Reactivate Windows -- Yes or No?

[Trouble]

Update: She went through the update process via phone and now she ends up with Windows XP.

Very confusing.
I'd be interested in knowing what was done during this "update process" via phone. I was under the impression that the goal was to "activate" not "update".

I think the important thing here would be to determine how the process worked.
IF that process did not involve some sort of recovery from a manufacturer's partition that would have wiped the computer back to an Out of Box state, then.....
Her data may still be preserved somewhere on the hard disk, perhaps in C:\Users\UserName (where "UserName" was the one she was using with Windows 10).
As I recall, and it's been a while, Windows XP used C:\Documents and Settings to host the XP user profile folder.

Perhaps a search of the drive for certain file names or file extensions and then sorting by date(s) might reveal if any such, more recent instances of the data, may still reside on the drive.

 

[davehc]

I remain under the impression that an attempt was made to upgrade (Post #1)and further comments, from XP to Windows 10. - Not possible for free. As you say - Still a little confusing..

 

[Trouble]

She upgraded to Windows 10 during the time Microsoft was offering it for free.

And subsequent information

She would get different Windows windows, meaning XP, Windows 7

I can only assume that at some point XP was upgraded to Windows 7 (somehow) and that subsequently that was upgraded as stated for free to Windows 10 and was then activated with a "digital license".

This whole thread has been confusing from the start, containing speculation including my own.
At least it is another endorsement of backups..... including disk images, as is evident, strange things can sometimes happen.

 

[Nikilet]

UPDATE!! There have been guesses, here and otherwise, but no definite determination as to what caused the reactivation request. Perhaps something to do with drivers when she was trying to reinstall her printer??? In any event, I just wanted to let you know the outcome. When she booted her computer up the next morning (yesterday) it was like nothing had ever happened. She had Windows 10 back, etc. I don't think this was any kind of scam or virus.

As a result of this she did order an external HD to backup her data. She is having a computer accessed remotely to go through things and do several tasks for her; I don't know when that takes place. This tech said there's no way a computer should jump around like that with operating systems, but also said that a virus would not cause it.

If there are any new developments that are significant I will check back. I want to thank everyone here for jumping in with your knowledge and input.