Lenovo laptop checkup and cleanup, please

[pastywhitegurl]

1. Again, no Settings options in right click menu for OneDrive Personal.  However cloud icon was on taskbar, so got to settings that way and unticked specified boxes.

2.  There were no McAfee programs in the list to uninstall. No action.  But restarted anyway in case the OneDrive action also needed a restart.

3. Created new account as instructed.  CMD screen verified actions as successful.  However, when I restarted the computer, there was no option to use the new account.  As soon as the start up screen image appeared, the computer immediately began sign in to the built in Admin account. There was no chance to even click the image, which is how I usually bring up the sign in box.

[DR M]

Sorry about McAfee.

Go to computer's Settings > Apps > McAfee® Central for Lenovo
Click on it and select Uninstall
Restart

You can't sign in to the new account, because the Administrator account has no password and it gets you in Windows directly.

Open an elevated command and type:

Code Select Expand

net user administrator *Type a password for the account
Restart and select the new account to sign in

As soon as you are signed in, go to OneDrive Settings, and do as you did before, by UNTICK the folders/files (not the Personal Vault) in the folder.

Give me a screenshot of the OneDrive folder after this.

[pastywhitegurl]

I do not understand how to do this:

Open an elevated command and type:
Code Select
net user administrator *
Type a password for the account

Is this how to open an elevated command?

Press Windows icon key on your keyboard, together with the letter R.
Type cmd, and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to run Command Prompt as administrator.

Am I replacing the * with the password? Or the account name?

I  am confused.  :(

[pastywhitegurl]

Also confused about what account this is about. Am I adding a password to the built in Admin account?

[DR M]

Hi and apologies for not giving you the specific information. 🙂

Yes, that is how we open an elevated command, and for a password, just replace the asterisk.

HOWEVER: Since we don't need the Administrator account anymore, it's good to just disable it. To do that:

• Press Windows icon key on your keyboard, together with the letter R.
  
• Type cmd, and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to run Command Prompt as administrator.
  
• Copy and paste the following command and press Enter to execute it:
  

Code (auto:0) Select Expand

net user administrator /active:no


• Restart the computer and choose the new account you created before.

[pastywhitegurl]

Successful in signing into the new account this time.

One Drive folder has no settings options in right-click, and the folder is empty. (In fact, all folders are empty.)  I am being offered a sign in screen.   Should I sign into OneDrive?

[DR M]

No.

Since you don't use it, not necessary to sign in. Just click Dismiss if Defender alerts you to set it up.

Well, now you set up the new account, you can transfer files/folders you need from the Dean account. When you are done, you can delete that account. What do you think about this?

[pastywhitegurl]

I think it would be great if I knew how to transfer the files. :)

[DR M]

By the old good way: copy and paste. 🙂

While you are signed in with the new account, go to C:\Users\DeanZF1

Navigate in to Documents, Pictures, Music, Videos, Downloads. Select what you need, and copy them. Not all at once of course.

Then go to C:\Users\NEW ACCOUNT

Navigate to the relevant folders and paste what you copied before. It is a good opportunity to make some tidiness on your laptop.

[pastywhitegurl]

OK.  That sounds simple enough.  It may be a long process of sorting.   Is there any harm if I don't delete the DeanZF1  acccount?

[DR M]

Is there any harm if I don't delete the DeanZF1  acccount?

I wouldn't say that. No harm. However, it contains items from Windows 8 installation and as you saw, it made things confusing enough to deal with, It's up to you, of course.

If you delete it, however, let me know, so I can give you correct instructions.

When you finish with the new account, let me also know, so I can give you instructions to remove the tools we used and create a new restore point.

[pastywhitegurl]

OK. I will think about it as I am sorting and moving files.  There are years of history there, but maybe it won't be as overwhelming to deal with as I imagine.   I hadn't anticipated that starting a fresh profile would be the answer to fixing the  tangled file paths, but it seems simple and logical now.

Many thanks for all your detective work, and especially for your patience with someone who is basically clueless to the inner workings of Windows.  At least I can follow directions (most of the time. ^_^ ) I will report back on my progress.

[DR M]

Again, you are very welcome, and yes, you followed my instructions perfectly. And you can also thank Corrine, since she was watching the thread and suggested the creation of the new account. 🙂

[pastywhitegurl]

Thankyou Corrine!

[Corrine]

You're welcome.