New PC - remove old user

[Guest]

I got a pc that had a previous owner, It has Win XP Pro. I have deleted all
user accounts but there are still folders and processes with that person's
name. I changed the computer name as well. When I go to task manager it still
shows many processes running with the old person's name. There is a folder in
"documents and settings" with the old person's name that I cannot delete.
Help! I want to remove ALL traces of this person from the computer - without
reformatting the harddrive.

 

[Gary S. Terhune]

You SHOULD reformat the hard drive. You have no idea what malware may
be -present. Did you not get the installation media when you got the
computer? That will cause you problems soon enough.

Short of hands-on investigation, bit by bit, Registry entry by Registry
entry, folder by folder, I know of now magic bullet for your goal.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

I got a pc that had a previous owner, It has Win XP Pro. I have deleted all
user accounts but there are still folders and processes with that person's
name. I changed the computer name as well. When I go to task manager it still
shows many processes running with the old person's name. There is a folder in
"documents and settings" with the old person's name that I cannot delete.
Help! I want to remove ALL traces of this person from the computer - without
reformatting the harddrive.

With second-hand computers, especially if acquired from strangers
but perhaps even if acquired from a family member or friend, your wisest
course of action would definitely be to format the hard drives and start
fresh. You don't want to get in trouble because the original owner may
have filled the hard drive with kiddie porn, or have problems because
the original owner downloaded/installed viruses or other malware.


HOW TO Create and Configure User Accounts in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;279783

(Reverse the steps to delete old user accounts.)

--

Bruce Chambers

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[Ken Blake]

I got a pc that had a previous owner, It has Win XP Pro. I have deleted all
user accounts but there are still folders and processes with that person's
name. I changed the computer name as well. When I go to task manager it
still
shows many processes running with the old person's name. There is a folder
in
"documents and settings" with the old person's name that I cannot delete.
Help! I want to remove ALL traces of this person from the computer -
without
reformatting the harddrive.

Although you don't want to reformat the drive, that's exactly what you
*should* do. Having his name on your computer shouldn't be your primary
concern; there are more important things to worry about.

If I bought a used computer, the first thing I would do with it would be to
reinstall the operating system cleanly. You have no idea how the computer
has been maintained, what has been installed incorrectly, what is missing,
what viruses and spyware there may be, etc. I wouldn't want to live with
somebody else's mistakes and problems, possibility of kiddy porn, etc., and
I wouldn't recommend that anyone else do either.