# What can I use instead of rundll32\.exe to run 64\-bit DLL?

There are two versions of the rundll32\.exe program in 64\-bit versions of Windows\-family operating systems:  64\-bit version: %WinDir%\\System32\\rundll32\.exe and 32\-bit version: %WinDir%\\SysWOW64\\rundll32\.exe\.

A 64\-bit application can use the 64\-bit version of rundll32\.exe located in %WinDir% \\System32\\ to load 64\-bit DLL\. But 32\-bit programs addressing %WinDir%\\System32\\ are redirected into %WinDir% \\SysWOW64\\ for compatibility purposes and therefore they will use the 32\-bit version of rundll32\.exe\. 

If you need to address the %WinDir%\\System32 folder from a 32\-bit program launched in a 64\-bit Windows, you may use the virtual directory %windir%\\Sysnative \(redirection is not used for it\) or use the [Wow64DisableWow64FsRedirection](https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa365743(v=vs.85).aspx) function to disable the redirection mechanism\.

## References

1. Discussion at stackoverflow\.com\. [rundll32\.exe equivalent for 64\-bit DLLs](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/4703635/rundll32-exe-equivalent-for-64-bit-dlls)\.
1. MSDN Library\. [File System Redirector](https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa384187(v=vs.85).aspx)\.