Lateloading of x86 / x64 bit DLL keyboard files and init defines

[Large]

Hi

I currently have an issue with the init of lateloading DLLs (keyboard files) that is compiled either with x86 or x64. The app is a simple C++ MFC application (32-bit)

First, here is a summary of the lateloading of the keyboard files:

kbdLibrary = LoadLibrary(L"C:\\windows\\system32\\KBDUS.DLL");
pKbdLayerDescriptor = (KbdLayerDescriptor)GetProcAddress(kbdLibrary, "KbdLayerDescriptor");
PKBDTABLES pKbd = pKbdLayerDescriptor();

The pKbdLayerDescriptor() fills an struct of: *KBD_LONG_POINTER PKBDTABLES;

The definition of KBD_LONG_POINTER PKBDTABLES (from Microsofts kbd.h):

#if defined(BUILD_WOW6432)
    #define KBD_LONG_POINTER __ptr64
 #else
     #define KBD_LONG_POINTER
 #endif

Now here is the mainissue, program is compiled with x86 but executed on a x64-system.
* All keyboard files in %windir%\system32\ is x64 DLLs files and failes (because BUILD_WOW6432 doesn't exist)
* Struct is partly filled, possible corrupt

Same app running on a x86-system:
* All keyboard files are loaded ok, because the keyboardfiles in %windir%\system32\ is x86.

Taking a x86 KBDxx.DLL to a x64-system:
* Loaded ok, without a problem

Forcing the KBD_LONG_POINTER as __ptr64 on a x32-system:
* All keyboard files fails to load (as expected)

Forcing the KBD_LONG_POINTER as __ptr64 on a x64-system:
* All keyboard files are loaded ok (as expected).

Any tips on how to get this to work, without creating a kbd64.h containing the "same" defines?
Is it possible to "redefine" during runtime?

[VictorN]

I guess you should either define BUILD_WOW6432 by compilation or supply 32-bit dll together with your App.

[Large]

VictorN:
That isn't really an option, since I want to use the already installed keyboard layouts that is available in the %windir%\system32\ directory.

But it would "solve" the problem if I distributed the dlls with the installation.

Not any other nifty solutions though?

I guess I'll have to create a kbd64.h that manage the structs for x64 bit and do a x86/x64 check on the dll-files before loading.

[kwhat]

VictorN:
That isn't really an option, since I want to use the already installed keyboard layouts that is available in the %windir%\system32\ directory.

But it would "solve" the problem if I distributed the dlls with the installation.

Not any other nifty solutions though?

I guess I'll have to create a kbd64.h that manage the structs for x64 bit and do a x86/x64 check on the dll-files before loading.

Where you ever able to resolve this issue? I am having the exact same problem.

[Igor Vartanov]

kbdLibrary = LoadLibrary(L"C:\\windows\\system32\\KBDUS.DLL");

I wonder, is this a problem to detect running on x64? In case it is x64, the path to load from must be just C:\Windows\SysWOW64 instead of system32. That's it.

[kwhat]

I wonder, is this a problem to detect running on x64? In case it is x64, the path to load from must be just C:\Windows\SysWOW64 instead of system32. That's it.

That's what you would think to be the case but from what I have gathered SysWOW64/KBDUS.DLL is not purely 32 bit. I think my problem is that mingw __ptr64 doesnt do what it should be doing so I am going to test with msvc.

[Large]

kwhat:
I used the solution described from Igor by loading x86-dlls on a 64bit-system from the %windir%\SysWOW64 directory.
On x86-systems I load them from the %windir%\system32.
I seems to work on every layout, just not KBDKOR.dll nor KBDJPN.DLL.

[Igor Vartanov]

from what I have gathered SysWOW64/KBDUS.DLL is not purely 32 bit.

That's something new to me. Module architecture cannot be not purely 32 bit or a little bit 64 bit. It's either x86 or x64.

C:\Windows\SysWOW64\KBDUS.DLL

Microsoft (R) COFF/PE Dumper Version 10.00.40219.01
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation.  All rights reserved.


Dump of file KBDUS.DLL

PE signature found

File Type: DLL

FILE HEADER VALUES
             14C machine (x86)
               3 number of sections
        4A5BDBD2 time date stamp Tue Jul 14 05:13:54 2009
               0 file pointer to symbol table
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              E0 size of optional header
            2102 characteristics
                   Executable
                   32 bit word machine
                   DLL

OPTIONAL HEADER VALUES
             10B magic # (PE32)
            9.00 linker version
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            1400 size of initialized data
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        5FFE0000 image base (5FFE0000 to 5FFE3FFF)
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             200 file alignment
            6.01 operating system version
            6.01 image version
            6.01 subsystem version
               0 Win32 version
            4000 size of image
             400 size of headers
            C01F checksum
               1 subsystem (Native)
             540 DLL characteristics
                   Dynamic base
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                   No structured exception handler
           40000 size of stack reserve
            1000 size of stack commit
          100000 size of heap reserve
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               0 loader flags
              10 number of directories
            1C90 [      4F] RVA [size] of Export Directory
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               0 [       0] RVA [size] of Architecture Directory
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               0 [       0] RVA [size] of Thread Storage Directory
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SECTION HEADER #1
   .data name
     D2B virtual size
    1000 virtual address (5FFE1000 to 5FFE1D2A)
     E00 size of raw data
     400 file pointer to raw data (00000400 to 000011FF)
       0 file pointer to relocation table
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60000040 flags
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RAW DATA #1
  5FFE1000: FF 00 1B 00 31 00 32 00 33 00 34 00 35 00 36 00  ÿ...1.2.3.4.5.6.
  5FFE1010: 37 00 38 00 39 00 30 00 BD 00 BB 00 08 00 09 00  7.8.9.0.½.».....
  5FFE1020: 51 00 57 00 45 00 52 00 54 00 59 00 55 00 49 00  Q.W.E.R.T.Y.U.I.
  5FFE1030: 4F 00 50 00 DB 00 DD 00 0D 00 A2 00 41 00 53 00  O.P.Û.Ý...¢.A.S.
. . .

C:\Windows\system32\KBDUS.DLL

Microsoft (R) COFF/PE Dumper Version 10.00.40219.01
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation.  All rights reserved.


Dump of file KBDUS.DLL

PE signature found

File Type: DLL

FILE HEADER VALUES
            8664 machine (x64)
               3 number of sections
        4A5BDFCE time date stamp Tue Jul 14 05:30:54 2009
               0 file pointer to symbol table
               0 number of symbols
              F0 size of optional header
            2022 characteristics
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OPTIONAL HEADER VALUES
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               0 size of uninitialized data
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     5FFFFFF0000 image base (000005FFFFFF0000 to 000005FFFFFF3FFF)
            1000 section alignment
             200 file alignment
            6.01 operating system version
            6.01 image version
            6.01 subsystem version
               0 Win32 version
            4000 size of image
             400 size of headers
           100BD checksum
               1 subsystem (Native)
             140 DLL characteristics
                   Dynamic base
                   NX compatible
           40000 size of stack reserve
            1000 size of stack commit
          100000 size of heap reserve
            1000 size of heap commit
               0 loader flags
              10 number of directories
            1E20 [      4F] RVA [size] of Export Directory
               0 [       0] RVA [size] of Import Directory
            2000 [     400] RVA [size] of Resource Directory
               0 [       0] RVA [size] of Exception Directory
               0 [       0] RVA [size] of Certificates Directory
            3000 [      B4] RVA [size] of Base Relocation Directory
            1E70 [      1C] RVA [size] of Debug Directory
               0 [       0] RVA [size] of Architecture Directory
               0 [       0] RVA [size] of Global Pointer Directory
               0 [       0] RVA [size] of Thread Storage Directory
               0 [       0] RVA [size] of Load Configuration Directory
               0 [       0] RVA [size] of Bound Import Directory
               0 [       0] RVA [size] of Import Address Table Directory
               0 [       0] RVA [size] of Delay Import Directory
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               0 [       0] RVA [size] of Reserved Directory


SECTION HEADER #1
   .data name
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       0 file pointer to relocation table
       0 file pointer to line numbers
       0 number of relocations
       0 number of line numbers
60000040 flags
         Initialized Data
         Execute Read

RAW DATA #1
  000005FFFFFF1000: 00 00 00 00 00 01 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  ................
  000005FFFFFF1010: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  ................
  000005FFFFFF1020: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  ................
  000005FFFFFF1030: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  ................
  000005FFFFFF1040: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  ................
. . .

[kwhat]

kwhat:
I used the solution described from Igor by loading x86-dlls on a 64bit-system from the %windir%\SysWOW64 directory.
On x86-systems I load them from the %windir%\system32.
I seems to work on every layout, just not KBDKOR.dll nor KBDJPN.DLL.

Thanks for the reply. After spending most of the day trying to wrap my brain around why this wasn't working for me I finally figured out what the problem was. As it turns out GCC and subsequently MinGW do not support __ptr64 and simply ignore it. This turns out to be a problem when working with Wow64 libraries as they appear to be 64-bit aligned 32-bit pointers. I have been experimenting with __attribute__((mode(DI))) and __attribute__ ((aligned(8))). Both show promise however I cant seem to get mode(DI) working directly with pointers. Hopefully this will save someone a huge headache down the line as there is almost no information on the topic.

[Large]

As a result of handling DLL-files between x86 and x64, I made a wrapper:
http://www.codeproject.com/Articles/...riptor-in-32-6

This should handle the problems described in this thread.

[kwhat]

I solved this issue very differently due to the GCC compatibility requirement of my project. Its not pretty, but it uses the same binary code for both native 32-bit and wow64 environments. I haven't tested it with the MSVC compiler, but there shouldn't be any reason it wouldn't work.

Source code is available here: http://code.google.com/p/jnativehook...nicodeHelper.c