Vera
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Post by Vera on Feb 1, 2020 0:28:36 GMT -5
My friends have 2 desktops and 1 laptop. Until a few weeks ago they were still using Windows 7 and IE as browser. They took all 3 to a tech store to have them converted to Windows 10 but one of the desktops went back to Windows 7. Apparently they talked to the technician and he brushed them off. I don’t exactly know what happened.
They asked me for help. There were no documents or pictures or anything from before on that computer now. Apparently it is still possible to covert 7 to 10 and we could download it but then at installation the activation key for 7 did not work.
I downloaded Belarc Advisor but it showed the activation key was not found.
there are no other programs on that computer and I did not see an anti virus program.
Using the Chrome browser we can get to her webmail and other websites.
Is it safe to even use this computer now? They are now using it as is for webmail and news sites.
The second desktop is identical to this one and works fine with Windows 10 and has all documents etc. as before. The laptop converted fine too.
any advice would be appreciated
thanks,
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Post by Everton on Feb 1, 2020 1:49:22 GMT -5
I really can not advise on why the desktop did not upgrade, or what happened to their files. Maybe your friends should ask the technician again for the exact reason.
If there is no activation key then it would not be possible to upgrade. They really need to sort it out with the tech as after all they have paid to have it done.
All I want say is that they should not be using any machine with no active anti virus. They should install one.
Windows Defender does not give full protection on windows 7
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Vera
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Post by Vera on Feb 1, 2020 9:34:56 GMT -5
At the moment they only use it to access certain Spanish newspapers and their webmail. For the webmail they have to write their email address and password each time. Would it be OK to use it just for that? Which Antivirus program do you suggest?
Thanks very much
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Post by jholland1964 on Feb 1, 2020 9:49:41 GMT -5
At the moment they only use it to access certain Spanish newspapers and their webmail. For the webmail they have to write their email address and password each time. Would it be OK to use it just for that? Which Antivirus program do you suggest? Thanks very much My personal recommendation, since they have two other up to date, good working computers that they cease using this one altogether but if they feel they must for whatever reasons then I wouldn't use it for anything other than those two things but frankly I don't believe either are really safe to use on this computer.
Other things are offered with it but all they need is the Antivirus portion, NO extras.
Was this computer purchased new? If so don't they have the papers that came with it? I agree with Everton 100% they do need to carry this computer back to the tech and find out what was done because the tech did NOT do what he/she was paid to do. They should ask for their money back because this tech really has rendered this computer useless.
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Vera
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Posts: 153
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World Start Name: verae
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Post by Vera on Feb 1, 2020 10:07:07 GMT -5
I will try to get them to take it back to the technician but that will be hard. The computer was a refurbished one but worked well for about 10 years with Windows 7.
I will report back when I have news again.
Thanks for your advice.
Vera
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Post by jholland1964 on Feb 1, 2020 10:14:02 GMT -5
I will try to get them to take it back to the technician but that will be hard. The computer was a refurbished one but worked well for about 10 years with Windows 7. I will report back when I have news again. Thanks for your advice. Vera You said the two desktops were identical, it may very well be that they were not. Same make and model do not assure that the computers are identical. There ARE requirements, hardware requirements, to be able to upgrade computers from one operating system to another. It is very possible that this one did not meet those hardward requirements. But even with that, as Everton said, "If there is no activation key then it would not be possible to upgrade. " So that is the number one reason the system "bounced back" to Windows 7. I hope they didn't pay too much to have all of this done because the tech certainly did not do the job they paid for. The tech absolutely would have known when doing the work that there was no activation key on the computer and he/she most definitely should have informed them immediately that the upgrade could not be done. Sorry to say but they were ripped off.
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Post by budgall on Feb 1, 2020 14:46:46 GMT -5
If they have a valid Windows 7 license key and the original tech cannot or refuses to get it working I would suggest that you download Windows 10 using the media creation tool and create installation media. I would then suggest you restart the computer using the created media and do a clean Windows 10 install. When the install process asks you to enter the license key tell it you do not have one. Continue the install until it finishes. After installation, go to settings > windows update > activation and enter the Windows 7 key. If the key is a valid key your Windows 10 computer should activate.
