Error: The Subsystem needed to support this image type is not available

[Steltheo]

Hello!
I have a problem when I try to open some applications such as chrome, media player classic, windows office and many more, but not all.
When i try to open them I get the message The Subsystem needed to support this image type is not available.
I had windows 7 and the installed by the free upgrade windows 10.
Prior to the occur of the problem I dont remember if any upgrades happened.
I tried to use the restore point of windows but the date of the restore point was after this problem occured althought I tried and I got an unsuccesfull message.
I also tried the option reset this pc but that was unsuccesfull to
I also tried the sfc scannow command but nothing happened.
Also, when i boot in safe mode I still get the error.
I dont know if it is a problem of software corruption or virus-like cause.
Maybe the best solution is to reinstall windows but I dont know if it is easy enough so i prefer, if exists, a simplier solution

I looked online and others had the same problem but with no solution, for me at least.

Please note that my knowledge about tech stuff are very basic so I need as simple advices I can get in order to understand.

 

[Colif]

SFC? nothing happened or no errors found?

are you on 32bit or 64 bit?

right click start menu, choose command prompt (Admin)
type chkdsk r/ f/ and hit enter. PC likely to want to run this at start up so restart PC if it asks.

 

[Steltheo]

When i did sfc I left my laptop alone while it was scanning and couple hours later when I came back my laptop looked like it was restarted because all my opened windows were closed. So I assumed that nothing happened with that.

Regarding the other question, is on 64bit. But i would like to expand to that. The majority of programs under the folder Program Files (32 bit?) are running normal, programs that I installed. Programs under the folder Program Files x86 (64bit?) have the problem. I dont know if it is important or not but is better to clarify that.
Also when I try to download new programs I experience the same problem.

I will try again the sfc and chkdsk and I will come back.

I appreciate your answer and willing to help.

 

[Colif]

see if option one helps: http://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/8703-default-file-type-associations-restore-windows-10-a.html

 

[Steltheo]

I did run again sfc scannow and I got the message "Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix". I took a screenshot of it, as you will see in the link: http://imgur.com/a/G1hq6
I can copy the log if you want although it is too big.

I tried to run the chkdsk but I get the message as seen in the link below: http://imgur.com/a/zYYqs

I also tried the option one in the link you posted but it didn't change anything.

Besides all that, something weird is happening with windows updates. It seems that my system is unable to install certain updates since this problem occurred few days ago. I don't know if this is a result from the problem, or the cause of the problem. I really don't know. You can see the link below for what I mean: http://imgur.com/a/hIn6a

Also my antivirus (AVG) seems to malfunction. It cant update. The last update was 14 of September, one day before the failed windows updates.

 

[Colif]

What I think is fastest way to fix this is a fresh install. Upgrades can do strange things and while I listed below a way to fix it, the easier to understand method would be for you to copy everything off C drive you want to keep, and download the Windows 10 media creation tool and use it to make a win 10 installer on USB. If it doesn't let you on your PC, use another PC.

Depending on age of your PC, Win 10 might decide it needs to wipe the entire drive C is on before it will let you reinstall it, so make sure to copy everything off you want to keep

Once everything copied off the HDD, change the boot order in bios so USB is first, hdd second and follow this guide - it makes reinstalling simple: http://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/1950-windows-10-clean-install.html


If you want to try to fix it, what version of win 10 are you on?

right click start
choose run
type Winver and press enter

if this doesn't show 1607, go to this page and click update now. This should download the upgrade assistant, and if you run this, it will update you to latest version of windows 10 and fix this up.

It might not work though since you having problems with windows update

If the version of windows on your PC is 1607, try this

Download a copy of the win 10 iso from Here - create ISO by telling it you want to make DVD - and then mount that ISO in file explorer (see Here) and then copy paste the below command - it has to be exact - into command prompt (admin)

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /source:WIM:X:\Sources\Install.wim:1 /LimitAccess
Where "X" is the drive letter where the ISO is located. Simply change the "X" to the correct drive letter

if DISM fixes stuff up, re run SFC /scannow and it should be able to fix the files it couldn't before. restart PC once its finished

Explanation: SFC cleans System FIles, DISM CLeans the files SFC uses to fix windows. This should fix any problems you are facing with windows.

