Delete the previous owner registration details from your laptop or desktop computer

Free computer Tips

When you buy a secondhand laptop or desktop computer it is really annoying when you see the previous owners name on your computer. Because of the Windows registration details, their name pops up in places where it shouldn’t be. You might be trying to fill a form out, signing into a popular sight like Ebay, or registering a program online.
Even though this information should have been removed by the previous owner for security reasons, it is now up to you to fix this problem. I recommend you read this article and then watch the video tutorial.

Here are some ways to remove the previous owner from your laptop or desktop computer.

• Change the registration details in your registry
• Change your computer name
• Delete previous owners user names
• Delete cookies that remember passwords and names automatically

Delete the previous owner registration details from your registry

When buying or selling a secondhand laptop or desktop computer it is very important that this registration  information is changed. If you do not then certain programs you install will use these details to register their program also.

1. Go to the Start Menu and choose Run from the menu
2. Type regedit in the box and press OK
3. Press on the + sign next to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
4. Scroll down to find SOFTWARE Press on the + sign
5. Scroll down to find Microsoft Press on the + sign
6. Scroll down to find Windows NT Press on the + sign
7. Click on Current Version and make it blue
8. In the right side you will see details
9. Double click on Registered Owner or Organization. Change the details.
10. Exit Registry and Reboot computer.

Delete the previous owner registration details from your computer name

1. Press the Windows key and the Pause Break button at the same time. How easy is that? Applies to Windows Xp and Vista.
2. Or go to Start menu>control panel>system (For Vista you can get more details by clicking on the items in the left bar menu.)
3. Or go to the Start Menu and right-click on My Computer and select Properties(For Vista its not my Computer but just computer)
4. Choose computer name from the tab
5. And there it is in small writing…If it is a difficult or overly long name click on change. Change your computer name to something easy. Mine is called ‘mitz’ See video below.

Delete the previous owner user names

Get rid of any user names that the previous own had on your computer.

1. Simply open the start menu and double click on the picture in the top left corner.
2. Click on Home from the top menu.
3. Choose change user name.
4. If the username is an administrator, change the name.
5. If the username is just a user account you can delete it.

Delete the previous owner details from your computer by clearing cookies

When you are filling out a form and Windows or an installed toolbar tries to help fill it in, and someone else’s information comes up it is very frustrating. This information is stored in cookies which can be deleted.

How to view your cookies and delete them?

This applies to Internet Explorer 4,5,6 and 7

1. When you have Internet Explorer open go to the tools menu at the top.
2. Choose Internet Options.
3. Go to the General Tab.
4. Under the heading, browsing history, press the Settings button.
5. Then press View files button.
6. Select all cookies, right click and select delete from the drop down menu.

Watch this video tutorial on removing the previous registration details