Deploying 32-bit Applications on 64-bit that requires 32-bit ASP.NET

This article focuses on how to deploy 32-bit .Net applications that are customized to work on 64-bit machine (NOT applicable for Native 64-bit application / Installer).

A 32-bit .Net Application would need 32-bit version ASP.NET 2.0 as a prerequisite and hence it might look for WOW64 registry entry (‘RootVer’ under HKLM\SOFTWARE\WOW6432node\Microsoft\ASP.NET)

• On Windows 2008 R2 64-bit machine, by default both 32-bit & 64-bit ASP.NET are registered and hence the application / installer that is looking for 32-bit registry path will work by default.

• On Windows 2003 64-bit machine, by default only 64-bit ASP.NET is registered and you will have to follow the Microsoft KB, to register 32-bit version of ASP.NET 2.0.

You will have to re-run the 32-bit installer after completing the steps in the Microsoft KB. We have tested the same on a Windows 2003 64-bit machine.

[Note: Though the MS KB talks about switching between the 32-bit versions of ASP.NET 1.1 and the 64-bit version of ASP.NET 2.0 on a 64-bit version of Windows, its applicable for 32-bit versions of ASP.NET 2.0 and 64-bit version of ASP.NET 2.0.]

Please refer here for more details on 32-bit version ASP.NET registration.

Recommended Reading:
How to switch between the 32-bit versions of ASP.NET 1.1 and the 64-bit version of ASP.NET 2.0 on a 64-bit version of Windows?