Hi,
Mum cannot login to her laptop !!!
I upgraded the laptop to Win 10 Pro 64 bit as part of the free Win 10 rollout 2 years ago, creating an admin account for Mum.
There is also a standard account for her daughter.
Sure enough when I checked it, the known password is not recognised.
So, I cannot login via an admin account.
Is there any option other than a clean install, and will that mean paying for a licence ?
Thanks.
You don't need a product key to clean install Windows 10. If it asks for a product key, click the little link on that page for "I don't have a product key". After installation, Windows will retrieve the digital license for that computer stored on Microsoft Activation Servers and activate Windows.
See here, option 4 to enable the built-in Administrator account:
Enable or Disable Elevated Administrator account in Windows 10 - Windows 10 User Accounts Tutorials
When logged into the built-in administrator account you have a few options, you can reset the password for Mum's account, you can change the daughter's account to administrator, you can create a new local account with administrator rights. When you get it fixed, make sure to disable the built-in administrator account.
Welcome to the forum. You can do a clean install to the latest version you don't need to buy it as the activation is stored on ms server. Was she using a local account or online account?
Many thanks for the responses, both.
Using a local account.
A couple of questions please:
I always thought a clean install removed all accounts, user data etc., and yet NavyLCDR you say
that I will be able to change passwords and account types for Mum and daughter after the install.
So the accounts will be restored/preserved during the clean install ?
And what of their data ?
BTW apologies for the original post in the wrong sub-section (doh).
Thanks.
You seem to have missed a few lines from my post you quoted:
See here, option 4 to enable the built-in Administrator account:
Enable or Disable Elevated Administrator account in Windows 10 - Windows 10 User Accounts Tutorials
When logged into the built-in administrator account you have a few options, you can reset the password for Mum's account, you can change the daughter's account to administrator, you can create a new local account with administrator rights. When you get it fixed, make sure to disable the built-in administrator account.
If you do a clean install, all previous accounts are indeed erased. Enabling the built-in Administrator account is not doing a clean install.
Understood.
Many thanks.
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