Windows 10 issues? Contact tech support from within Windows
One of the new features of Windows 10 is a tighter integration with Microsoft Support. You may know that you can call Microsoft Support, use Microsoft Answers on the web or get chat support instead but all those options were not integrated in the operating system itself.
The new Contact Support application changes that as it integrates tech support directly in Windows 10.
Please note that you do need a Microsoft Account to use the application. If you use a local account, you are asked to sign in to a Microsoft Account or create a new one. Make sure you select the option to use the account only for that application, and not for the operating system as a whole.
You have two main options to start the application. Tap on the Windows-key, type support and select the Contact Support result from the list that is displayed to you. Alternatively, tap on the Windows-key, select All Apps from the start menu and start Contact Support from there.
Two options are displayed on the next screen:
- Accounts & billing - Get help with your accounts, subscriptions, and payments.
- Services & apps - Windows, OneDrive and Office 365, etc.
Select the second option and then pick one of the topics you need support for. The page lists Windows, Internet Explorer or Edge, OneDrive, or Skype. If your topic is not listed, click on see more which lists additional topics.
The next page displays up to three options:
- Setting up - Installation, settings, and activation.
- Technical support - Errors and other performance problems.
- Protecting my PC - Removing viruses and malware, etc.
If you select Windows for instance, you get all three options while the majority of programs and services listed display only the first two. Some, like Skype, redirect to a web page instead.
The next page lists the support options available to you. The one you want to pick is "chat online with a Microsoft Answer Tech" as it launches the chat interface to talk to a support rep right away on the system.
If you prefer a phone call, you may schedule a call instead. The ask the community option opens the Microsoft Answers community website.
It does not take long usually before a support rep joins the chat. I tried this several times and it never took longer than five minutes.
The chat interface itself is basic, as it supports only text input. If you need to visualize an issue, your best bet is to take a screenshot of it, upload it somewhere and paste the link to it in chat.
The quality is on-pair with answers on Microsoft's Answers community website but there is always an option to escalate and schedule a phone call if support cannot fix the issue in chat.
Closing Words
The direct integration of tech support in Windows 10 improves the user experience. It is quick and easy to use, and the only downside to it is that quality may differ widely between members of support.
What mental age of reader are you targeting with the first sentence? 10?
Why not write an article on how to *avoid* upgrading from W10 to W11. Analogous to those like me who avoided upgrading from 7 to 10 for as long as possible.
If your paymaster Microsoft permits it, of course.
5. Rufus
6. Ventoy
PS. I hate reading these “SEO optimized” articles.
I used Rufus to create an installer for a 6th gen intel i5 that had MBR. It upgraded using Setup. No issues except for Win 11 always prompting me to replace my local account. Still using Win 10 Pro on all my other PCs to avoid the bullying.
bit pointless to upgrade for the sake of upgrading as you never know when you’ll get locked out because ms might suddenly not provide updates to unsupported systems.
ps…. time travelling?
written. Jan 15, 2023
Updated • Jan 13, 2023
This happens when you schedule a post in WordPress and update it before setting the publication date.
Anyone willing to downgrade to this awful OS must like inflicting themselves with harm.
I have become convinced now that anybody who has no qualms with using Windows 11/10 must fit into one of the following brackets:
1) Too young to remember a time before W10 and W11 (doesn’t know better)
2) Wants to play the latest games on their PC above anything else (or deeply needs some software which already dropped W7 support)
3) Doesn’t know too much about how computers work, worried that they’d be absolutely lost and in trouble without the “”latest security””
4) Microsoft apologist that tries to justify that the latest “features” and “changes” are actually a good thing, that improve Windows
5) Uses their computer to do a bare minimum of like 3 different things, browse web, check emails, etc, so really doesn’t fuss
Obviously that doesn’t cover everyone, there’s also the category that:
6) Actually liked W7 more than 10, and held out as long as possible before switching, begrudgingly uses 10 now
Have I missed any group off this list?
You have missed in this group just about any professional user that uses business software like CAD programs or ERP Programs which are 99% of all professional users from this list.
Linux doesn’t help anyone who is not a linux kid and apple is just a fancy facebook machine.
Microsoft has removed KB5029351 update
only from windows update though
KB5029351 is still available from the ms update catalog site
1. This update is labaled as PREVIEW if it causes issues to unintelligent people, then they shouldn’t have allowed Preview updates ot install.
2. I have installed it in a 11 years old computer, and no problems at all.
3. Making a big drama over a bluescreen for an updated labeled as preview is ridiculous.
This is probably another BS internet drama where people ran programs and scripts that modified the registry until they broke Windows, just for removing stuff that they weren’t even using just for the sake of it.
Maybe people should stop playing geeks and actually either use Windows 10 or Windows 11, but don’t try to modify things just for the sake of it.
Sometimes removing or stopping things (like defender is a perfect example) only need intelligence, not scripts or 3rd party programs that might mess with windows.
Windows 11 was a pointless release, it was just created because some of the Windows team wanted to boost sales with some sort of new and improved Windows 10. Instead, Microsoft cannot support one version well let alone two.
Windows 11 is the worst ugly shame by Microsoft ever. They should release with every new W11 version a complete free version of Starallback inside just to make this sh** OS functionally again.
motherboard maker MSI has recently released a statement regarding the “unsupported processor” blue screen error for their boards using Intel 600/700 series chipsets & to avoid the KB5029351 Win11 update:
https://www.msi.com/news/detail/MSI-On–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–Error-Message-of-Windows-11-Update-KB5029351-Preview-142215
check out the following recent articles:
Neowin – Microsoft puts little blame on its Windows update after UNSUPPORTED PROCESSOR BSOD bug:
https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-puts-little-blame-on-its-windows-update-after-unsupported-processor-bsod-bug/
BleepingComputer – Microsoft blames ‘unsupported processor’ blue screens on OEM vendors:
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-blames-unsupported-processor-blue-screens-on-oem-vendors/
While there may be changes or updates to the Windows 10 Store for Business and Education in the future, it is premature to conclude that it will be discontinued based solely on rumors.
My advice, I left win 15 years ago. Now I’m a happy linux user (linuxmint) but there is Centos, Fedora, Ubuntu depending on your needs.
motherboard maker MSI has recently released new BIOS/firmware updates for their Intel 600 & 700 series motherboards to fix the “UNSUPPORTED_PROCESSOR” problem (Sept. 6):
https://www.msi.com/news/detail/Updated-BIOS-fixes-Error-Message–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–caused-BSOD-on-MSI-s-Intel-700-and-600-Series-Motherboards-142277