In the chkdsk image, if you hit Y at end it would have set it to run at start up

 

[Steltheo]

Windows 10, Version 1511 (OS Build 10586.545)

Maybe the best think is a fresh/clean install although I have some questions/misunderstandings about some steps of the tutorial link you provided such as step 2 and 3 and about activation key because I don't have any. Maybe I will try to find a simplier tutorial or maybe I will come back for more questions about that.

Anyway, I appreciate very much your effort and help. Thank you!

 

[Colif]

question 2: Do you have more than one hdd in PC? If so, disconnect evey thing apart from C drive as Win 10 installation has a habit of putting parts of itself on other drives during install and this stops it doing that.

Question 3. can you do something for me, can you get to settings/update & security/recovery - restart PC now (this last bit is a button)
this should restart PC in a blue menu system
is there an option on this page to use a device? If so, when you ready to install win 10, just put USB in slot and come to this menu and click this option, pick USB from list and it will boot from the USB
For now, just hit continue and it will restart windows 10

Licence key - You don't need one. When you upgraded to windows 10, the details of your PC were recorded on a Microsoft server along with your old licence key. When you get to the screen in the install process asking for a key, click "I don't have a key" and once win 10 installed again, the PC will check the server I mentioned before and should auto activate itself.

 

[Steltheo]

Yes I have 2 internal disks. So, that means before clean install I have to disconnect the secondary disc drive (not the C. That means I have to open the case of my laptop and physically remove the disc drive? If so, how can I distinguish them in order not to remove C:? If I remove the second drive, does that mean that all my files will be there regarding the clean install (probably yes)? And when I am going to insert it back in, its a procedure simple as a usb, I mean I will not have to install any drivers all anything like that, right?

I did your steps and I will write to you what I faced.

Restart PC (three options appeared):
Continue
Troubleshot
Turn off PC

I selected Troubleshot and three options appeared:
Reset this PC
Toshiba HDD recovery
Advanced Options

I selected Advanced Options and six options appeared:
System Restore
Command Prompt
System image recovery
Startup settings
Startup repair
Go back to the previous build

I assume that my next option is System Image Recovery, right?
I selected it and I got a message:
Windows cannot find a system image on this computer.
Attach the backup hard disk or insert the final DVD from a backup set and click Retry.

I assume that this is the procedure I would follow if I was ready for clean install? Also, by hard disk, does it mean my USB with Win 10 installer or I have to go other way around to use the USB for installing Windows?

 

[Colif]

I am starting to think it would be easier for you to get laptop looked at by a store and ask them to fresh install win 10 for you. It wouldn't require me to explain all this to you

Try this, go to this web site and click update now. This will download the upgrade assistent, try to run it and see if you it will install latest version of Win 10. It basically installs a new copy of win 10 on laptop and could fix this completely without need of repairs.

2nd drive, not sure if you have to remove completely or if you can just unplug it from cables and leave inside. All files will be left alone since its not plugged in, shouldn't need any drivers to plug it back in.


As for your steps, that was a pain. I was hoping "Use a device" would be in the list of options after restart PC. It seems some options aren't always available. It would have been easier than explaining to you how to swap your Boot order might be. Can you tell me what Make/model laptop is?

system image recovery is for using a backup, you don't have that so ignore it.

 

[Steltheo]

I downloaded the upgrade assistant but couldn't open it due to the original/initial problem.

Indeed, after all the best solution for me is to take it to a store and do the job for me.

I would like to thank you for your help and time. I really appreciate it.

 

[Colif]

Make sure they unplug 2nd hdd before they install. Ask them to do that much. They might have thought to do it anyway but better to be sure. Sitting in here I read horror stories but I have had it done myself and it worked fine so I could have a clouded perception of how good repair stores are

Easier to get people who know what they are doing to fix it than us amateurs.

I did my best, some things easier to admit defeat on and give to professionals.