Help with User data folder left from previous laptop owner

tamtee · 13 Jun 2020

Hi I hope someone can help me ..

I had a laptop, on which the main SSD drive died...for reasons I cannot go into we needed to replace the laptop shell with a used one.. and then just add new SSD disk. We had the replacment drive fitted by professional, it was supposed to be new, but wasnt it was used ...

They set it all up for us, BUT frustratingly in win Explorer, where my User files are located, in a folder that SHOULD by my name as I'm the sole user and administrator there is currently a folder called C:\Users\ AUsername

For privacy reasons not incl their name so as you can see my name is NOT that Username ...

You see that Username we believe to be the name of the previous owner of this laptop, AND this hard drive
hard drive, as I said above when we purchased this laptop, the hard drive was supposed to be brand new.

I understand you may have questions, but I have been deliverately vague for legal reasons, Its a long story and one I do not wish to discuss in a public forum .

Some Extra Info
Under System Info ..everything looks fine Those are all showing my CORRECT info..so for example:

Computer Name
Workgroup Name
etc

- Microsft Acct: The technician set up a 'New Microsoft Acct' & all that is accurate as in my name is correct etc

- There are NO other user accts showig on this Laptop

Windows Version: Win 10 ver 1903 ( OS Build 18362.900)

Specs: My main Specs are in my Profile

Thank You in advance for your time and support

Kind Regards

Tamtee

Caledon Ken · 13 Jun 2020

Hi tamtee. Welcome to TenForums @tamtee

Is this the only user in C:\users ?? (other than default and public)

When using a MS account for setup you don't get the normal "tamtee" as a user name. One reason why people set up as local.

Bree · 13 Jun 2020

Welcome to Ten Forums @tamtee

The easiest solution is to set up a new local account in the name you want for the user folder. Very Important: make sure you remember to make it an administrator. It must be a local account if you want to control the user folder name, setting up a new account as a MS account uses the first five characters of the email address for the user folder. A new local account will use the full name of the account for the user folder.

If you want to use a MS account you can switch the original account to a local account then switch the new account to a MS account. Switching to a MS account will not change the user folder name.

Add Local Account or Microsoft Account in Windows 10
Change Account Type in Windows 10
Switch to Local Account in Windows 10
Switch to Microsoft Account in Windows 10

Once you have a new account, have made it an administrator and have signed in to it, then you can move your user files and documents to this new user folder.

When you are sure you no longer need the original misnamed account you can delete it (or leave it there, if you need it for 'evidence').

Delete User Account in Windows 10

Samuria · 13 Jun 2020

Its likely that you will have to take ownership of the old files as the SID will be from the other pc and even if the name is the same the sis wont be the same

Caledon Ken · 13 Jun 2020

I was actually trying to determine if this really was the previous owner.

If so it would appear the store pulled two fast ones, used SSD and not a clean install.

If this is the case then the owner really doesn't know what other pay loads are buried in the drive.

So it will be interesting to hear is this really someone else's files or just a mystery name MS assigned because of an MS Account.

tamtee · 16 Jun 2020

Thanks for all your replies ... I hope its OK to reply to you ALL in one Post - Tamtee

Caledon Ken said:

Hi tamtee. Welcome to TenForums @tamtee

Is this the only user in C:\users ?? (other than default and public)
Hi Caledon Ken, Yes it is, other than a third folder called defaultuser0

When using a MS account for setup you don't get the normal "tamtee" as a user name.
One reason why people set up as local. My MS acct appears to have been set up 'correctly' using my full name... Thank You Caledon Ken

HOPEFULLY I've provided the things YOU need in order to help me resolve things at my end.

Kind Regards to you ALL,

Tamtee

[/COLOR][/QUOTE]

Bree said:

Welcome to Ten Forums @tamtee

Hi Bree ... Thank You so much for these step by step instructions ...

Uhmmm re your ' setting up a new account as a MS account uses the first five characters of the email address for the user folder.'
I'm a little puzzled by that .. because NONE of my email address appears to have been used in a 'User' folder on this laptop .. The ONLY user folder is in the name of the female who I assume had the laptop and or SSD before me.. To be honest I don't use my MS acct .. I was told I 'had' to have one .. and it was created by them and there was NO mention of User folders taking the first 5 characters ... Nor did the technician show any concern when I raised my concern, asking what it was doing there, and HOW was that even possible on a brand new SSD..surely that was not right...basically it was a don't worry about that it's obviously from the secondary 'used' drive look we will just delete it .

All the photos I watched the technician delete in front of me, had her & family members, and friends names and several years of events ..

The easiest solution is to set up a new local account in the name you want for the user folder.

