Livid over Cortana 1

[dan2229]

I got an email saying I could download Cortana to my laptop, so I tried. It made me enter a new email, so stupidly I tired to create an email account ending in windows.com.

I went through all the screens but got stopped at the password and code. It just wouldn't let me complete it. So I gave up.

Today when I booted my computer, I got a login screen with the email I tried to create and a bar for the password and pin.

You guessed it... I am totally locked out of the laptop. Went to the account.live.com/password/reset and got nowhere.

Of course, there is no contact number.

Bottom line, I have a five pound paper weight sitting on the desk, and I have to say I am really pissed! I never thought downloading Cortana would even make a login screen for my computer. It has been a long time since I have been this angry at my computer, but I have only my gullible self to blame!

I need major help.

Daniel

 

[dan2229]

I was able to get onto my computer by using a PIN, and went through all the step to un-check the box that requires a login at start up. However, at start up it still requires me to enter a PIN. AND, the xxxxxwindows.com account still shows up.

I went to the accounts manager, and I can see the windows.com account there. Under my picture and xxxxxwindows.com, it says there is password protection. I have looked at all the options and find absolutely no way to change it!

Also, there are no restore points. That was my first plan of attack was to go back a day to remove all the microsoft account crap. No deal. What is worse is that on the Microsoft pages there is really no way to contact them to complain.

I also notice that a lot of the normal commands are grayed out so nothing can be done to delete my xxxxxwindows.com account.

Aaaaaaaaaarg!

Daniel

 

[linney]

How many users (Local and Microsoft Accounts) do you have on the machine? Are there any other Administrator users that you can logon to the machine with? If you can login with another Admin user maybe you can just remove this Windows.com user from the Profile List.

Try entering the command netplwiz in the RUN Box to access the Profile List.

Can you enable the Built in Administrator and use that?

Administrator account - Enable or Disable in Windows 10

http://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/2969-administrator-account-enable-disable-windows-10-a.html

Adding and Managing User Accounts in Windows 8 or Windows 8.1

http://windows.about.com/od/windows...-User-Accounts-in-Windows-8-or-Windows-81.htm

How Do I Change My Windows Live ID Username or Password?

http://www.tomshardware.com/faq/id-1656457/change-windows-live-username-password.html

 

[dan2229]

I have two accounts. A local account and administrator account associated with test@windows.com.

That is the email account I created for Cortana. It did not allow me to use my normal gmail.com.

I have to supply a password for my local acount which I never used. In fact I abhor passwords to get into my computer. My wife also uses my computer, and she is a newbie. I try to make it easy on her to use the computer, and it has just been this last year she is willing to do so.

This whole password thing has really upset my apple cart.

Daniel

 

[linney]

Is the Local Account an Administrator too?

 

[dan2229]

How can I tell if that account is administrator? It requires a password, and I have never had a password for my computer.

Daniel

 

[linney]

You cannot have multiple user accounts on a machine and still have automatic logon. You need to have only one account if you want automatic logon.




Adding and Managing User Accounts in Windows 8 or Windows 8.1

http://windows.about.com/od/windows...-User-Accounts-in-Windows-8-or-Windows-81.htm

How Do I Change My Windows Live ID Username or Password?

http://www.tomshardware.com/faq/id-1656457/change-windows-live-username-password.html

Answer Desk

http://answerdesk.microsoftstore.co...hanswerdesk&WT.mc_id=msdotcom_slashanswerdesk

Microsoft: Phone Numbers for Microsoft Technical Support

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/search?query=microsoft telephone support&p=

Microsoft: Phone Numbers for Microsoft Technical Support

https://support.microsoft.com/en-au/kb/319726

 

[Borvik]

Something about this whole scenario sounds a little phishy to me.

Cortana was baked into Windows 10 from the start, so an email claiming you can "download" Cortana - to me raises a red flag.

I (obviously) am unable to see the screen or the bootup process, but one of my first thoughts is: is it a legitimate login screen - or a virus/malware providing a login screen on bootup?

If you can, I would pull the hard drive and use another system to scan for any virus/malware infection.

 

[goombawaho]

^^^ I would agree with that. Would like to understand how this whole thing started in more detail, though it won't change the current situation.

"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares.

 

[strongm]

>You cannot have multiple user accounts

Erm ... are you sure? I thought the restriction was simply which account you autologin with, which is restricted to a single selected account. But, to be fair, I haven't actually tried it on W10.

 

[linney]

See this image for the problem. Which users would the machine log in to if multiple users were allowed auto login?

https://res.cloudinary.com/engineering-com/image/upload/v1449083213/tips/Untitled_x965wz.jpg

 

[strongm]

On Windows 10, you select one of the accounts, and then untick the 'Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer' checkbox. The account you selected will be the one used to autologin.

 

[Beilstwh]

Personally I never allow my PC to auto-login in. Even at home, you are opening all your information to anyone. A guest in your home or a thief who might steal the computer. It's not that hard to type in a password when you turn on your computer and the last user logged in is the default on the screen.

Bill
Lead Application Developer
New York State, USA

 

[goombawaho]

I'm am guilty of the auto-login setting. A thief could always slave your hard drive once the PC is stolen and then the data is theirs. So a login password doesn't protect against that. But the risk of a casual person turning on your computer and gaining access in your own home is real.

"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares.

 

[sggaunt]

have have only the one local account, and I don't see a check box to allow auto login?


Steve: N.M.N.F.
If something is popular, it must be wrong: Mark Twain
That's just perfectly normal Paranoia everyone in the universe has that: Slartibartfast

 

[linney]

Type netplwiz in the RUN Box and press OK. Remove the Tick from the Check Box requiring users to sign in to access computer.