Re: Can't change PC owner

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Kim wrote:
Just bought a PC from "John & Jane Doe" who owned a legitimate/registered laptop.

I've changed the registration of WindowsXP but can't figure out how to change the 'Registered to:' field under Start>Control Panel>System>General Tab.

How do I get my name in place of previous PC owner?

Thanks,

Kim


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.

However, to fix the "Registered to" information for WinNT/2K/XP,
you can use Start > Run > Regedit.exe to edit:

HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\Current Version\RegisteredOwner

and:

HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\Current
Version\RegisteredOrganization

How this will affect the name displayed in previously installed
applications will vary depending upon each individual program; some
read the registered owner information dynamically, while others read
it only during installation.

The user profile folders (C:\Documents and Settings\Username)
_cannot_ be renamed, even if the associated user account has been.
So, your best course of action would be to log on using the built-in
Administrator account, create a new user account, with the username
desired. You can then delete the old user account(s).

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

How to Copy User Data to a New User Profile
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;811151


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Relevant Pages

  • Re: My son gave me his computer
    ... 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. ... _cannot_ be renamed, without risky registry editing, even if the associated user account has been. ... So, your best course of action would be to log on using the built-in Administrator account, create a new user account, with the username desired. ... They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.general)
  • Re: change the windows owner?
    ... 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. ... So, your best course of action would be to log on using the built-in Administrator account, create a new user account, with the username desired. ... They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.general)
  • Re: change user name
    ... I have changed the administrator details to my name and deleted the old user. ... 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. ... So, your best course of action would be to log on using the built-in Administrator account, create a new user account, with the username desired. ... They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.security_admin)
  • Re: 2nd hand PC- Licence issue on XP
    ... 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. ... So, your best course of action would be to log on using the built-in Administrator account, create a new user account, with the username desired. ... They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.general)
  • Re: renaming hardrive
    ... If I go into regedit and look for hanks computer...there are just too many references to 'hanks computer' for me to change. ... 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. ... So, your best course of action would be to log on using the built-in Administrator account, create a new user account, with the username desired. ... They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.general)