Very Important: make sure you remember to make it an administrator.

It must be a local account if you want to control the user folder name, setting up a new account as a MS account uses the first five characters of the email address for the user folder. (A new local account will use the full name of the account for the user folder.)

If you want to use a MS account you can switch the original account to a local account then switch the new account to a MS account. Switching to a MS account will not change the user folder name.

Add Local Account or Microsoft Account in Windows 10
Change Account Type in Windows 10
Switch to Local Account in Windows 10
Switch to Microsoft Account in Windows 10

Once you have a new account, have made it an administrator and have signed in to it, then you can move your user files and documents to this new user folder.

When you are sure you no longer need the original misnamed account you can delete it (or leave it there, if you need it for 'evidence').

Bree THANK YOU for all this AND for the Warnings too, it all looks pretty straightforward though Im bamboozled why 'others' haven't come up with this solution in the past ( I've posted on other forums, and kept being pushed to more and more 'skilled & experienced' individuals, each person saying it was a tricky issue and they couldn't help me.. This issue has been going on for nearly two years now

Re this: ' Once you have a new account, have made it an administrator and have signed in to it, then you can move your user files and documents to this new user folder. '

When you say 'move your files' do you mean move using mouse or is there another kind of move for MANY folders .. Can I move in one go ...?

Just to clarify I have:

C:\ 224GB (Most of which is system files, although there's approx 50 GB of Personal data that I need to move)

D:\ 317GB Personal data

E:\ 648GB Personal data [/COLOR]

Delete User Account in Windows 10

Samuria said:

Its likely that you will have to take ownership of the old files as the SID will be from the other pc and even if the name is the same the sis wont be the same...

Hi Samuria Thank You for Replying ...'Its likely that you will have to take ownership of the old files' Please could you give me instructions re the way you are suggesting I do this ... I am very ill and just trying to think, causes me immense pain ..

'SIS won't be the same' Please can you explain a bit more re this too ?

Caledon Ken said:

I was actually trying to determine if this really was the previous owner.
Yes I believe it was .. hence all the photos & files that were on the drive etc AND the absolute mess of viruses, etc which were causing my security software to alert left right & centre...

There were some alerts when the technician was working, but I didn't see what they did with them, as I was across the room at the time.. _ I believe they have thankfully all been dealt with now.. NOT by the technicians but with the help of online forums, Hijack this etc, and various different kind understanding and helpful people like YOURSELVES have helped me clear things up ... and I want to THANK You ALL .

If so it would appear the store pulled two fast ones, used SSD and not a clean install.
Uhmm Yes I am afraid what you are saying 'appears' to have been the case
it's a long story but for legal reasons I am not able to go into details.

If this is the case then the owner really doesn't know what other pay loads are buried in the drive.

I'm hoping after all the 'cleaning up' that's been done by myself and others, that that's no longer the case..
I understand a re-install would have been the wiser step unfortunately for reasons I cannot go into that was not possible.. However I am very open to reading your comments and suggestions.So it will be interesting to hear is this really someone else's files or just a mystery name MS assigned because of an MS Account.
Uhmmm please can you help me understand your comment... what is a 'mystery' name MS assigned because of an MS Account.

From Bree's comment earlier, I was under the impression the' user folder name' is taken from the first 4 or 5 characters from the MS Account, (if you were to see my MS Acct name you would see that the name of the folder in question, is not even close to my ' preferred' Username )

OK so I HOPE the above replies are of some assistance in replying to your comments

I will await your replies BEFORE proceeding with Bree's step by step instructions .
ESPECIALLY regarding confirmation as to whether or not there is a 'correct' / 'better' way to 'move' so many Folders ..)

Thank You ALL again for taking the time to reply to my post. I apologize for not being able to give you a fuller picture regarding the catalog of issues that took place, mind you , you probably wouldn't believe me , I know I would have thought someone was winding me up if they had described this nightmare..

Anyways time has moved on and bit by bit with patience and plenty of googling, problems have been cleared up...
This remaining one reading Bree's instructions looks pretty straightforward ....such a RELIEF, too Thank You Bree

So HOPEFULLY I've provided what YOU need in order to help me resolve things..

Kind Regards to you ALL,

Tamtee

Bree · 16 Jun 2020

tamtee said:

Bree THANK YOU for all this AND for the Warnings too, it all looks pretty straightforward though Im bamboozled why 'others' haven't come up with this solution in the past

The usual reason is that they've been using it for a long time before deciding they wanted to change the user folder name. They had already set up their account's desktop and other settings just how they want them, and are loathe to have to start all over again with a new account.

I understand you are in the position of only just having had Windows reinstalled on this PC. If you've not customised your settings much yet, then creating a new account is an easy option for you.

