Upgraded to Windows 10 now have both 8 and 10?

Muppet81

I would really appreciate some advice please. I apologise that this is a bit long winded but need to set out what has happened.

Bought a brand new Acer Aspire laptop yesterday. It came with Windows 8 and the free upgrade to Windows 10.

I plugged it in, powered it up and went through the set up process.

I clicked on the Upgrade to Windows 10 icon

Windows then looked for updates and found 142 important. I installed these.

The laptop restarted itself, went through the configuration process and opened with what looked like a Windows 8 desktop with an Acer picture wallpaper and large icons for the usual games etc.

I clicked on the Windows icon in the bottom left corner and it then gave me what looks like a Windows 10 desktop with a dark background and mainly covered with big blocks of colour for Mail / Skype/Internet etc. Clicking on this icon just seems to toggle between the two operating systems.

I was confused.

I rang the computer shop and they said it sounds like the install has failed.

They have suggested that as I only bought it yesterday they want to help me, so, to take it back tomorrow and they will reset it to factory settings and I can then try the upgrade again. If however it fails again they will do the upgrade to Windows 10 for me but will have to charge for a couple of hours labour.

I was not happy but he explained that the laptop was basically working on Windows 8 and "I have in effect broken it whilst doing an upgrade to Windows 10"

He said the problem is with a flaky free Microsoft upgrade. He said they hate the fact that MS offer this but then if it does not work customers expect the small business (and this firm do have an excellent reputation for customer care) to do a free repair.

I can see his point but I am not happy.

I already had a have a perfectly functioning laptop running Windows 7 but use this to run two things which are very important to me - MS Money Home and Business and Family Tree Maker software which holds years of family tree history research.

Knowing that MS are likely to get even more aggressive about pushing Windows 10 in 2016 and that neither of these two pieces of software are easily compatible with Windows 10, I opted to spend £600 on a new laptop to run for everything else, intending to retain my old Window7 laptop to just hold my Money and family tree stuff without ever connecting it to the Internet so I could turn off all auto updates and keep it as a stand alone Money and Family Tree laptop. This data is so important to me and I do not feel competent to attempt the tweaks which I know some f you have done to gt both bits of software to work, with varying degrees of success.

Ieel really cheated that having invested £600 because I hate aggressive Microsoft, I now may have to pay even more to get the computer company to sort out a Microsoft glitch.

Would love some opinions as to whether I am being unreasonable and if the computer shop is being fair in what it says and I suspect it is.

I know so many people hate Microsoft and I am one of them but being relatively novice I feel unsure about doing a lot of manual updating as in my experience I then run into problems which I simply do not understand and am scared of.

Thanks in anticipation

grumpycrab

Unless you don't mind fiddling I suggest you get your money back ASAP and buy a laptop with W10 already installed (or even a new W7 laptop) ...but if you don't mind fiddling...
1. give shop a chance to factory reinstall (at no cost to you)
2. first thing you do when W8 is running is create a factory backup disk/USB set (so you can factory reinstall if required)
3. if you want W10 now, first make sure the current W8 install is licensed then upgrade to W10 from ISO (my sig leads you through the process to update from ISO); you DO NOT need all the W8 updates installed to do this.

What's the exact Acer model number?

Muppet81

Thanks for your quick response.
It is the Acer Aspire E15 E5-573-7389

The shop have said, albeit nicely, that I cannot return it as unfit for purpose as I have "broken it by doing the Upgrade".

Think I will have to let the shop try the factory reset as I just do not feel competent to do the thing manually myself, especially as I have so carefully tried what should be a simple upgrade today and "broken it".

grumpycrab

Muppet81 wrote: »

Think I will have to let the shop try the factory reset

You implied that the shop would do a factory reset for free. Get them to do it. Does the shop not have a "no quibble return for any reason within X days" policy? Presumably not.

Then follow my steps above. Or ask here. We're a nice bunch (mostly;)) and won't charge 2 hours labour.

Oh, and the laptop is W10 compatible http://www.acer.co.uk/ac/en/GB/content/windows10-eligible-models

esuhl

Muppet81 wrote: »

I already had a have a perfectly functioning laptop running Windows 7...

