Windows 7 x64: Execute a 64bit exe/script from a 32bit command prompt?

Question

Anyone have any tricks up their sleeve to do as the title says?  For example:
I'm working within a 32bit app that calls a command using cmd.exe.  In taskmanager we see cmd.exe*32
From that cmd.exe, say we want to launch notepad.exe.  Obviously taskmanager will show notepad.exe*32.  We want plain old "notepad.exe" running in 64bit mode.
Thoughts:
I've been unable to do this using vbscript and may try a .NET console application next.
Another thought is to set up a schtask, run it, then delete it....but that sounds messy.
Am I missing something that would make this extremely easy?

Answer 1

Well, I'm working within WiseScript Editor and SMS Installer. They are 32bit compiled scripting languages so, if I launch notepad.exe from within the compiled Wise or SMS Installer scripts, using either their built-in Execute Program command the OS
always launches the process as a 32bit process as the parent process is 32bit even when trying to specify notepad.exe in %WINDIR%\system32.
I did, however, find a solution using vb.net.  I compiled the following code as a console app named cmdx64.exe
Module Module1
    Sub Main()
        Dim arrArgs As Array
        Dim Args As String = ""
        Dim intCount As Integer = 0
        arrArgs = System.Environment.GetCommandLineArgs()
        For Each Arg In arrArgs
            If intCount <> 0 Then Args = Args & " " & Arg
            intCount = intCount + 1
        Next
        Shell("cmd.exe /C" & Args, AppWinStyle.NormalFocus, True)
    End Sub
End Module
Now when I run "cmdx64.exe notepad.exe" from within WiseScript Editor and SMS Installer instead of getting notepad.exe*32 I now get the 64bit flavor. So...I guess I answered my own question but it required a custom console command.  I was hoping
for a native solution.