Registry key wow6432node

[jackz]

Does any one know the use of the registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node

As I'm adding the registry key in this Wow6432Node getting error saying Key could not be openend: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE32\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\XYZ

Thanks for any advice.

[darshit]

The purpose of this key is to secify the mode of 32bit and 64 bit programs. You should first Check is it 32-bit or 64-bit versions, accordingly add the respective registry entries by VBscript/Wise script. 32-bit programs and 64-bit programs that are running on 64-bit version of Windows operating system operate in different modes and use the following sections in the registry:

Native mode 64-bit programs run in Native mode and access keys and values that are stored in the following registry sub key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software

32-bit programs runs in WOW64 mode and access keys and values that are stored in the following registry sub key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\WOW6432node

[Chatwin]

Wow6432 Registry key is to specify that you are running a 64-bit version of Windows. Your Windows 64-bit OS uses this key to represent two different view of HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE for 32-bit applications that run on a 64-bit version of Windows. And 32-bit application queries a value under the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\<company>\<product> subkey, the application reads from the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\<company>\<product> subkey.