I need help with several thngs all interwoven.

3BilliE · 17 Feb 2021

Windows 10 Pro, Version 1909 1909 (Build 18363.1379)
I’m sorry this is so long. I’m trying to condense the three weeks I’ve been working on it.
I got a new laptop around 9 months ago. Things were going smoothly for awhile. I was using Firefox, trying out the multi containers, and Brave. But didn’t need OneDrive and Drop box. I finally uninstalled them, but it left a mess, A lot of my files were under my username and also under OneDrive. I also had two or three desktops, document directories, and download directories with different files on the desktops and download directories. I fiddled around trying to put all of the files in my user directory and made more of a mess.

At one point, before all this, I tried to set a restore point and found out that Bitdefender messed with that option. It either had to be uninstalled, and when the restore point was set, reinstalled, or I needed to boot into safe mode and set the restore point. Unfortunately, when I first got the laptop it asked me to set a password. I did; and then a pin. After that I used the pin only. Booting from safe mode insisted I used the password to get into my system, which I had forgotten by then. I fiddled around with settings that were there when the boot up first started and somehow got it so I had a choice to use pin or password to get into the system.

In the meanwhile, a Dell agent had me make a bootable flashdrive with a bare windows install by using my desktop which I don’t use anymore because I am handicapped and that’s why I got the laptop.
After I got off the phone with him I restored from an Acronis True Image backup that was thankfully only a few days old. (I told him I had the backup, but I guess he wasn’t familiar with the program. I could now log in with my pin, but that still left me with an unknown password and OneDrive and Dropbox. Still can’t use “safe mode” until I replace Bitdefender which, for the most part I like.

I read about resetting the PC which would change settings back to defaults and reinstall windows while keeping my personal files. I don’t know if that means I will lose the Dell programs that are helpful. I’m just assuming I will need to go through setup again and set a new password.
But I will still be stuck with OneDrive and Dropbox since it comes with the windows setup. Maybe I can do a search and find out if there is a correct way to get rid of them.

I am fervantly hoping some gurus out there will know If a reset will keep the Dell programs that came with the laptop, and get rid of that blasted password, and if there is a way to cleanly get rid of OneDrive and DropBox. I see you use OneDrive & others in your forum, but I’ve never needed either of them. I’m just not up to trying to learn to use programs I normally have no use for when I have a dozen other things I’m trying to learn.
Also maybe someone can tell me where the reply to a message button is? I couldnt find it when I wanted to thank someone for replying to my introduction message.

If you have stuck it out reading this, thank you, and thank you a million times if you have some advice!

ignatzatsonic · 17 Feb 2021

If worse comes to worse, you can certainly do a clean install of Windows...........which would NOT include Onedrive or Dropbox or any Dell programs.

Berton · 17 Feb 2021

3BilliE said:

Also maybe someone can tell me where the reply to a message button is? I couldnt find it when I wanted to thank someone for replying to my introduction message.

If you have stuck it out reading this, thank you, and thank you a million times if you have some advice!

The Reply button is bottom right of the text/message. Clicking Quote will also bring up a typing box. On this site there is automatically a Reply box just under the last message posted in a thread.
The Reply button is bottom right of the text/message. Clicking Quote will also bring up a typing box. On this site there is automatically a Reply box just under the last message posted in a thread.

I need help with several thngs all interwoven.-image.png

I've done a couple of resets of OEM computers, usually a process in their documentation that will tell how to do a Factory Reset which wiped out the system and rebuilt it using the OEMs process. It did wipe out all the user had done and put the computers back to their as-shipped condition including the programs that were included at that time, some will be Trial or time-limited and have to be resubscribed. Have also done a few that were purchased at chain stores such as Wal*Mart that had been display models [good discounts on them], had a password assigned by an employee to prevent customers from messing things up but then those employees had moved on for whatever reason but didn't pass on or record what that password was, necessitated a reset for a fresh start. Fortunately those display models hadn't had the BIOS password established which helped a lot.