📎 AI Summary:
The thread discusses how to determine if a Windows 7 system is 32-bit or 64-bit and explains the behavior of the CMD prompt showing "system32" while using an administrator account. Contributors clarify that "system32" contains 64-bit binaries on a 64-bit system, with "SysWOW64" holding 32-bit files, and highlight that this naming convention is a deliberate Microsoft decision for compatibility. The original poster appreciates the explanation, emphasizing the importance of compatibility for their Python file management tasks.
The thread discusses how to determine if a Windows 7 system is 32-bit or 64-bit and explains the behavior of the CMD prompt showing "system32" while using an administrator account. Contributors clarify that "system32" contains 64-bit binaries on a 64-bit system, with "SysWOW64" holding 32-bit files, and highlight that this naming convention is a deliberate Microsoft decision for compatibility. The original poster appreciates the explanation, emphasizing the importance of compatibility for their Python file management tasks.
Hi Bob,
This is the way it should behave, as you are running CMD as Administrator it will use the 64 Bit libraries to process any commands. c:\windows\system32 is where the 64-bit binaries are kept. C:\windows\SysWOW64 contains 32-bit binaries.
This is the way it should behave, as you are running CMD as Administrator it will use the 64 Bit libraries to process any commands. c:\windows\system32 is where the 64-bit binaries are kept. C:\windows\SysWOW64 contains 32-bit binaries.
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That may seem a little illogical to many, but it is a deliberate action by Microsoft.
The programmers have hard coded the path to the system folder in their applications source code. They have included "System32" in the folder path. In order to preserve compatibility, if the application is converted to 64-bit code, the 64-bit system folder is still named System32. Makes you dizzy!!
The programmers have hard coded the path to the system folder in their applications source code. They have included "System32" in the folder path. In order to preserve compatibility, if the application is converted to 64-bit code, the 64-bit system folder is still named System32. Makes you dizzy!!
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compatibility is all I need. I am trying to get to grips with python and finding files all over the place that don't like one another. At least one bit of compatibility helps.
Thanks for the answers and the information.
Thanks for the answers and the information.
