Re: Remove Previous Owner

Earl Partridge wrote:
Bought a used Windows XP Laptop. I tried removing the previous owner's folder in Documents and Settings, but of course
it is considered a system folder and won't delete.



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.

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, 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. Once you've logged in using this new account (and transfered any data you need to preserve, 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


Also, when saving a document, the default folder to save to is that of the previous owner.

Under User Accounts, my name is shown and I am the Administrator. The only other user
is Guest.

This is a Compaq machine and when I try to view "System Information" to see what the
Computer Name is, that brings up "Help and Support". So, using Belarc, it reports the Computer Name as the previous owner.
When I go to Control Panel | System | Computer Name, it shows my name as I have changed it.


Sorry, but that's not possible. With WinXP, there can be no user accounts with the same name as the computer. There has to be some difference between the names.


How can I remove the previous owner from Documents and Settings and other areas so that
all areas show me as the owner, user, computer name, etc.?


See above.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell

The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot
.

Relevant Pages

  • RE: Moving user account from NT to Win2k3
    ... they are different user account ... you can simply migrate shares through registry key. ... Microsoft is providing this information as a convenience to you. ... those folder with Share permission cannot ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.server.migration)
  • Re: Log in Error Message
    ... and to use Start / Search to locate one single "lost" file. ... Copy the folders you require into your new profile folder ... Create a new user account. ... DETAIL - An I/O operation initiated by the registry failed ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.general)
  • Re: 2 XPs, no old My Documents
    ... the directories for each user's private stuff EG desktop, registry, start ... to do this if when you try to open a folder, the system tells you do not ... You can only take owner if you are an Administrator. ... >missing, ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.setup_deployment)
  • Re: Changing the owner and user information (globally) in Xp.
    ... > Jong) and my organization. ... the folder for the standard user still ... > original owner (this also explains why sometimes things show up in ... > Replace" (probably in the Registry or something lik that...), ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.customize)
  • Re: Re-registration
    ... The previous owner registered the computer and now the current owner needs to change the Registered user on the System information Tab. ... I've already changed the information under the registry key. ... Administrator account, create a new user account, with the username ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support)