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ERROR_WOW_ASSERTION
What ERROR_WOW_ASSERTION means
WOW components bridge applications built for a different Windows execution environment, most commonly 32-bit processes on 64-bit Windows. An assertion means the compatibility layer encountered state it did not expect.
Where it appears
- legacy 32-bit application startup or shutdown
- thunking between 32-bit code and 64-bit system services
- installers, shell extensions, injected modules, and compatibility shims
Likely causes
- unsupported assumptions in old binaries
- third-party DLL injection or hooks
- corrupted process state or invalid cross-boundary structures
- an operating-system compatibility defect
What to collect
- process architecture and exact failing executable
- loaded DLL list with bitness and signatures
- application compatibility settings and shims
- crash dump showing the WOW transition frames
How to respond
First remove injectors, overlays, and obsolete compatibility settings. Test the current application build on a fully patched system. A vendor should inspect the dump and replace unsupported cross-bitness behavior rather than suppressing the assertion.
References
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