A. The WoW64 component is named ServerCore-WOW64. To install it, use the standard ocsetup method:
Start /w ocsetup ServerCore-WOW64
To uninstall, use
Start /w ocsetup ServerCore-WOW64 /uninstall
Note that this installs/removes the core WoW64 environment, and you need to reboot after changing this. There are also additional WoW64 packages for the various Windows Server 2008 R2 roles to enable 32-bit application support in those roles:
- Failover Clustering—FailoverCluster-Core-WOW64
- PowerShell—MicrosoftWindowsPowerShell-WOW64
- .NET 2—NetFx2-ServerCore-WOW64
- .NET 3—NetFx3-ServerCore-WOW64
- Printing—Printing-ServerCore-Role-WOW64
- Server Core IME—ServerCore-EA-IME-WOW64
- SUA—SUACore-WOW64
Before installing these components, you must first install the native 64-bit role/feature that this augments with 32-bit compatibility. For example, before installing NetFX3-ServerCore-WOW64, you need to have installed NetFX3-ServerCore.
You won't be told by an application install or application execution that you are missing WoW64 if you need it. Instead, you'll see more generic errors such as "Error 1719: The Windows Installer Service could not be accessed" during a 32-bit application installation, or "The system cannot execute the specified program" id you're trying to run a 32-bit program.
Related Reading:- Q. Is Windows Server 2008 R2 built on Server 2008's kernel in the same way that Windows Server 2003 R2 was built on Server 2003's kernel?
- Top 10 New Features in Windows Server 2008 R2
- Windows Server 2008 R2: Not Your Average R2
- The Little Things About Windows Server 2008 R2
Check out hundreds more useful Q&As like this in John Savill's FAQ for Windows. Also, watch instructional videos made by John at ITTV.net.