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MrBill
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Post by MrBill on Feb 1, 2020 15:54:26 GMT -5
This makes me wonder if 10 was actually installed on that one PC. Maybe it didn't qualify for it for one reason or another. Hardware comes to mind here.
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Vera
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Post by Vera on Feb 1, 2020 16:08:01 GMT -5
If they have a valid Windows 7 license key and the original tech cannot or refuses to get it working I would suggest that you download Windows 10 using the media creation tool and create installation media. I would then suggest you restart the computer using the created media and do a clean Windows 10 install. When the install process asks you to enter the license key tell it you do not have one. Continue the install until it finishes. After installation, go to settings > windows update > activation and enter the Windows 7 key. If the key is a valid key your Windows 10 computer should activate. They have what appears to be a key number and we downloaded windows 10 with the Media creation tool but the key was not valid. I was not there at the time because it took many many hours for the download so I really don't know what happened. I then tried to find the key with Belarc Advisor but on there it said key was not activated. For now I will wait. I just wanted to make sure they know that the computer is not safe to use since they asked me for help. It is now up to them. Thanks for all your help. |
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Post by budgall on Feb 1, 2020 16:36:44 GMT -5
If they have a valid Windows 7 license key and the original tech cannot or refuses to get it working I would suggest that you download Windows 10 using the media creation tool and create installation media. I would then suggest you restart the computer using the created media and do a clean Windows 10 install. When the install process asks you to enter the license key tell it you do not have one. Continue the install until it finishes. After installation, go to settings > windows update > activation and enter the Windows 7 key. If the key is a valid key your Windows 10 computer should activate. They have what appears to be a key number and we downloaded windows 10 with the Media creation tool but the key was not valid. I was not there at the time because it took many many hours for the download so I really don't know what happened. I then tried to find the key with Belarc Advisor but on there it said key was not activated. For now I will wait. I just wanted to make sure they know that the computer is not safe to use since they asked me for help. It is now up to them. Thanks for all your help. You say "They have what appears to be a key number and we downloaded windows 10 with the Media creation tool but the key was not valid." During the installation process when did they try to enter the key? In my experience, the key needs to entered during the activation process after the installation is complete and not when Windows setup requests the key during the installation process. Where did they get the key they are trying to use? |
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Vera
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Posts: 153
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Post by Vera on Feb 1, 2020 17:14:35 GMT -5
As far as I know the key is on the back of the computer. I think the lady tried to insert it during the installation. Maybe we should download it again and see what happens.
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Post by budgall on Feb 1, 2020 18:43:56 GMT -5
I would download it again and have it create the media. Reboot the computer with the created media and do a clean install of Windows 10 as instructed above
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Post by Everton on Feb 1, 2020 19:28:53 GMT -5
It is quite puzzling that the documents and pictures are missing.
Is there any chance that Windows 10 is actually there on a separate partition or a different drive ? If that were the case the boot order would need to be changed.
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Post by jholland1964 on Feb 1, 2020 19:54:11 GMT -5
It is quite puzzling that the documents and pictures are missing. Is there any chance that Windows 10 is actually there on a separate partition or a different drive ? If that were the case the boot order would need to be changed. I had also wondered that but I wonder if the tech did a full wipe of the drive and without making note of the activation key or backing up the files & pictures. I just find it so odd that the activation number wasn't found and the one from the back of the computer was incorrect. Are you sure it was typed in correctly? It is a 25 25-character product key and IF the os came pre-installed on the computer it would be on the sticker on the computer OR on a label or card inside the box that Windows came in. If you’ve lost or can’t find the product key, contact the manufacturer. |
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Vera
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Post by Vera on Feb 1, 2020 21:07:37 GMT -5
I think we will try to download windows 10 again with the media creation tool and see what happens. The picture and document folders are there but empty. They have all of it on the other desktop and the tech also gave them a thumb drive with the pictures. I don’t think the empty folders bother them since the other computer has it all.
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