HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\WOW
| Data type | Range | Default value |
|---|---|---|
| REG_SZ | yes | no | no |
Determines the default mode for running 16-bit Windows applications. On Windows 2000, 16-bit applications can run as separate threads in a shared NTVDM process, or each can run in a separate NTVDM process.
| Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
| yes | By default, 16-bit Windows applications run in a separate process. |
| no | By default, 16-bit Windows applications run as threads in the NTVDM process. |
Typically, 16-bit applications are run in a separate process to improve their performance. When sharing a process, only one 16-bit application can run at a time; all other threads of the NTVDM process are blocked. Also, it is easier to monitor an application when it is running in a separate process.