And yes, while it is possible to rename a user folder after the event it IS a highly technical process with risks that not everything will work correctly afterwards. There is a Ten Forums tutorial for this, but it includes the warning that "...renaming a user profile folder name may have unknown side effects. For example, some programs not referencing the new profile folder name".

Caledon Ken · 16 Jun 2020

Still I'm not sure why this PC cannot be reloaded from a clean install. If Windows 10 is on it, and is activated, I know of no legal reason that it cannot be reloaded. At a minimum reset with keep nothing.

To build further you said there were no other users folders so I'm not sure how PC was set up without a folder structure for you, the user, unless they combined yours with the other person.

I'm sure Bree or myself wouldn't mind a private message to say what legal reason stops you from resetting or clean installing.

tamtee · 16 Jun 2020

Hi Bree Thank You for all your help, it's so kind of you

Bree said:

The usual reason is that they've been using it for a long time before deciding they wanted to change the user folder name. They had already set up their account's desktop and other settings just how they want them, and are loathe to have to start all over again with a new account.

Uhmmm b4 my SSD died , it was approx 3 yrs old..

I understand you are in the position of only just having had Windows reinstalled on this PC. If you've not customised your settings much yet, then creating a new account is an easy option for you.

Easy in the sense of I know how to create a New User Acct yes .. but the fact this was nearly two years ago now, is that going to cause me additional problems.?

The technicians caused this mess ( of which this is hopefully the final thing to be fixed) almost 2 years ago now..( in other words the drive died and the new drive which appeared not to be new, and when I made further investigations and used a utility an engineer in another forum, kindly sent me, ( sorry I don't recall the name of it) was able to see the erm is ist called 'uptime' of a disk ... well it was running at whatever the equivalent hours are of around 3 YEARS, and the other ' clue' was the fact I had received the previous users files onto my laptop .. Something which for whatever reason hadn't been cleaned off when it was inserted in the laptop shell)

And the technicians didn't seem to find that an issue as they took me elsewhere to show me around my 'new laptop' as it was now Win10 so I had to find out how to navigate it and set things up etc

And yes, while it is possible to rename a user folder after the event it IS a highly technical process with risks that not everything will work correctly afterwards. There is a Ten Forums tutorial for this, but it includes the warning that "...renaming a user profile folder name may have unknown side effects. For example, some programs not referencing the new profile folder name". Bree you know what .. forgive me for seeming unadventurous and risk-averse, after all the 'headaches' Ive had to get this far .. I would rather avoid doing ANYTHING that involved giving me any more issues ... albeit potential issues

You have been extremely kind in sending me detailed instructions and once I have received the replies from the long post.. If nothing is highlighted as a further issue then I will go ahead and do what you said AFTER backing everything up up

Bree I hope you don't mind me asking YOU another question.. you clearly have a lot of expertise ..

Again I cant go into detail but in a nutshell, technicians did a full complete total backup.. I requested to be TOTALLY covered ( due to this long debilatating illness... I did not want to take any chances) So asked for Image Backup, and Files Backup etc and also once everything was sorted to be set up with a regular backup system incl an incremental backup

Unfortunately it went severely wrong, and in reality woefully less than 10% was correctly backed up. the rest was 'missing' GONE!

The problem was the technicians were adamant it was 'correct' & successfully completed .. why ? Because Win Explorer was showing the folder sizes to be correct as was thier own technician software ..

Unfortunately for me, THEY had no clue about a 'bug' with win 10 that cause the folder to report incorrect details .. VERY incorrect details .. so in a nutshell I was googling and searching lots of forums and emailing experts ..

People thought I'd lost the plot .. telling me it wasn't even possible to have win explorer report incorrect folder sizes etc ..

Even though I had PROOF using Treesize which thankfully INSTANTLY revealed the unbelievable amount of missing data files... and I discovered it COULD be the reason for another load of mess I was left with .. After some time I found a very kind engineer who contacted me confirming there was indeed a 'known' win 10 bug that it was not just 'hearsay', nor my imagination, or my having made an error, because he himself had come across it with a couple of clients. ..

Bree · 16 Jun 2020

You have a choice, the hard (and risky) way is to follow the tutorial and change the name of the user profile folder for the existing account. The simpler and safer way is to set up a new local account. I don't know how much you'd want to carry over from your old account, but the minimum would be your user files, documents, photos, etc.

Most browsers have ways to export or transfer your bookmarks etc. In Firefox for example you can copy the Firefox profile over to a new account.

Back up and restore information in Firefox profiles | Firefox Help

Help with User data folder left from previous laptop owner

Help with User data folder left from previous laptop owner

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