User accounts

[Guest]

Do user accounts on a computer take up memory? Specifically, on a laptop
with Windows XP, there are two user accounts that aren't used. Should they
be removed to promote optimum function of the computer?

 

[Roy Coorne]

carolb4 asked:

Do user accounts on a computer take up memory? Specifically, on a laptop
with Windows XP, there are two user accounts that aren't used. Should they
be removed to promote optimum function of the computer?

You may check that yourself by means of the Windows Task Manager: Go
to delete a user account but check the memory load before and after.

r c

 

[Trevor]

Do user accounts on a computer take up memory? Specifically, on a laptop
with Windows XP, there are two user accounts that aren't used. Should they
be removed to promote optimum function of the computer?

User accounts don't take much room per se, However if those users had
logged in the computer, user profiles are created which do take up
some room. Not a lot of room though. But let say one of those previous
users had logged in and saved a lot of files to their "My Documents"
or "My Pictures", then those accounts are taking up much more space.
You can check this by looking at the following:

C:\Documents and Settings\username

for each previous user. Making sure that none of the data files they
may have created are no longer needed.

If your sure of that, then you can remove those profiles by doing the
following:

Open System in Control Panel.
On the Advanced tab, under User Profiles, click Settings.
Under Profiles stored on this computer, click the user profile you
want to delete, and then click Delete.

If your running low on disk space, I would also look for applications
that are installed that are not needed and delete them from add/remove
programs. Also delete all .tmp files from the drive.



Respectfully,

Trev

 

[Trevor]

Do user accounts on a computer take up memory? Specifically, on a laptop
with Windows XP, there are two user accounts that aren't used. Should they
be removed to promote optimum function of the computer?

Sorry Carol, I misread your question thinking you meant disk space
when you actually asked about memory. User accounts that are not
being used don't take up any appreciable memory. However, they do take
up disk space.


Respectfully,

Trev

 

[lvee]

Interesting question. My understanding of memory is that it's only called
upon when needed. So, if you have an account that is not logged on, that
account is not requiring, or asking for memory because there are no
programs, etc open or running under that user account, therefore no memory
is needed, thus none used. I don't know that my line of thinking is
correct, but that's my take on it.
However, if the accounts are not used, there seems to be no reason to keep
them.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Do user accounts on a computer take up memory?

No, they take up no memory. They take up a tiny amount of hard drive space,
but that's insignificant.

Specifically, on a
laptop with Windows XP, there are two user accounts that aren't used.
Should they be removed to promote optimum function of the computer?

Remove them if you want, but don't expect it to improve anything.

Ken

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Do user accounts on a computer take up memory?

Only when the user owning the associated account is logged in and the
user-specific portion of the registry (NTUser.DAT) loads into memory.

Specifically, on a laptop
with Windows XP, there are two user accounts that aren't used.

What are the specific names of these user accounts?

Should they
be removed to promote optimum function of the computer?

Their removal would have no impact upon the performance of the
computer, other than to cripple it, if they are built-in system
accounts, such as All Users or Default Users.


--

Bruce Chambers

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