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[Michael Pietroforte]

This article explains why and how to remove Windows 32-bit on Windows 64-bit (WoW64) on Windows Server 2008 R2 Server Core.

When Microsoft announced that Windows Server 2008 R2 is the first 64-bit-only Windows version, there was quite an outcry on the web. What about all those 32-bit applications that are still needed? Of course, the fact that all Windows Server 2008 R2 components are 64-bit doesn't mean that you can't run 32-bit applications on Windows Server 2008 R2. Thanks to the Windows 32-bit on Windows 64-bit (WoW64) subsystem, Windows Server 2008 R2 can—like any other 64-bit Windows—run 32-bit applications without problems.

This is also true for Server Core. However, there is a difference between Server Core and the other Windows Server 2008 R2 editions. On Server Core, WoW64 can be uninstalled. In the Server 2008 R2 Server Core beta, WoW64 wasn't running by default. Microsoft changed this after the beta phase because it turned out that many setup programs for 64-bit server applications are 32-bit. However, the fact that Microsoft originally planned to leave out WoW64 in default Server Core installations shows that it makes sense to uninstall it if you don't need 32-bit applications.

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Author: Michael Pietroforte
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