The %windir%\System32 directory is reserved for 64-bit applications on 64-bit Windows. Most DLL file names have not been changed when creating 64-bit versions of DLLs, so 32-bit versions of DLLs are stored in a different directory. WOW64 hides this difference by using a file system redirector.
Explanation:
In most cases, when a 32-bit application tries to access %windir%\System32, %windir%\lastgood\system32, or %windir%\regedit.exe, access is redirected to an architecture-specific path.
Answers & Comments
Answer:
The %windir%\System32 directory is reserved for 64-bit applications on 64-bit Windows. Most DLL file names have not been changed when creating 64-bit versions of DLLs, so 32-bit versions of DLLs are stored in a different directory. WOW64 hides this difference by using a file system redirector.
Explanation:
In most cases, when a 32-bit application tries to access %windir%\System32, %windir%\lastgood\system32, or %windir%\regedit.exe, access is redirected to an architecture-specific path.