MS... blocked from "community" for not giving cell number

[pleiades357]

MS "community" for cell phone users only?
or those willing to give 24 hour a day access to MS

after something like.. 20 years of using the MS discussion boards... they froze my account/outlook and will not say why, vague hints of it being hacked but... nothing definite

they say I have to have a cell phone to "verify" my account... it won't, they say use a friend phone number... LOL

after a month of wasted time
with reps who really don't seem to know what they are doing

told
"you refused to fill out the form to reclaim your account"
I did
"you didn't give us your last email address"
I did and... that is different from "you refused to fill out the form to reclaim...."
I filled the form out but many of the questions did not apply to my use

then they want a credit card number for an "easier" shopping experience?

friends have told me they are receiving both calls and texts saying from "MS" trying to sell them some service or offer help with their computers for a large fee.... said, over seas, poor English
said... MS says it is not them calling but the callers have personal and software info

so... no cell phone number I can (or want to) give to MS
I'm blocked from the big sharing teaching/learning/loving community?

with the exploitation of personal information
I suspect more people will refuse to give personal information
especially if the information is not protected...
and, some do not have cell phones

it seems insane....
no way past the poor English incompetent "support"?



though... I may find I no longer need the MS "community"

 

[Mellon Head]

friends have told me they are receiving both calls and texts saying from "MS" trying to sell them some service or offer help with their computers for a large fee.... said, over seas, poor English
said... MS says it is not them calling but the callers have personal and software info

This is a known scam, whether they have information or not. Apparently I have all sorts of things on my computer, but I have never in my life registered anything with MS. How do they even know my name?

They are not MS, they have no valid information. They are phishing, hoping that you will be silly enough to let them into your computer so they can break it and hold you to ransom.

I've never been asked for a cell phone number by Microsoft, nor a credit card. No matter how many times I've had to reset my account. I somehow doubt that you are really talking to Microsoft.

 

[RoWin7]

But I've had Google ask for my cell #, "In case you lose your password." But they don't insist; I can do Gmail anyway.

pleiades357--I get the phone scams too, although I'm not at the MS forum. The 2 aren't connected. I say "I don't have a computer," and they don't call back.

There are plenty other forums that deal with Windows and MS products, aside from this one. I've been at www.discussions.virtualdr.com almost 20 years.

Or try out a few of these to see which ones you like:

https://next.duckduckgo.com/?q=microsoft+forums&t=hb&ia=web

 

[RoasterMen]

That's an obvious scam. Why would they ask your phone number and block you from the community if there are others way of reaching you? (Not by coming to you, course.).

 

[Barman58]

You would be surprised at how many of the users who come here for advice are also members of the Microsoft forums, or even employees of Microsoft, even the help desk

 

[pleiades357]

This is a known scam, whether they have information or not. Apparently I have all sorts of things on my computer, but I have never in my life registered anything with MS. How do they even know my name?

They are not MS, they have no valid information. They are phishing, hoping that you will be silly enough to let them into your computer so they can break it and hold you to ransom.

I've never been asked for a cell phone number by Microsoft, nor a credit card. No matter how many times I've had to reset my account. I somehow doubt that you are really talking to Microsoft.

**********
we've all had the cold calls... this is something different

this is on the MS site... the request for cell phone number was made
"""""What do you need to do?
We'll send a verification code to your phone. After you enter the code, you can sign in.""""
I don't have a cell phone number to give them
the form sent to reclaim the account requests a phone number also

this is what friends are talking about.... several have said the were told their account was suspended... then the "MS" phone calls started after giving their number for the "verify" call

some used all the accounts to send out junk messages?
or it is a ploy to get cell numbers
and if it is not MS, then someone has access to knowing what MS services these people have


though the bottom line is... MS is not protecting the accounts
if they are being "hacked" at such a rate
and MS will not provide support through the "community" (and they supply very little support, to many links for instruction are not functioning) to those who do not have a cell phone...

 

[pleiades357]

But I've had Google ask for my cell #, "In case you lose your password." But they don't insist; I can do Gmail anyway.

pleiades357--I get the phone scams too, although I'm not at the MS forum. The 2 aren't connected. I say "I don't have a computer," and they don't call back.

There are plenty other forums that deal with Windows and MS products, aside from this one. I've been at www.discussions.virtualdr.com almost 20 years.

Or try out a few of these to see which ones you like:

https://next.duckduckgo.com/?q=microsoft+forums&t=hb&ia=web

thank you, I've realized... there are other forums... many better
so, in the long run... it was a good thing

thank you for the recommendation

 

[pleiades357]

You would be surprised at how many of the users who come here for advice are also members of the Microsoft forums, or even employees of Microsoft, even the help desk

would not be surprised
I've often been surprised at lack of help from MS
and the wrong advice... my last, a problem with.... I don't remember what... had several posts from someone insisting I could not be running Windows 7.... I must be confused about my OS.... or responses so far beyond my skill level, it was useless and poked fun at for not being more skilled
sigh

nice to find this site

 

[RoWin7]

would not be surprised
I've often been surprised at lack of help from MS
and the wrong advice... my last, a problem with.... I don't remember what... had several posts from someone insisting I could not be running Windows 7.... I must be confused about my OS.... or responses so far beyond my skill level, it was useless and poked fun at for not being more skilled
sigh

nice to find this site

Like most forums, the majority of the people who post there are not working for the software company, and maybe none. You'll get trolls and flamers too. At one forum I used, the mods had a thread right out in the open where they ridiculed users. I left after a few months.

