Targeting 32-Bit Operating Systems with 64-Bit InstallScript Setup Launchers
InstallShield 2025
Project:This information applies to the InstallScript projects.
InstallShield enables you to build an InstallScript project that targets 64-bit Windows operating systems using a 64-bit setup launcher and 64-bit InstallScript engine files. When the installation is launched on a 64-bit system, it runs entirely within the 64-bit environment, targeting 64-bit file system and registry locations.
Although the 64-bit architecture option in InstallScript-based projects allows you to build pure 64-bit package, they can still also support to access 32-bit file system locations and 32-bit registry view on 64-bit platforms. This can be achieved using the appropriate REGDB_OPTIONS option and system variables if required.
Reading from and Writing to Other 32-Bit Destination Folders
InstallScript includes several system variables that let you target 32-bit locations on 64-bit target system:
| • | COMMONFILES |
| • | FOLDER_APPLICATIONS |
| • | FOLDER_APPLICATIONS32 |
| • | PROGRAMFILES |
Reading from and Writing to 32-Bit Registry Locations on 64-Bit Platforms
On 64-bit versions of Windows, 64-bit applications—such as the 64-bit InstallScript engine—access the appropriate 64-bit registry view by default. If you want to explicitly install registry data into the 32-bit area of the registry instead of the 64-bit area, you can place the registry data in a component marked as 32 bit. To specify that a component is 32-bit, select No for the 64-Bit Component setting of a component in the Component view. For more information about the 64-Bit/32-Bit Component setting, as well as additional component settings, see Component Settings:
As an alternative, you can use the REGDB_OPTION_WOW64_32KEY option with the REGDB_OPTIONS variable to direct all registry operations to the 32-bit parts of the registry, regardless of the system architecture.
Installing Self-Registering 32-Bit COM Servers on 64-Bit Platforms
InstallShield provides a support for installing and self-registering 32-bit COM servers on 64-bit Windows operating systems. Self-registering COM servers are DLLs or EXEs that contain the logic to register themselves in the Windows registry during installation, typically by calling DllRegisterServer. When installing 32-bit COM servers on a 64-bit platform, it is important to ensure they are installed and registered correctly within the 32-bit locations of environment.
To install a 32-bit self-registering COM server in the SysWOW64 folder of a 64-bit machines, ensure that No is selected for the 64-Bit Component setting of a component in the Component view that contains the COM server.