Is this the proper way to remove a user account?


xazs

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I'm about to delete a user account. Is this the way to remove it? Will all files and folders associated with it be removed to?

Control Panel >All Control Panel Items > User Accounts > Manage Accounts > Change an Account

11.webp
 

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Please clarify:-
The contents in OneDrive are part of the contents of an MSAccount.
If you delete that online account, you are also deleting all its contents.
Or do you just mean removing the MSAccount-linked user account from your computer rather than the online MSAccount itself?



Denis
 

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The contents in OneDrive are part of the contents of an MSAccount.
If you delete that online account, you are also deleting all its contents.
Or do you just mean removing the MSAccount-linked user account from your computer rather than the online MSAccount itself?

Hi Denis, very thankful for your help so far!

To answer your question, I have what appears to be 2 user accounts as mentioned in another thread - btw, apologies for creating another thread, I'm \ nervous and want to make sure I do this correctly.

Anyway, I have 2 user accounts. One is local and the other I believe is online. I want to keep the local user account and delete the online account. By deleting the online account, I also want to delete all this files, folders and programs (like Office). And I just wan to leave all the files, folders and programs in my local account completely intact.

Fyi, I created the online account 10 years ago and last week I created my local account. Since programs from my online account will be deleted, will the programs on my local account be deleted too, even though those programs mirror those of my online account?

Here's my local account...

local.webp


This is my other account (from my 1st post), which I think is an online account. Correct me if I'm wrong...

1767475202980.webp

Please let me know if I'm doing the correct thing.. Thank you
 

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last week I created my local account
Make sure it is an Admin account before you delete anything [instructions are contained in my link below].
You must have one account that is an Admin so you can manage your computer. Personally, I always make sure I have two - see my ditty - Create two spare local, password-protected Admin accounts [post #2] in Windows 10, 11 - TenForums

One is local and the other I believe is online
One is local and the other ... is online.
But do be carefull with your use of terms - it is an online-linked user account on your computer. It is not your online account itself.

Is this the way to remove it? Will all files and folders associated with it be removed to?
Yes, it is one way of removing that user account from your computer.
- You would still be able to use that account online through your browser.
- All the contents of its folder within C:\Users will be deleted - all its folders, files & its own programs.

will the programs on my local account be deleted too
No.


Denis
 

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Make sure it is an Admin account before you delete anything [instructions are contained in my link below].
You must have one account that is an Admin so you can manage your computer. Personally, I always make sure I have two - see my ditty - Create two spare local, password-protected Admin accounts [post #2] in Windows 10, 11 - TenForums

According to my screenshot and your link, it looks like my user account a local administrator? Here's my screenshot.. please confirm just to make sure...

adm.webp


One is local and the other ... is online.
But do be careful with your use of terms - it is an online-linked user account on your computer. It is not your online account itself.

So are you saying that the user account in the screenshot below is an online-linked account? Does it mean its ok to delete it and all my files, folders, and programs in the local account will stay intact and safe?

lcl.webp
 

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it looks like my user account a local administrator
Yes

So are you saying that the user account in the screenshot below is an online-linked account? Does it mean its ok to delete it and all my files, folders, and programs in the local account will stay intact and safe?
Yes. And Yes.
And, in your previous thread, someone gave you a link to the tutorial that explained how to check account types.
Check Account is Local Account or Microsoft Account - ElevenForumTutorial


Denis
 

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Yes

Yes. And Yes.
In that case, I'll just delete the online-linked account by going to:
Control Panel >All Control Panel Items > User Accounts > Manage Accounts > Change an Account > then click on 'Delete account'

Thanks man!!

.
 

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To remove all remnants of a user profile, including its User Folder,.
Go to Search and type sysdm.cpl
Go to the Advanced Tab. Under User Profiles
Click the Settings button. .Select the profile you want to remove
and press the Delete button
 

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To remove all remnants of a user profile, including its User Folder,.
Go to Search and type sysdm.cpl
Go to the Advanced Tab. Under User Profiles
Click the Settings button. .Select the profile you want to remove
and press the Delete button

Appreciate that. below is my screenshot showing 4 user accounts. Is it ok to delete all of them except for X?

