Windows 10: All-Out War and My Ultimate Victory

I’ve been absent from WA for the best part of two weeks for three reasons:

1. I was in dire straits (no music, alas) with my attempts to switch to Windows 10
2. I needed time to reinstall software and catch up with my to-do list
3. I had a week-long run of migraines and their aftermath.

You can ignore (2) and (3) because the story lies in (1)

The Windows 10 that I’m now running is the result of the fourth installation of it.

The first time, I followed Microsoft’s instructions and installed it over Window 7. I had backed up everything, thankfully, although MS said that that wouldn’t be necessary. Huh! What a load of b----!

Some members here tried to help me out of the mess that resulted. Thanks again, you wonderful people!

“You should have done a clean install,” I was advised. So the second time, I did exactly that but something went wrong with it towards the end. I tried to install it yet again but my computer refused and I couldn’t get access to Windows 7 at that stage. My only option was to call in the heavy artillery, so I phoned a computer technician. He came in the next morning and $70 later Windows 10 was running on Guinness, my computer.

“That’s three installations,” I hear you say.

That’s right. But silly me, I decided to add a user account for a member of the family. Somewhere along the line I did something wrong and couldn’t undo it, even after Googling for help. To cut a miserable story short, I then managed to lock myself out of the computer. I must have mis-typed the password.

It was Saturday evening but I phoned the technician anyway. He didn’t laugh. However, he was out of town until Tuesday. He suggested I should try – you’ve guessed it – to reinstall Windows 10 again.

I set to work with grim determination, thinking of the $70 I was saving, but I was shaking underneath. By bedtime I had Windows 10 and several essential programmes (yes, I know, they’re now apps) up and running. I slept well that night.

To anyone who is still planning to install Windows 10 from the free upgrade, I recommend you (a) back up everything you want to keep and (b) do a clean install. It’s quite straightforward barring MMQs (Mysterious Microsoft Quirks). And oh yes, (c) type in your password correctly.