Microsoft advice

[m8man]

I’m not tech savvy as u all know. My kid bought a new laptop from Walmart took it home got it set up Friday and used it Friday for school. It asked him to do a software update today, he did then asked him to enter authorization code sent to his cell phone. He got a different phone # Since the original account was set up and he tried to update it or se d to an email. It says his account is locked and has to wait 30 days to have a code sent to a diff number or email. We call Microsoft and never get anyone and it says do an online chat. We tried and they say wait till 12-15-21. He needs the laptop but we’ve spent hours on this already and I’m about ready to break something. He has tried everything and is pretty upset about not having it for school. I’d buy another one but all his Microsoft stuff is locked. I wven went to the Microsoft site and looked up phone numbers and tried that in case it was a wrong number…..
Thanks
Mman

 

[mezz]

Do a system restore on it. when it asks again about doing a sofware up-date, skip it until later.

 

[gary_in_neenah]

I feel your pain. I bought a pair of tickets for the wife and daughter to see Wicked. Got home from the box office and I get an email from Ticketmaster to confirm purchase. I got in to one of those "no win" scenarios where you go round and round with passwords that don't work or need an update. Wasted a half day with that, went back to the Box Office and explained Ticketmaster didn't recognize my I.P. or passwords. 45 minutes at the ticket window, we/they tried every trick in the book. After about an hour of this the lady reaches over, hits a button and Prints out the damn tickets! Could've done that to begin with but Ticketmaster is forcing their partners to GO TICKETLESS by using your smart phone. The Packers are doing this at Lambeau also, supposedly to ward off Covid... guess it didn't help with that Rodgers thing...

I swear one of these days I'm a gonna snap and go Dirty Harry on the next person that tells me to use my phone for that....

 

[m8man]

Sorry can’t do that, only option is to sign in which is locked can’t do anything until we sign in,

4 hours and many calls, chats, and no luck. Microsoft jackwagons and lack of service is just sad. He requested it to be reset and it was denied. Truly a sh&$ situation. Going to scope out the apple laptop tomorrow. More than maddening when I spend good money then it will have to sit for 30 days......i’d Even pay to get it working......

 

[heckler56]

Just trying to understand what is the problem. Is it the underlying “operating system” or is it “software” like Word or Excel or Powerpoint? If it is Microsoft software is it Office 2019 or Office 365 that is where his documents are locked? Are his documents in the PC or the ”cloud”?

 

[harvest1121]

Buy a chromebook if you just surf the internet. They are cheap and last I use windows on my work laptop and it always updates. Chrome books updates are a lot easier. I use an Iphone but chromebook for my personal use.

 

[m8man]

Just trying to understand what is the problem. Is it the underlying “operating system” or is it “software” like Word or Excel or Powerpoint? If it is Microsoft software is it Office 2019 or Office 365 that is where his documents are locked? Are his documents in the PC or the ”cloud”?

It has windows 11, it’s new and it is the operating system. Can’t access anything now, talked with Microsoft a few times and it’s locked due to him not changing his Microsoft info. It asked him to update the software today so he did, then it asked for a code for verification that it’s him and it went to his old phone number, since he couldn’t provide the verification code it’s locked. Tried soft, hard reset and nothing.

Not a huge deal, bigger issues in life but very disappointing for him. He had used a chrome book but it’s not compatible with his school portal software.
M8man

 

[xsledder]

Is it a Home or Pro version of Windows 11? (That is an important question because there are to way to go about resetting/rebuilding the computer.)

 

[heckler56]

It has windows 11, it’s new and it is the operating system. Can’t access anything now, talked with Microsoft a few times and it’s locked due to him not changing his Microsoft info. It asked him to update the software today so he did, then it asked for a code for verification that it’s him and it went to his old phone number, since he couldn’t provide the verification code it’s locked. Tried soft, hard reset and nothing.

Not a huge deal, bigger issues in life but very disappointing for him. He had used a chrome book but it’s not compatible with his school portal software.
M8man

Bummer. I feel your pain. I have a old PC that cannot get updates or it would hemorrhage so I shutoff wireless. Do you have any other PC’s that he could use to access his Microsoft account and ask for recovery by email vs phone text (however I do recall you saying they locked it for 30 days anyway)? I am guessing he set up a Microsoft account on a different computer at a prior time.

 

[pclark]

Bad deal, feel sorry for you and your son. When I bought my last Laptop I was told by my daughter to buy an Apple MacBook 13. I really did not want to buy it because I was more well versed in the Microsoft Windows platforms as an older guy. I listened to her and bought the MacBook. What I will say is that it has the virus protection that is current all the time and it took me a little more time to learn to navigate it but if its for your kid he probably won't have any issues with that.
Bottom line is that you can buy the Apple product and still buy Microsoft Office for it if you want.

I would take that laptop back to Walmart and tell them thanks but no thanks and move on if you have to wait a month. Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[frnash]

… you can buy the Apple product and still buy Microsoft Office for it if you want. …

Instead of Microsoft Office though, I'd strongly recommend LibreOffice,
see (click →) https://www.libreoffice.org

LibreOffice is Free and Open Source Software. Development is open to new talent and new ideas, and our software is tested and used daily by a large and devoted user community.

LibreOffice will do anything Microsoft Office will do, and it's FREE!
I've used it for years.
(Unless for some reason your son is required to use Microsoft Office.)