One more thing: another useful and reliable site is BleepingComputer.com

 

[pleiades357]

Like most forums, the majority of the people who post there are not working for the software company, and maybe none. You'll get trolls and flamers. At one forum I used, the mods had a thread right out in the open where they ridiculed users. I left after a few months.

One more thing: another useful and reliable site is BleepingComputer.com - News, Reviews, and Technical Support.

as a somewhat experienced amateur (amazing, when you don't have spare cash... what you can learn to do yourself (like build furniture), and... ripped off by the first three "computer repair" shops.... one charged me three times to reinstall the OS (my weekend spend reinstalling the rest) when the problem was not a "software conflict" or virus....but an old and damaged RAM card in the computer he'd built for me, discovered by advice from my brother and help from an Acronis tech when Acronis wold not install... hours of moving the cards and running some kind of "test")

one of my illusions is the concept the software companies want the users to learn and be happy with the software...
I'd thought the problem was contempt for my lack of knowledge...
still no reason to be nasty, but..... nasty is more stylish than it used to be
I don't know enough to tell if the responses I don't understand are incomprehensible becasue they are incomprehensible, or due to my lack of knowledge...

"ridiculed users" amazing.....
thanks for the recommendation.... I want to learn more, fascinating as well as useful

 

[RoWin7]

Many software companies have formed onsite forums rather than updating or expanding their Help files with each software version. I went through a period of disconnection when this started. I now belong to 20-30 software forums, joining each one when I had questions that weren't laid out in the Help file. Plus the general ones I mentioned. When I was building my own machine some years ago, I also joined some hardware forums.

 

[pleiades357]

I've seen so many outdated and inaccurate "help" pages... follow the directions and what opens... is not what the help page says.... it is really frustrating
then, read forums... many selling their own "fixes" many don't really know (as you said earlier) and many... just racking up levels for #'s of posts, useful or not...

It sounds like, instead of struggling with the failed official sites..... I should have moved on sooner...

do you work a lot with computers? or should say, are computers your work?
built your own....Impressive! that must have been fun (and challenging?)
were there great advantages to doing so?

even ordering a... called a clone? from Microcenter... I found... not enough USB ports, only one was a 2 (common then)
I wonder about doing my own upgrading....
though, I can just imagine the mess I might create....

there is a "build your own" class in adult school.... on my list for retirement....

 

[RoWin7]

I was doing some tutoring during the XP era, but I couldn't afford to keep upgrading, so I let it fade out. I acquired Win 7 only 4 months ago, winning a machine in my computer club's monthly raffle.

Forums fill the gap left by lack of Help files. Often independent forums like SevenForums and Eight and Ten are better than ones run by a software company. The sites I've mentioned + this one aren't trying to sell you anything. Usually the regulars are folks retired from IT.

The 4th site I use is for Mozilla products
There are ads on Mozillazine to support the site. When no one's getting paid, you need some kind of monetary support..


I built my last machine 10 years ago. Now it pays to build only if you're looking for a high-powered gaming computer that would otherwise be very pricey. Otherwise something on sale is fine.

 

[cornemuse]

notsohotmail locked me out for the same reason, wouldnt give ph#, , ,

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Many services now assume everyone has a smart phone and is willing to share that number. I approve of two factor authentication but too many services using it make using a smart phone or even just texting to a dumb phone necessary. I have no trouble with using new technology when it actually benefits me but, as nice as having a smart phone would be, they are still too insecure and the benefits are not great enough for me to justify the cost of even the cheapest monthly plans.

I also do not appreciate it when services try to ram newer technology (such as smart phones) down my throat, especially since they are unwilling to pay for it.

 

[RoWin7]

notsohotmail locked me out for the same reason, wouldnt give ph#, , ,

There's no shortage of webmail services. And use a large company that wouldn't be going out of business next week.

 

[RoWin7]

Many services now assume everyone has a smart phone and is willing to share that number. I approve of two factor authentication but too many services using it make using a smart phone or even just texting to a dumb phone necessary. I have no trouble with using new technology when it actually benefits me but, as nice as having a smart phone would be, they are still too insecure and the benefits are not great enough for me to justify the cost of even the cheapest monthly plans.

I also do not appreciate it when services try to ram newer technology (such as smart phones) down my throat, especially since they are unwilling to pay for it.

I don't have a smart-phone either, and very few people have my cell #. Nor do I use a real name and address when applying for those plastic supermarket cards.

 

[Barman58]

As I have already stated the need for a phone number is, at least partly, for traceability - phone companies tend to do quite extensive checks before they allow anyone the credit facility that is an essential for a phone contract. Whether this is purely the phone companies (and the email service providers ), protecting themselves or there are some pressures applied by security services or anti Terror services is probably dependent on where you live, (Patriot act anyone? )

By the way if anyone is looking for an alternate Webmail / eMail provider they could do worse than take a look at Free Email Accounts @GMX.com: Secure easy to use I've been using them for many years as a backup service for Gmail and outlook.com.

They started in Germany and spread to many european countries and have recently become active in the USA

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

I don't have a smart-phone either, and very few people have my cell #. Nor do I use a real name and address when applying for those plastic supermarket cards.

I use my real name for store discount cards. However, I replace the three digit prefix (exchange) in one of my phone numbers with 555 (example: xxx-555-xxxx). It's a number I can easily remember (even though I don't use it anymore; it was actually cheaper for me to bundle my cable landline number with my cable internet than it was to drop the service and get cable internet only). Very few people have my cell phone number (I can count them on one hand) and only a dozen or so have my home phone number (which, technically, is a cell phone number).

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

...Patriot act...

That is a misnomer and an oxymoron if I ever saw one!