Windows 10: Upgrading from Windows 10 32 bit to 64 bit version

I am preparing to upgrade my system to 64 bit from 32 bit...As I have 12 GB of Ram... I have ensured the processor is compatible, my hardware is good, I have created the boot image from Microsoft to install a clean version of Win 10 x64. I've read numerous articles and am fairly confident I've covered all my bases (even have 64 bit versions of my sound, video and printer drivers ready).. data is backed up.... but I have one major concern..... My Windows folder is on C drive... my programs are on a partition of that drive designated as D Drive ... I then have 2 other separate hard drives for storage....

1) ..when I begin the upgrade by rebooting to my memory stick, will I be prompted to install the new windows version to the C partition ? ... 2).. will my D partition be compromised ..3) If it remains intact, what will become of the programs installed on it... seems to me they will be useless because Windows won't know they exist, correct? Any guidance here would be most appreciated.....

:)

 

Windows 10 pro 64 bit

Is your laptop 32 bit CPU or 64 bit . If your laptop is a 32 bit you will be unable to run Windows 10 64 bit. The reason I ask is that you upgraded from a 32 bit Windows 7 to 32 bit Windows 10. If it is 64 bit you can run a 32 bit

version of Windows but not the other way.

 

Tried twice to update from Windows 8.1 Pro 64 Bit to Windows 10 Pro 64 bit, only I get Windows 10 Pro 32 Bit

Original Title: 64 Bit Upgrade and NOT 32 Bit!

I tried twice to update from Windows 8.1 Pro 64 Bit to Windows 10 Pro 64 bit, only I get Windows 10 Pro 32 Bit! Can't the upgrade process know that my version of Windows 8.1 Pro is 64 Bit and upgrade it to that? I can't use 32 Bit Windows 10 Pro!

 

When doing a clean install in your situation it is best to:

1. Disconnect all other hard drives except for the one that you want to install Windows to.
2. Select the custom install option during the installation. You will be presented with a list of partitions on the hard drive.
3. Delete every partition individually, except for the partition that contains the data you want to keep (D: drive). Make sure you know which partition that is, they will not be labelled C: or D:. You have to know what position on the drive the partition is in and the size of it.
4. Select the resulting unallocated space to install to and click next. (Do not create any new partitions, let Windows setup do that).
5. As long as you don't delete the wrong partition your D: drive partition will be unaffected.
6. Yes - the programs that were installed to D: drive will be useless until you re-install each one.
7. After you get Windows installed, then you reconnect your other hard drives.

 

What is the purpose of disconnecting the other drives ?

 

So the install doesn't 'see' the other drives, doesn't install to the wrong one whether intentional, inadvertent or prompts missed. Following some of the posts here show that is a very real possibility and can be a nightmare to correct.

 

Very good to know.. thank you...

 

You're welcome, good luck.

 

What Berton posted

 

Ok .... I did as suggested above and got a smooth, relatively trouble free upgrade to Windows 10 x64 ... runs great.... Except now, for the first time ever, I am getting an intermittent BSOD on boot up .... get the ran into a problem screen, trys to restart, fails again so I do a hot shut down, restart, it goes through a repair process, then finally boot into windows. I immediately ran SFC Scannow and it found no issues. I have a memory dump file, but I can't open it with a text reader, it says access denied .... Once it's in Windows it runs great, no detected hardware issues, I am really at a loss here ( as I am a capable amature ) any advice would be appreciated. If I post the memory dump file, could someone more capable take a look at it?? (I must add that yesterday after reinstalling my Norton Internet Security it blue screened on boot, I ran sfc and it found damaged files it could not fix, same in safe mode, so I ended up doing a repair reinstall from the installation usb file.... sfc scan after successful repair came out clean so I thought I was in the clear) Additionally, I turned off fast boot but no help...

 

I'll offer you two choices:

1) Do another Clean Install following this tutorial:
Windows 10 - Clean Install - Windows 10 Forums


2) Troubleshoot the install you did today
Open a new thread on
BSOD Crashes and Debugging - Windows 10 Forums
Follow the BSOD posting instructions here:
BSOD - Posting Instructions - Windows 10 Forums

Add a link back to this thread so that members on the BSOD team know the short history.

Best of luck - it's great once it settles down.

 

I would suggest that you also try turning off fast startup:
Fast Startup - Turn On or Off in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums

Also open device manager and look for "unknown device"s and yellow exclamation points.

 

I didn't mean to be curt in my previous post. I gave the quick (Clean install following the tutorial) and the professional options (BSOD thread is where the members who read dumps are).

The Clean install might give Ramoats a piece of information or a step that was not taken.

I'd venture that it's Norton, but my focus isn't very good. I'm working a few other threads have are really sapping my attention, so I passed the buck.

Easy test, uninstall Norton, run MS defender - BSODs?

Bill
.

 

Any help is appreciated. .. the original upgrade was a clean install... followed by problems shortly after Norton went in.. that prompted my repair install after SFC couldn't fix the bad files.. Fast boot is off ... no exceptions in device manager.... Uninstalling Norton is my next move.. it seems to always be on boot when the machine is cold.. but it is intermittent. . Norton is coming off tomorrow morning. .

 

This morning, it booted normally..... I reinstalled NIS using the Norton uninstall/reinstall tool.... That went fine.... system rebooted fine ... checked for updates in NIS and it downloaded 79mb of data... one was a patch.. I applied the patch, it installed then caused the system to hang at the end of the installation when it said it was restarting the product... this was followed a few minutes later by a blue screen and auto reboot..... After rebooting, it was ok for a few minutes, then a blue screen reboot. Upon re entering Windows, I uninstalled the Norton product, cleaned out the temp files and ran SFC scannow ... No integrity violations were found ... So I will use it for a day or two and see what happens .... Anyone have an issue with Windows Defender for the time being??

UPDATE... After the above operations... I am now getting spontaneous BSOD... it even BSOD right in the middle of a repair reinstall. .. I am goibg to try anothe clean install using the recomended guide...