> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://ivalexev.gitbook.io/rednote/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://ivalexev.gitbook.io/rednote/pentesting-process/other/windows-concepts.md).

# Windows Concepts

Check in the target:

* Architecture (32-bit or 64-bit)
* Character encoding (ASCII or Unicode)

## WOW64

Windows 64-bit also allows running 32-bit applications with **Windows On Windows 64-bit** *(***WOW64***).*

Utilizes four 64-bit libraries: *Ntdll.dll, Wow64.dll, Wow64Win.dll, Wow64Cpu.dll.*\
*Path: C:\Windows\SysWOW64*.

The Windows operating system, and its various applications are written in a variety of programming languages ranging from assembly to C# but many of those make use of the Windows-provided built-in ***application programming interfaces*** (or *APIs*).

## Win32 API

Win32 API offer developers pre-built functionality.

> <mark style="color:$primary;">**Note:**</mark> \
> In function name:\
> suffix "**A**": ASCII *(ex. GetUserNameA)*\
> suffix "**W**": Wide Char, Unicode *(ex. GetUserNameW)*

## Windows Registry

The **Registry** is effectively a database that consists of a massive number of keys with associated values. These keys are sorted hierarchically using subkeys. The Registry can be edited using either the GUI (*regedit*) or the Win32 API.

At the root, multiple *registry hives*rhive contain logical divisions of registry keys.

<table><thead><tr><th width="291"></th><th></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><mark style="color:green;"><strong>HKCU</strong></mark> <em>(HKEY_CURRENT_USER)</em></td><td>Information related to the current user and writable by the current user.</td></tr><tr><td><mark style="color:blue;"><strong>HKLM</strong></mark> <em>(HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE)</em></td><td>information related to the operating system itself and requires administrative privileges.</td></tr></tbody></table>


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