Interesting reading/investigation. I think I found something of some use.
A brief history.
In 64-bit (x64) Windows operating system, including Windows Vista, Microsoft implements a feature called File System Redirector on WOW64 (Windows-32-on-Windows-64 that runs 32-bit programs without modifications) subsystem layer for 32-bit programs or DLL (dynamic link libraries) which provides a WOW64 sandbox for registry calls and some file system calls. The filesystem redirection forces 32-bit application attempts to be installed into or accessed from %windir%\System32, been intercepted and get redirected or re-pointed to %windir%\SysWOW64 instead.
The reason for the Filesystem Redirector is that in x64 edition of Windows OS, %windir%\System32 directory is reserved for 64-bit applications. However, most DLL implements Windows API has the same file names and paths that were not changed when porting to 64-bit. As there cannot be two 32-bit and 64-bit DLLs with same name and same path exist on the same system at the same time, so File System Redirector automatically isolates and makes 32-bit applications or non-64-bit aware programs use a different directory as their System32 directory, which is %windir%\SysWOW64 folder. It’s also as a way to avoid incompatibility issue to prevent a 32-bit binary from accidentally accessing data from a 64-bit binary.
Starting with Vista x64 Microsoft introduced a virtual directory for 32 bit apps to access the "REAL" system32 directory. Its called SYSNATIVE. You can't see it from explorer, but 32 bit apps (kixtart) can use it. Interestingly, you can make a directory called SYSNATIVE in the Windows directory, and then you can see the magic of the Virtual/Redirect at work within 32 bit apps, 64bit apps just see it as an empty directory.
I think the value of this with Kixtart is, you can use it without having to turn on or off file redirection globally.
