SOLVED Password finding

[davehc]

There seems to be an increasing number of requests for help, on the subject of lost passwords.
On other forums, which I, and I can see several others, visit, the subject is taboo. One, rather extreme possible, blocks and warns
users if any request is made, regarding this subject.
This is not targeted at any individual members, but only a conversational topic
Many of us know what MS and Windows 10 is all about. It is focused, very strongly, on security. This includes piracy of its products.
Although Windows 10 is, depending on your viewpoint, free, it there are still obvious attempts to "bootleg" it from earlier OSs, which have been pirated and hacked. In the matter of users/forum members, it is often very obvious when someone requesting help to recover a password, contriving an ingenious story. Sometimes they can slip through.

But, among the senior members, and, in particular, those who daily offer help, what are your views.

 

[Trouble]

There seems to be an increasing number of requests for help, on the subject of lost passwords.

The majority of such requests that I've seen have not been about "lost passwords" they've been about passwords that should be working but are not.
I don't consider it my job to be Microsoft's third party police force and the help I've provided is simply pointing out (using links) to workarounds that are generally available with a cursory web search.

I don't know if all the password issues are self-inflicted by users not understanding what the difference might be between a MS Live Account versus a local user account or if they are related to problems with language and or regional settings with respect to keyboard input or something else entirely different, but.....
I choose to give everyone the benefit of the doubt and do not presume that they are pirates or up to some nefarious purpose.
I can't believe that with all that we've seen that everyone is up to no good.

 

[Ian]

My thoughts are along the same lines as @Trouble's - I think we generally need to give the benefit of the doubt, as when you think about it there must be tens of thousands of people experiencing password problems each day. I know some relatives of mine that have managed to lock themselves out a PC by forgetting the password, so I've had to rescue them a couple of times.

As there is so much information available online already, we're hopefully a trustworthy place to get that information if required. As with everything, judgement on particular instances may mean it sounds dodgy and we don't help.

 

[davehc]

OK. One odd feature is, of course, that, if they wish, and know about it, they can join the insider program and get it for free anyway. For the moment, at least, it is probably in MS long term interests to ignore known instances and get everyone legally on the ongoing program.
I would not, for a moment, suggest that forum helpers should be policemen for MS, but that, if in doubt, perhaps the posts are left.
Not a great deal has changes, in the method of applying an MS account password, or, if needed, a local account password. It is sometimes difficult to comprehend how users can get confused, I know of none, locally, with the problem..
"choose to give everyone the benefit of the doubt and do not presume that they are pirates or up to some nefarious purpose.
I can't believe that with all that we've seen that everyone is up to no good."
I do have the same attitude, but, in my case, I take the easy way out and do not offer a solution.

FWIW. MS do have an online way to check the authenticity, with a simple script, should they have the time and resources (probably not!), But I would imagine this would need to be applied with great discretion, from a legal pov.