55.webp
 
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No, keep the Default Profile. This is Windows default profile which Windows will load when your user name profile has an issue and can't load
Also, Keep the Administrator profile account. this is the Hidden Administrator account, which can be Enabled to troubleshoot your user profile.
If you had one, you would also keep the Guest profile which can be enabled, if you want to assign it to a Guest.
 

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No, keep the Default Profile. This is Windows default profile which Windows will load when your user name profile has an issue and can't load
Also, Keep the Administrator profile account. this is the Hidden Administrator account, which can be Enabled to troubleshoot your user profile.
If you had one, you would also keep the Guest profile which can be enabled, if you want to assign it to a Guest.

Sounds good Spunk youre the best dude, thanks! I'll just then delete the user account with the red mark in my screenshot. Btw, someone suggested I password protect the user account 'X'. But I hate having to use a password every time my PC boots up. Is it really necessary?
 

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The password is for your security.
@Try 3 had faster fingers than me

You can set a password, and then go to Search or press the Windows key +R
In the box type netplwiz and press enter.
Select the X account, if that is your user name
Uncheck Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer.
type your password twice and reboot.
The computer will bypass the user name and password login and boot directly to the desktop from now on.
If someone were to hack into your computer, they would need to provide the password.
 

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nVidia GEForce RTX 2060 Super
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Thanks Spunk and Try3... really appreciate you guys!!!
 

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Please open administrative command prompt and copy and paste:

dism /online /Add-Capability /CapabilityName:WMIC~~~~

wmic useraccount get name, sid

whoami /user

reg query "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList"

Post a share link.
 

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Please open administrative command prompt and copy and paste:

dism /online /Add-Capability /CapabilityName:WMIC~~~~

wmic useraccount get name, sid

whoami /user

reg query "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList"

Post a share link.

Hi.. appreciate your help.. Here's what the command prompt spat out as per your instructions:

qqq.webp
 

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If you remove it from registry or profile folder, you will break something.
If you can remove it, you can remove it, it is not loaded or whatever.
Code:
net user defaultuser1 /delete
 

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If you remove it from registry or profile folder, you will break something.
If you can remove it, you can remove it, it is not loaded or whatever.
Code:
net user defaultuser1 /delete
I'm confused by your comment. Remove what exactly?
What do you mean by 'not loaded'?
 

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What do you mean by 'not loaded'?
Windows will not let you to remove stuff that is being used.

You can remove stuff from registry or folders, but face consequences upon restart.
If you remove the profile via the proper channels, Windows should respect it afterwards.
 

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24" Philips 24M1N3200ZS/00 (05/24)
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Kingston KC3000 NVMe 2TB (05/24)
ADATA XPG GAMMIX S11 Pro 512GB (07/19)
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Seasonic Core GM 550 Gold (04/24)
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Noctua NH-U12S with Noctua NF-P12 (04/24)
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HP Pavilion Wired Keyboard 300 (07/24) + Rabalux 76017 Parker (01/24)
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Chair: Huzaro Force 4.4 Grey Mesh (05/24)
Notifier: Xiaomi Mi Band 9 Milanese (10/24)
FlexCore USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 (M) to LAN (F) (08/25)
I suggest, as I did before, that you make use of the forum's tutorials as much as possible.
In this case
and, if still required,
in your previous thread, someone gave you a link to the tutorial that explained how to check account types.
Check Account is Local Account or Microsoft Account - ElevenForumTutorial
Tutorials benefit from constant scrutiny & continual improvement.

For all I know, the other suggestions above might be valid as well but I rely on tutorials whenever possible.
Just to set this in some sort of context, I have been active in these forums for eight years and I have only ever found two cases of my suggestions being better than those given in the relevant tutorials.


All the best,
Denis



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