For some people, the thought of upgrading to Windows 10 is very enticing and seeing that little white Window down in the Taskbar is very tempting indeed. 
Sadly, there are scammers out there who are praying on people who either feel nervous about doing the upgrade themselves or are just keen to move to Microsoft’s latest Operating System but lack the confidence to get started.
Firstly, we repeat our recommendation to all SeniorNet Kapiti members to sit on their hands and wait a while so that a) Microsoft can iron out the early issues with Windows 10 and b) your Tutors can get their own PCs and laptops upgraded and learn all about Windows 10 prior to assisting you to make the upgrade yourself and get settled into using Windows 10.
As regards the scammers, you should NEVER EVER take unsolicited phonecalls from anyone purporting to want to help you with your PC or laptop. If they say they are from Microsoft, THEY ARE NOT – I can assure you that Microsoft have never helped anyone upgrade anything and they aren’t about to start now! Sadly, offering to upgrade your PC to Windows 10 over the phone is the scammers’ latest offering…… please, please hang up on them – I’ll leave it up to you whether you want to be rude or polite but PLEASE HANG UP!
For more details on the current scam, which is happening right here in New Zealand, please click here to read the article in STUFF.
All the early indications are that Windows 10 installs cleanly on existing PCs and laptops and you shouldn’t need any outside assistance when you decide to take the plunge. Remember that you have a full 12 months to install the free upgrade so right now, there’s no rush.
SeniorNet Kapiti will be right there to help you when the time comes and you most certainly won’t need any outside assistance from random callers to get you over the line!!
In conclusion, and because both these messages are extremely important, I’ll summarise this posting….
- If you receive any unsolicited calls offering to assist you to repair/upgrade your PC or laptop…..HANG UP IMMEDIATELY and don’t enter into any conversation!
- Please resist the temptation to upgrade to Windows 10 unless you are completely confident of your own IT abilities. Let Microsoft bed in their new Operating System and give your SeniorNet Tutors time to work out what’s what so they can provide you with the quality advice you have come to expect.
Kapiti SeniorNet 
Hi Bunkshyde
Well I am one of those who thought he could do it on his own. My question now is “Is there a step by step method of retrieving the 8.1 I had”
It seems every program I want has to have a password / user name and I am forever being told ‘user name & or password does not match our records. To the point where I am now not the slightest bit interested in continuing with Windows!@#$%$# 10
Your advice would be very much appreciated
Regards
Ian Duthie Membership # 415
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Ian,
Microsoft Windows 8 & 10 both require a Microsoft Account to function properly. Many people chose not to register for a Microsoft Account on Windows 8.1 and with some limitations, everything worked fine. My understanding is that this is not the case with Windows 10 – an account is required.
You need to have good records of your various usernames and passwords as it can get very confusing when the system starts asking for them. If you are in the process of rolling out of Windows 10, I would strongly suspect that you are being asked for your Microsoft Account password. If you know you have an account but don’t know the password, you will need to reset that password by going to http://www.microsoft.co.nz before you can proceed. This of course requires that you have access to another (working) PC or tablet to use the browser and receive emails.
Another option might be to call Microsoft Support line (0800 800 004) and see if they can work out what went wrong with your upgrade.
There are also a lot of hints and tips available at http://windows.microsoft.com/en-nz/windows-10/support (again, you will need access to a tablet or another pc).
The final option is to reset your PC back to the operating system it was sold to you with. There is normally a small partition on the HDD which holds the original factory image and you should be able to boot into the “Recovery” Partition to access it.
Peter