russel - MVP wrote:
> Sigh. I really wasn't having a good day, Robear. My apologies.
>
>
> "PA Bear [MS MVP]" <> wrote in message
> news:%...
>> [Who's this Robert person, Charles? <wink>]
>>
>> Charlie Russel - MVP wrote:
>>> Robert is going after your basic virus questions, but to answer your
>>> question about what the SysWOW64 folder is -- it's the 32-bit version of
>>> the
>>> "system32" folder in a 64-bit version of Windows. Any 32-bit Windows
>>> applications, DLLs, etc, on your 64-bit Windows computer go in that
>>> folder.
>>> So it has 32-bit versions of CMD.EXE, for example, along with lots of
>>> other
>>> system applications. When you are running a 32-bit application, the
>>> SysWOW64
>>> folder _appears_ to be located at \Windows\system32, not at
>>> \Windows\SysWOW64. Only a 64-bit application can tell that the folder is
>>> located at SysWOW64.
>>>
>>> It is highly likely that you got infected by something nasty that was
>>> only
>>> 32-bit aware.
>>>
>>>
>>> "PA Bear [MS MVP]" <> wrote in message
>>> news:uf%...
>>>> [Crosspost to Win64-bit newsgroup]
>>>>
>>>> Always state your full Windows version (e.g., WinXP SP3; WinXP 64-bit
>>>> SP2;
>>>> Vista SP1; Vista 64-bit SP2; Win7; Win7 64-bit) when posting in a forum
>>>> or
>>>> newsgroup. Please do so in your next reply.
>>>>
>>>> What anti-virus application or security suite is installed and is your
>>>> subscription current? What anti-spyware applications (other than
>>>> Defender)? What third-party firewall (if any)?
>>>>
>>>> Has a(another) Norton or McAfee application ever been installed on the
>>>> computer (e.g., a free-trial version that came preinstalled when you
>>>> bought it)?
>>>>
>>>> A description of the differences between 32-bit versions of Windows
>>>> Vista
>>>> and 64-bit versions of Windows Vista:
>>>> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/946765
>>>> --
>>>> ~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
>>>> MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Client - since 2002
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Carl Larner wrote:
>>>>> Can anyone please advise of the nature of the sub folder 'SysWOW64' on
>>>>> a
>>>>> Window Vista 64bit computer. It would seam to have attracted a large
>>>>> amount
>>>>> of viruses, but only to this area.