How to view the system registry by using 64-bit versions of Windows

1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. In the Open box, type %systemroot%\syswow64\regedit, and then click OK.
   
   Note You must close the 64-bit version of Registry Editor before you can open the 32-bit version (and vice versa) unless you start the second instance of Registry Editor with the -m switch. For example, if the 64-bit version of Registry Editor is already running, type %systemroot%\syswow64\regedit -m in step 2 to start the 32-bit version of Registry Editor.

To support the co-existence of 32-bit and 64-bit COM registration and program states, WOW64 presents 32-bit programs with an alternate view of the registry. 32-bit programs see a 32-bit

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software

tree (

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\WOW6432Node

) that is completely separate from the true 64-bit

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software

tree. This isolates

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT

, because the per-computer portion of this tree resides within the following registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software