2

Server 2003 SP2 64-bit

Verified my path settings are correct, as I can run other executables within the "system32" folder without issue.

If I cd to "c:\windows\system32\" folder, and try to run "shutdown /?" I get "shutdown is not recognized as a valid..." you know - the message you get when you type a command that doesn't exist.

Doing a "dir *.exe" inside the "system32" folder, also doesn't return "shutdown.exe" as one of the results. HOWEVER - if I go through Windows Explorer - there it is! I can see shutdown.exe. Also, if I go to "Start -> Run" and type "shutdown /?", it works fine.

So, works in the GUI, not on the command line. very strange.

This is an excerpt of the last portion of "dir *.exe" when run on the "system32" folder. Note the lack of commonly used executables such as "shutdown.exe" and "tsadmin.exe"

02/18/2007  07:00 AM            24,064 route.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM            29,184 routemon.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM            14,848 rsh.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM            67,072 rsopprov.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM            77,824 rtcshare.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM            18,432 runas.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM            34,816 rundll32.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM            18,432 runonce.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM            13,312 savedump.exe
03/19/2009  07:51 PM            49,152 sc.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM            90,112 scardsvr.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM           152,064 schtasks.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM            16,384 schupgr.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM            31,232 sdbinst.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM            36,352 secedit.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM            32,768 sethc.exe
06/28/2006  12:12 AM            31,232 SetLACState.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM            41,472 setup.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM            25,088 setup16.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM            20,480 setupn.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM            60,416 setx.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM            10,752 sfc.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM            76,288 sfmprint.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM            11,776 sfmpsexe.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM            65,024 sfmsvc.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM            38,400 shmgrate.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM            71,168 sigverif.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM            26,112 skeys.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM            96,256 smlogsvc.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM            53,760 smss.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM            40,960 snmp.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM            25,088 sort.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM             9,728 sprestrt.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM            10,240 subst.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM            14,848 svchost.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM            54,272 syncapp.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM            18,896 sysedit.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM            29,696 syskey.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM           107,520 sysocmgr.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM            79,360 systeminfo.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM             3,072 systray.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM            58,880 takeown.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM            32,768 tapicfg.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM            84,480 taskkill.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM            87,552 tasklist.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM           168,960 taskmgr.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM            13,824 tcmsetup.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM            21,504 tcpsvcs.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM            28,672 timeout.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM           419,328 tracerpt.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM            12,800 tracert.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM            26,624 tsecimp.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM            37,376 typeperf.exe
10/24/2008  04:12 PM            64,000 tzchange.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM             5,632 unlodctr.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM           321,024 upg351db.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM            16,896 ups.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM             4,096 user.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM            26,112 userinit.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM            49,152 utilman.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM            47,104 uwdf.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM            29,184 verclsid.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM           112,640 verifier.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM             1,129 vwipxspx.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM            55,296 w32tm.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM            38,400 waitfor.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM            39,424 wdfmgr.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM            62,464 wextract.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM            38,400 where.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM            48,640 whoami.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM            36,864 winchat.exe
08/13/2007  06:45 PM           206,336 WinFXDocObj.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM             8,704 winhlp32.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM            12,800 winmsd.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM             2,112 winspool.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM             6,656 winver.exe
08/21/2002  05:13 AM           189,952 WISPTIS.EXE
02/18/2007  07:00 AM            67,072 wlbs.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM            10,560 wowexec.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM            10,752 wowreg32.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM            31,232 wpnpinst.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM             5,632 write.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM           114,688 wscript.exe
02/18/2007  07:00 AM            30,720 xcopy.exe

2 Answers 2

4

This is due to you running on 64-bit Windows 2003. Basically - cmd.exe is running in 32-bit mode, and there are only 64-bit versions of shutdown.exe (and some other executables) available. Due to how Windows works behind the scenes, it doesn't let you view/run the 64-bit executables from a 32-bit process. Explorer is 64-bit and can therefore see them.

There is a hotfix available for this:
http://support.microsoft.com/?scid=kb;en-us;942589

Also, here is a really good blog post explaining the problem in detail, as well as some alternative workarounds (although they recommend the hotfix):
http://blogs.sepago.de/nicholas/2008/03/13/jailed-32-bit-processes-on-windows-x64/

0
0

"In a 64-bit version of Windows Server 2003 or of Windows XP, the %WinDir%\System32 folder is reserved for 64-bit applications. When a 32-bit application tries to access the System32 folder, access is redirected to the following folder: %WinDir%\SysWOW64"

So you will see the files in c:\windows\SysWOW64 from the command prompt

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .