Same version of files of Windows basic in different folders

In a first time - it's not a question about deleting double files! That said, I would like to know why several 'identical' basic Windows files are in different folders, if it is the default, or if I should suspect malware activity. I am not a Curmudgeon, but I watch and try to understand the risks in order to keep my computer as clean as possible. Normally paranoid, so to say. Yes, I have searched the Net to find answers, but because each searchresult starts with registration of tons of methods how to Remove double, which isn't what I'm shooting, I won't and hope to have some answers here.

Some of the files that appear twice are:

Iexplore.exe Explorer.exe, rundll32.exe, cmd.exe, msiexec.exe. Also of Ping, Taskkilll, VMI Provider Host, WinMail, Windows Media Player and more. They seem to all reside in either 'C:\Windows\System32\' or 'C:\Winndows\SysWOW64\ '.

My instinct says files are legitimate and there for a reason (Win32 Win64 vs?), but if so - why different pairs of size have the same version numbers? And why some of the pairs do not differ from just one byte (!) in size? Also - why Internet Explorer keep running 'normally', even if I killed the process (iexplore.exe) in the firewall and why do I sometimes get an error of "Explorer finished unexpectedly" Internet to the time when I close the browser? (Freely translated from Swedish)

System information:

DELL Precision T5500 w. Intel Xeon 5650 CPU, 12 GB of RAM and Swedish Win7 Pro/64 from an SSD. Version of Internet Explorer is 11. Lots of available storage place on quite 3 hard disks. There is also a domestic network with 3 computers, an iPad, and two printers. Several commercial versions of security software installed reside (MalwareBytes, HitmanPro, ZoneAlarm AV + FW), as well as occasional safe mode analyses, or online, with free stuff (SuperAntiSpyware, HouseCall, TDSSKiller, CCleaner, etc.). No unusual activity not found yet, the system is apparently clean.

Are the files of normal behavior part?

Please notify. Thank you!

On most systems, the folder that 'account' is the folder C:\Windows\System32 (assuming that Windows is installed on your C drive).  On a 64-bit system, those will be 64-bit on those files.

In the 64-bit installations there will also be a SysWOW64 folder (not present on 32-bit systems) that will look much like the system32 folder.

The SysWOW64 folder (Windows on Windows) is where Windows keeps 32 bit copy of an application that may be required from time to time on your 64 bit system.

The files in System32 and SysWOW64 may be the same, they may be a little different, they may be very different but Windows will use the appropriate files when it should.

If this sounds like a behavior very normal and expected.

Don't know what 'why Internet Explorer continue to function 'normally', even if I killed the process (iexplore.exe) in the firewall' means (how can you kill IE in the firewall?).  Why do you have to kill the process of IE in the first place?

Windows comes with a built-in so firewall if you have installed ZoneAlarm and use its firewall, this facility should have been smart enough to disable the built in Windows Firewall.

It is not a good idea to run two firewalls at the same time, so if you are using ZA firewall you might want to pursue firewall issues and problems in the ZA community where experts hang out:

https://www.ZoneAlarm.com/Forums/Forum.php

Tags: Windows

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