Why not just carry on using the "perfectly functioning" laptop? Why did you want Windows 10 if Windows 7 does what you need?

And why get a new laptop for the Windows 10 installation? A bigger hard drive (if you need it) and a Windows 10 licence will cost less than £600!

Muppet81

Thanks:A

They did say the initial factory reset would be free. I think had I not done anything to it at all I could have returned it but not with a failed upgrade.

It looks as though I may well be throwing myself on your mercy here.

Just one thought. There was a point where I had the option of proceeding with or without a Microsoft account.

I do not think I have one, usually very keen on recording details of anything I set up with username and password. So, I proceeded on the without basis and got a screen asking me to give a username and a password and my e-mail address which I did. Could this have caused a hiccup to occur?

I tried my e-mail address and "forgot password" but the e-mail address was not recognised. Is there a way to find out?

EDIT
Just discovered that Microsoft Account used to be Windows Live and I do have a password record for that and do use Windows Live mail. Yet when I try to enter my e-mail address and sign in it says the address is not recognised. ????

good_advice

Mupet - here is my story....
I bought a new desktop and did the same as you. Upgraded to windows 10. The upgrade went through ok but I was not happy. Lost all sound and could not get my printer to work I had windows 10 for a few weeks while I grumbled away.
One day! a bright spark in family said - why do I not put the computer back to windows 8.
Googled it and followed the instructions. Bingo! Really happy with windows 8.

Muppet81

esuhl wrote: »

Why not just carry on using the "perfectly functioning" laptop? Why did you want Windows 10 if Windows 7 does what you need?

And why get a new laptop for the Windows 10 installation? A bigger hard drive (if you need it) and a Windows 10 licence will cost less than £600!

Thanks and the honest answer is I did not want Windows 10 and I did not want to spend the money.

BUT Microsoft scares the heeby jeebies out of me and I just really wanted a secure old laptop I could dedicate to my Money and Geneology data with no need to connect to the Internet thereby needing to allow updates or manually update thereby allowing Microsoft to keep harassing me about Windows 10.

Figured if I was getting a new laptop it might as well be the dreaded Windows 10 and i would get used to it for normal daily use.

I do know that you techies would have done it so differently but us non techies just opt for an option that seems safe and have to put up with paying accordingly. Annoying but c'est la vie

Muppet81

good_advice wrote: »

Mupet - here is my story....
I bought a new desktop and did the same as you. Upgraded to windows 10. The upgrade went through ok but I was not happy. Lost all sound and could not get my printer to work I had windows 10 for a few weeks while I grumbled away.
One day! a bright spark in family said - why do I not put the computer back to windows 8.
Googled it and followed the instructions. Bingo! Really happy with windows 8.

Thank you. I can see that that seems a happy outcome now but if MS start really pressuring users to upgrade in 2016 will you not be in a position where you have to examine each update with a fine tooth comb to check that they are not trying to install yet more "Nag ware" about W 10?

grumpycrab

Muppet81 wrote: »

...I tried my e-mail address and "forgot password" but the e-mail address was not recognised...
Just discovered that Microsoft Account used to be Windows Live and I do have a password record for that

I won't say you've spent £600 unnecessarily (others will...). Regarding MS accounts. Its easier to use one than not use one (for logon to W8 or W10) (again, others may disagree).
Any old Hotmail, Outlook, Miscrosoft account will do (if you have one). Sounds like you've already tried the "forgotten" password button at http://www.live.com/ ?

Or just create one... (you can use ANY current email address if that doesn't confuse you!) by clicking the "create new account link"
(horrible MS link -> https://signup.live.com/signup?wa=wsignin1.0&rpsnv=12&ct=1446834197&rver=6.5.6510.0&wp=MBI_SSL&wreply=https%3a%2f%2fmail.live.com%2fdefault.aspx%3frru%3dinbox&id=68692&wlu=1&cbcxt=mai&bk=1446834205&uiflavor=web&uaid=41d6baae6a944e3ba5c0ed417a9ce999&mkt=EN-US&lc=1033&lic=1 )

Muppet81

Much appreciated GrumpyCrab. Will get factory reset done tomorrow then work through what you have so kindly suggested.