Tips – Windows 11 and Microsoft Accounts
Andrew Rowland | 7 July 2022 | 0 comments
Microsoft has finally announced that Windows 11 is ready for ‘broad deployment’. Effectively, that means that in their eyes, Win11 has been in beta until now. I have recommended not upgrading from Windows 10, and continue to do so: real-world users are still not giving it the green light. Some people have been confused and think they should upgrade if possible, knowing that keeping software up to date is an important part of staying secure. But Win10 will be supported with security updates until 2025 so there is no requirement to do so until then, by which time you may have purchased a new PC anyway.
Don’t get locked out!
How do you log in to your Windows computer? A customer recently updated her passwords and PIN for greater security, only to find she was unable to log in the next time. Spanner fingers can affect anyone! Unfortunately, I found Microsoft had closed the backdoor I used to use to reset passwords. After a long hunt, I found an alternative, but before Microsoft moves the goal posts again, check whether you use a Microsoft account. Forgotten passwords can be reset online, avoiding the problem altogether.
- Go into Settings and click Accounts
- If it says ‘Local account’ under your name, click ‘Sign in with a Microsoft account instead’
- Enter your Microsoft account details if you have an account, or create one if not. I recommend creating a new email address, e.g. @outlook.com, and keeping it separate from your everyday email.
- Make sure you give accurate information such as date of birth and at least two alternative contact details, just in case you need to prove your identity in the future.
