Safe deletion of old user details ?

[Guest]

I am trying to help a friend who has just purchased a second hand PC and is
having problems with the old user's critical details and user settings
preventing access to many areas of the machine, I am asking for any help in
the total SAFE removal of old user info, as I personally have never used the
OS this machine uses (it is running Windows 2000 Pro) and thus have little
idea of what TO change/delete etc. !
Can someone please tell me how all old user data can be removed from the PC,
so that my friend can have a 'blank page' to create their OWN persona and
data - without interference from existant data causing these problems. Many
Thanks !!

 

[Steven L Umbach]

Hopefully he also go the operating install disk as the best solution would
be to do a fresh install of the operating system. Who knows what kind of
shape the current operating system is in including possible trojans,
keyloggers, remote dial home programs, etc. Other than that someone will
need to logon as an administrator account and create a new user account for
the user and add him to the administrators group assuming he wants full
access to the computer's operating system. It would also be a good idea for
him to have a "regular" non administrator user account for browsing the
internet, opening email, etc. as an administrator the user can also remove
old user accounts via lusmgr.msc and profiles associated with those user
accounts by going to system properties/advanced/user profiles.

Steve

 

[Guest]

Thanks Steve, surprisingly (and perhaps stupidly ..) I never even thought to
find out if the OS came with the PC ! That would be the most prudent method
of being SURE of full control, but I'm not sure if (s)he got the OS ?! As
it was only a second hand "cheapie", somehow I doubt it, but I will ask her !
If she does have the disk, then that's what I'll do, but what if she doesn't
?? I know nothing about Win 2000 Pro, I've used XP since its inception, and
used Win 95 before that !! so I'm at a loss to know exactly what to do if I
can't do a fresh instal. Can you help ?
TIA.

 

[Steven L Umbach]

As I mentioned previously you can use system properties to delete old user
profiles [which include user specific files/data] and lusrmgr.msc [enter it
in the run box and then hit OK] to manage local users and groups. Of course
like XP you can use Control Panel Add and Remove Programs to remove
applications no longer needed. If the password for a local administrator
account is not known see the link below on how to proceed.

Steve

http://www.petri.co.il/forgot_administrator_password.htm