SysWOW64 folder

[Nimmee]

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I recently re-installed Windows xp on my computer and everything was working fine untill after 1 week, whenever I start Windows XP, on the desktop C:\Windows\SysWOW64 keeps opening up folder used to open up automatically. Even if i try to stop it by going into task manager it goes for a while but again pops up. What can i do to get rid of this irritating problem.

[EINSTEIN_007]

Well, apparently it is not a virus, but it normally is reruired to run 32bit applications on a 64 bit operating system. WoW64 is the 32-bit compatibility layer for 64-bit Windows. If you delete this file your 32bit applications will not work. Normally a 64-bit operating systems from Microsoft can run 32-bit MMC (MMC32) and 64-bit MMC (MMC64). System files are stored in the %windir%\ system32 folder. In the 64-bit versions of Windows operating systems, the \system32 folder contains 64-bit files, including 64-bit consoles such as eventvwr.msc. If there is also a 32-bit version of the snap-in, it resides in the %windir%\syswow64 folder. For more information visit this site.

[JAMES_911]

Check the below method that uses Wow64DisableWow64FsRedirection to disable file system redirection so that a 32-bit application that is running under WOW64 can open the 64-bit version of Notepad.exe in %SystemRoot%\System32 instead of being redirected to the 32-bit version in %SystemRoot%\SysWOW64.

#ifdef _WIN32_WINNT
#undef _WIN32_WINNT
#endif
#define _WIN32_WINNT 0x0501

#ifdef NTDDI_VERSION
#undef NTDDI_VERSION
#endif
#define NTDDI_VERSION 0x05010000

#include <Windows.h>

void main()
{
    HANDLE hFile = INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE;
    PVOID OldValue = NULL;

    //  Disable redirection immediately prior to the native API
    //  function call.
    if( Wow64DisableWow64FsRedirection(&OldValue) ) 
    {
        //  Any function calls in this block of code should be as concise
        //  and as simple as possible to avoid unintended results.
        hFile = CreateFile(TEXT("C:\\Windows\\System32\\Notepad.exe"),
            GENERIC_READ,
            FILE_SHARE_READ,
            NULL,
            OPEN_EXISTING,
            FILE_ATTRIBUTE_NORMAL,
            NULL);

        //  Immediately re-enable redirection. Note that any resources
        //  associated with OldValue are cleaned up by this call.
        if ( FALSE == Wow64RevertWow64FsRedirection(OldValue) )
        {
            //  Failure to re-enable redirection should be considered
            //  a criticial failure and execution aborted.
            return;
        }
    }
    
    //  The handle, if valid, now can be used as usual, and without
    //  leaving redirection disabled. 
    if( INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE != hFile )  
    {
        // Use the file handle
    }
}

For a complete list of detailed steps go to this link.