windows 10 reinstallation issues (free upgrade)

To start, this has been a long and ugly journey for me. I'm at a point where I'm about to give up.

My computer is a three-year old Toshiba laptop with a 64bit processcor and a 32 bit OS, 6GB. It came pre-installed with Windows 8.1, and after much badgering from MS, I downloaded the Windows 10 update.

After three years of incidentless bliss, everything went downhill when I got a virus.I tried to remove it but not fast enough. This led to a corrupted registry, to the point that I got a repeated BSOD on logging in and could not access my desktop for more than five seconds. I could not enter safe mode or even access the boot screen.

My only option was to try Windows Media Tool, the free fixit you can download and burn, but since I was afraid of screwing that up I bought it on a usb stick from someone online.Only after I bought the usb did I learn it was bad to try reinstalling Windows 10 from a usb. Unfortunately. I managed to reinstall Windows 10, and because it was a free upgrade, I wasn't asked for a product key.

During the first installation, I took too long to choose (trying to do two things at once) and the USB chose 64bit for me. This corrupted the install (sigh) and I had to go back and reinstall over it with 32bit, which was the correct one. I did this after being forced to delete corrupted partitions, where I was not allowed to install Windows 10.

So the partitions were gone, then I reinstalled. Things seemed to go smoothly. I was able to reach my desktop again, and it was stable and like new. Then I discovered my Program Files x86 folder was completely gone. It wasn't hidden -- it was gone. My computer had been changed to 64bit, the result of this botched reinstall.

EDIT: discovered that it's actually impossible to overwrite 32bit with 64. I thought maybe my screwing up the installation did something, but apparently not. What I don't get is why my 32 bit folder is gone? I guess because of hte screwed up install that first time. I saw on one website that it meant my install was corrupted. I'm past the point of believing running yet another installation would fix anything. Should I even try? /EDIT

.I am also unable to leave legacy boot mode and reenter UEFI, nor can I rearrange my boot order without the computer attempting to boot from a usb.

Trying to boot from my hard drive means being asked to insert bootable media. I already tried rebuilding my boot menu in command prompt and a few other things, like chkdsk.

What can I do to get my 32 bit folder back at this point? Nothing? I saw something online about reformatting my drive, but I have no idea how to do that and I'm worried about doing it. I don't want to make things worse but I guess I'm willing to try.

Hi, if you have 6Gb RAM, you should use a 64bit OS- 4GB max with 32 bits.

At this point you need to do a clean install. Clearly you have no disk images (a sort of copy) of your old configuration which you can restore, something we strongly recommend using routinely, so no way to go back.

You can install Windows from a bootable USB drive or a DVD.

First make sure you have backed up any data on your Windows partition you need to keep.

Then:

1. Download a Win 10 iso
Download Windows 10 ISO File Windows 10 Installation Upgrade Tutorials
2. Create a bootable drive (or burn the iso to a DVD if you have a DVD drive)
Create Bootable USB Flash Drive to Install Windows 10 Windows 10 Installation Upgrade Tutorials
3. Clean install Windows, ensuring all partitions related to Windows are deleted (you can keep any data partitios of course).
Confgure your BIOS to use UEFI and make sure the boot order is appropriate.
Clean Install Windows 10 Windows 10 Installation Upgrade Tutorials

If you install 32 bit, you get a "Program Files" folder, there is no (x86) on the end. If you install 64 bit you get a Program Files folder, and a Program Files (x86) folder.

I would do as mentioned above. Run the MCT, select 64 bit, and create a bootable USB thumb drive.
Boot from that and select custom install. Then delete all the partitions. If you then install into the unallocated space Windows will create all the partitions it needs automatically. Or partition your drive and install into the first partition.

Thank you for the help.I already have MCT on a usb. That's how I screwed up the installation -- I chose 32bit instead of 64.

So let me make sure I understand this. I should:

1) Get out of legacy boot.I turned it on before because I was trying to get into safe mode and just never turned it off (sigh)

2) Run diskpart again to convert gpt.I had to do something like this before because it wouldn't let me install to a gpt.

3) continue with custom install from the MCT

Okay. I will try this and report back.Thanks again.

EDIT: Okay, did everything as instructed.

Program Files x86 is back.

System type is also now listed as 64 OS with 64 based processor.

Most video games claim to need 32 bit, and I could swear this pc was 32 before because I was playing 32bit games on it before all this happened. Going to try installing a 32bit game and see what happens.

EDIT: Kay, just looked up the original specs and was a 64bit. Don't know why I remembered it as 32. Probably confused it with my other computer. Gonna test a game to be sure everything is fine, then going to test the boot up with a restart.

EDIT: Okay. I was able to reboot without being asked for boot media. I can also play games again. Everything seems back to normal. Will report back here in case it's not . . . lol.


Thanks for all the help. You people are lifesavers.