If your Windows machine won’t boot, you can still determine whether the installed OS is 32-bit or 64-bit using a bootable USB and a few command-line steps.
Step 1: Create a Bootable USB
Use Rufus or the Windows Media Creation Tool to create a bootable USB drive with Windows installation media.
Insert the USB into the non-bootable computer.
Restart the system and enter the boot menu or BIOS/UEFI setup.
Select the USB drive as the boot device.
Step 2: Access Command Prompt
Once the Windows Setup screen appears, press Shift + F10 to open the Command Prompt.
Type the following commands one at a time:
diskpart
list volume
exit
Identify the drive letter of your Windows partition (it may differ from the usual C:).
Step 3: Locate the Windows Directory
Use the cd command to navigate to the Windows folder:
cd /d C:\Windows
Replace C with your actual Windows partition letter.
Step 4: Check for System Architecture
Type dir to list the contents of the Windows directory.
Look for the SysWOW64 folder:
If it exists, the OS is 64-bit.
If it doesn’t, the OS is 32-bit.
Optional: Use a One-Line Command
You can also run this command for a direct answer:
if exist C:\Windows\SysWOW64 ( echo This is a 64-bit OS ) else ( echo This is a 32-bit OS )
Again, replace C with the correct drive letter if needed.
This method offers a reliable way to check your system’s architecture without needing to boot into Windows. It’s especially useful when troubleshooting or preparing for a reinstall.