Removing all traces of an XP user - How?

[porty]

Anyone know a good method of purging an XP pc of a user, like when a machine is sold and the new user wants all traces of the old user removed?

I thought I had a reasonably good method, which was to create a new user account, remove the default files from it's folder in Documents and Settings, copy most of the contents of the original user's folder into it, then delete the original user.

This method isn't too bad, and removes most of the obvious traces of the original owner, while leaving all the desktop and Windows settings intact.

But a scan with RegSeeker (incidentally, this is a damn good free app for finding and deleting multiple registry entries) revealed 85 instances of the old user name still in the Registry, so my method isn't 100% effective. Anyone know a better way?

 

[stduc]

Download the HD manufacturers HD utility and zero fill the drive. Re-install windows if you plan to sell the licence with the machine.

 

[porty]

Uh..looks like I could have put my query better. What I meant was, 'without reinstalling Windows'.

 

[linney]

There is this, but you seem to followed it, or declined to, but I'll post anyway for information.

811151 - How to Copy User Data to a New User Profile

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;811151&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

See "To copy a user profile" in Help and Support.

Using the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard in Windows XP

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/expert/crawford_november12.mspx

306186 - HOW TO: Use the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard By Using the Windows XP CD-ROM

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;306186

293118 - HOW TO: Use Files and Settings Transfer Wizard in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;293118&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH#2

To delete a user profile.

You must be logged on as a computer administrator in order to complete this procedure.

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.

To open System, click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click System.


313877 - User Data Is Missing After You Delete a User Account

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;313877&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

When you choose to delete a user account in the User Accounts tool in Control Panel, you receive the following prompt:
Do you want to keep User's files?
Before you delete User's account, Windows can automatically save the contents of User's desktop and My Documents folder to a new folder called User on your desktop. However, Windows cannot save User's e-mail messages, Internet favorites, and other settings.





If you want to make a clean start.

HOW TO: Partition and Format a Hard Disk in Windows XP (Q313348)