Run 32 bit .NET applications on 64 bit machines

March 15, 2010 7 Comments


If you have a 64 bit machine and want to run a .NET application that only works with the 32 bit CLR you would have to make changes to the .NET framework on your machine

Set the .NET framework to load the CLR in WOW mode through this command

Open up command prompt and type this command

C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\v2.0.50727\Ldr64.exe SetWow

Now you should be able to run apps that use only the .NET 32 bit CLR.

To revert back to the default 64 bit framework run

C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\v2.0.50727\Ldr64.exe Set64

Filed under .NET, Microsoft Tagged with ,

7 Responses to Run 32 bit .NET applications on 64 bit machines

  1. Richard says:
    August 16, 2010 at 5:55 pm

    Alternatively, compile the executable for x86 instead of any CPU.

    If you can’t recompile, the CorFlags utility will modify the executable for you:

    “c:\Program Files\Microsoft SDKs\Windows\v6.0A\Bin\x64\CorFlags.exe” MyApplication.exe /32bit+

    Reply
  2. kunjan says:
    November 26, 2010 at 8:30 am

    Thanx!!
    It really helped me a lot!!!!

    Reply

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  5. raymond says:
    July 22, 2011 at 4:22 am

    Would these commands work with a .NET dll or .NET COM dll. I am trying to invoke a .NET COM dll and it seems to be defaulting to the 64 bit framework when it was compiled to be x86.

    Reply
  6. Sai Shankar says:
    July 22, 2011 at 4:45 am

    Raymond,
    The application that I was trying to run had .NET dlls and this worked. I am not sure if this works with the .NET COM Dlls

    Reply
  7. NB says:
    July 6, 2012 at 4:07 pm

    This was very helpful for me. I was able to run one of old 32bit app which references number of 32bit dll which doesn’t have 64bit version with this command. Thanks a lot!

    Reply

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