[
    {
        "role": "user",
        "content": "what%20does%20fsWow64Proxy.exe%20do%20in%20JAWS%20screen%20reader"
    },
    {
        "role": "assistant",
        "content": "Here\u2019s what is known about the **FSWow64Proxy component** (sometimes shown as *fsWow64Proxy.exe*) in relation to the JAWS screen reader by Freedom Scientific. The details aren\u2019t fully published\u2014which is common for internal components\u2014but we can piece together its purpose based on technical bulletins and common Windows behavior.\n\n---\n\n## \ud83d\udd0d What is FSWow64Proxy?\n\n- It\u2019s a **component of the JAWS setup/repair process** used by Freedom Scientific. The name suggests it acts as a proxy or intermediary for WOW64 handling.  \n- **WOW64** (\u201cWindows-On-Windows 64-bit\u201d) is Windows\u2019s subsystem for enabling 32-bit programs to run on 64-bit versions of Windows. ([pcrisk.com](https://www.pcrisk.com/blog/windows/12402-what-is-syswow64-in-windows-10?utm_source=openai))\n\n---\n\n## \ud83d\udee0 Role during installation and repair\n\n- During a *repair* of JAWS/ZoomText/Fusion, the setup may attempt to process FSWow64Proxy. If something is out of sync (old version, conflicting components), the repair can fail with an error code **80070666**. ([support.freedomscientific.com](https://support.freedomscientific.com/support/technicalsupport/bulletin/1682?utm_source=openai))\n- The error bulletin states:  \n  > \u201cThe setup failed to **process** the \u2018FSWow64Proxy\u2019 component \u2026 This setup issue will be fixed \u2026 so that future attempts to repair each product will **not result in the error**.\u201d ([support.freedomscientific.com](https://support.freedomscientific.com/support/technicalsupport/bulletin/1682?utm_source=openai))\n\n---\n\n## \ud83e\udd14 Why it\u2019s needed\n\nBased on its name & when it\u2019s used, FSWow64Proxy likely provides one or more of these functions:\n\n- **Loading 32-bit parts** of JAWS when the system and/or certain components are installed as 64-bit (or mixing 32-bit/64-bit components).\n- Acting as a bridge (\u201cproxy\u201d) so that components built for one architecture (32-bit) can be managed or accessed on a 64-bit Windows system.\n- Ensuring that shared components or drivers work correctly regardless of whether the primary JAWS executable is 32-bit or 64-bit. (Freedom Scientific now supports 64-bit Windows versions of JAWS, and even ARM64 in recent versions.) ([freedomscientific.com](https://www.freedomscientific.com/products/software/jaws/?lang=en&utm_source=openai))\n\n---\n\n## \u26a0 What happens when FSWow64Proxy fails?\n\n- If it fails during a repair **before** the Fix was implemented, it prevented the repair from completing. The setup failed to process the component\u2014meaning that parts of JAWS, ZoomText, or related shared features might be broken or missing. ([support.freedomscientific.com](https://support.freedomscientific.com/support/technicalsupport/bulletin/1682?utm_source=openai))\n- Freedom Scientific\u2019s workaround: uninstall the product (including shared components), then install the latest version; or modify the repair settings so the FSWow64Proxy component is excluded from the repair. ([support.freedomscientific.com](https://support.freedomscientific.com/support/technicalsupport/bulletin/1682?utm_source=openai))\n\n---\n\n## \u2705 Summary\n\nFSWow64Proxy in JAWS is **not a feature the user activates**, but an internal helper/process used for compatibility and integration\u2014especially in mixed-architecture scenarios (32-bit vs 64-bit). If everything is up to date, it works behind the scenes. But older versions of JAWS and related products had issues with it causing setup/repair failures, which Freedom Scientific has fixed over time. ([support.freedomscientific.com](https://support.freedomscientific.com/support/technicalsupport/bulletin/1682?utm_source=openai))\n\n---\n\nIf you like, I can try to pull up more recent documentation (2024-2026) to see how FSWow64Proxy works now\u2014just let me know."
    },
    {
        "role": "user",
        "content": "does%20this%20mean%20that%20if%20I%20do%20a%20repair%2C%20this%20will%20be%20fixed"
    },
    {
        "role": "assistant",
        "content": "Yes \u2014 doing a repair *might* fix the FSWow64Proxy error, **but only under certain conditions**. Whether it will succeed depends a lot on which version of JAWS (or ZoomText/Fusion), how old the installation is, and whether the installer being used includes the fix. Here are the details:\n\n---\n\n## \u2705 When a repair *will* likely fix it\n\n- According to a technical bulletin from Freedom Scientific, the FSWow64Proxy error (error code 80070666) was a known problem in older versions of JAWS, Fusion, ZoomText, and JAWS Inspect. ([support.freedomscientific.com](https://support.freedomscientific.com/support/technicalsupport/bulletin/1682?utm_source=openai))\n- That bulletin states this issue has been **fixed in \u201cfuture versions\u201d** starting with the **2018 June update and later builds**. ([support.freedomscientific.com](https://support.freedomscientific.com/support/technicalsupport/bulletin/1682?utm_source=openai))\n- If your current JAWS version is **2018 June update or newer**, then the installer should contain the fix, and repairing using that installer *should avoid* the error involving FSWow64Proxy. ([support.freedomscientific.com](https://support.freedomscientific.com/support/technicalsupport/bulletin/1682?utm_source=openai))\n\n---\n\n## \u26a0 When repair might **not** fix it (unless you take extra steps)\n\n- If your installed version is **older than the one that includes the fix** (older than 2018 June update), the repair may still try to process the old component and could still fail. ([support.freedomscientific.com](https://support.freedomscientific.com/support/technicalsupport/bulletin/1682?utm_source=openai))\n- If the installer you're using is outdated (doesn\u2019t have the fix), even with newer JAWS, it may still have the old setup package. In that case, a repair may still hit the error. ([jfw.groups.io](https://jfw.groups.io/g/main/topics?after=1527770046460845985&page=462&utm_source=openai))\n\n---\n\n## \ud83d\udd27 What you can do to be sure\n\nHere are steps to ensure a repair fixes the problem:\n\n1. **Check your JAWS version** \u2014 you want it to be at least the 2018 June update or newer. If it's older, update to a version that includes the fix.  \n2. **Download the latest installer** \u2014 use the latest version from Freedom Scientific\u2019s website. That installer will likely include the corrections.  \n3. **Run Repair with latest installer** \u2014 when running repair, it should no longer try to process the FSWow64Proxy component in the broken way.  \n\nAlternatively, if repair fails:\n\n- Uninstall the program **including shared components** (as suggested in the Freedom Scientific bulletin) and then do a fresh install with the latest version. ([support.freedomscientific.com](https://support.freedomscientific.com/support/technicalsupport/bulletin/1682?utm_source=openai))\n\n---\n\nIf you tell me which version of JAWS you're using, I can help you determine *exactly* whether your version has the fix, and what to do next."
    }
]