Using GCC Through Git Bash - c++

Question

I have Git for Windows 2.10.2 and the latest version of MSYS2 installed on my Windows 7 machine. I had been using an older version of MinGW to compile c++ code. I would use notepad++ to write/edit the files and compile and run them through Git Bash using gcc console commands. I love being able to go to my file directory, right click, and select the "Git Bash Here" option to open the console and do whatever I needed.
After uninstalling MinGW, I installed MSYS2 and downloaded some of their packages using the package manager, Pacman, that comes with MSYS2. I also updated my PATH variable. I went to test everything out with Git Bash by typing the command:
gcc --version
and I've been getting this error
OWNER#Seth MINGW64 /c
$ gcc --version
2 [main] gcc (5284) C:\msys64\usr\bin\gcc.exe: *** fatal error - cygheap base mismatch detected - 0x1802FF408/0x1802FE408.
This problem is probably due to using incompatible versions of the cygwin DLL.
Search for cygwin1.dll using the Windows Start->Find/Search facility
and delete all but the most recent version. The most recent version *should*
reside in x:\cygwin\bin, where 'x' is the drive on which you have
installed the cygwin distribution. Rebooting is also suggested if you
are unable to find another cygwin DLL.
Segmentation fault
OWNER#Seth MINGW64 /c
$
I've never used Cygwin and therefore have never installed it on this computer. I've spent the last three days searching online for solutions to this. I've uninstalled and reinstalled Git and MSYS2. I put the git-bash.exe in my c:\msys64\ directory and ran the same command from there and got:
OWNER#Seth MINGW64 ~
$ gcc --version
gcc.exe (Rev2, Built by MSYS2 project) 6.2.0
Copyright (C) 2016 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
This is free software; see the source for copying conditions. There is NO
warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
OWNER#Seth MINGW64 ~
$
but that doesn't seem to me to be a very elegant solution. It does work though, I can cd to the folder containing my code and compile and run them.
Another thing I tried was to go into the registry and change where the "Git Bash Here" option looks for git-bash.exe. I changed it from:
"C:\program files\Git\git-bash.exe" "--cd=%v."
to
"C:\msys64\git-bash.exe" "--cd=%v."
and now right clicking and selecting "Git Bash Here" and running the command:
gcc --version
results in:
OWNER#Seth MINGW64 ~
$ gcc --version
gcc.exe (Rev2, Built by MSYS2 project) 6.2.0
Copyright (C) 2016 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
This is free software; see the source for copying conditions. There is NO
warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
OWNER#Seth MINGW64 ~
$
and once again I can cd to the folder with my code and compile and run them.
The problem now is that before when Git Bash would open, it would be looking in the directory where I had right clicked. But now I have to cd to where ever I'm needing to go.
Is there a better way to get MSYS2 and Git working together? Am I making this way more difficult than it should be? Or is there a better way and I'm just stumbling around in the dark?