• aksdb@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    Microsoft really has a knack for that. I also like WoW64, which contains the binaries for running 32 bit applications on Windows 64 bit. For historical reasons, the 64 bit binaries live in system32, obviously.

    • LeFantome@programming.dev
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      2 hours ago

      Again, it is because it is part of a series.

      They already had WoW (Windows on Windows) which was Win16 on Win32. The new one is Win32 on Win64.

      And if say “Windows on Windows 64” it makes sense. It is Windows emulation on top of Windows 64 (64 bit Windows). When they named it, all Windows was 32 bit Windows and 64 bit Windows was the future thing. So “emulating current Windows on Win64” was what WoW64 was doing.

      It did not age well though. I agree.