Assigning a decent user name to a factory restored computer

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I will be resetting an HP 15 Notebook Win 8.1 back to factory condition next week. The owner bought it new about 1 year ago but hasn’t used it since Nov 2015 and wants to sell it. What I’m wondering about is assigning it with a decent user name. I’ve seen some computers in which the user name is User but I’d like some ideas of something “better”. I know that’s a subjective thought but any recommendations?

HP EliteBook 8540w laptop Windows 10 Pro (x64)

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Preferred Customer

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A factory restore will often return everything back to the OOBE (“out-of-box-experience”) state. If so, the computer should start with the typical, “Welcome, let’s take a few minutes to set things up” routine and ask the customer for a user name to configure.

Is that not what happens in this case?

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dp1261, you’re correct, setting up user account should be amongst the first things presented to enduser right after a factory restore.

"Take care of thy backups and thy restores shall take care of thee." Ben Franklin, revisted

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I will be resetting an HP 15 Notebook Win 8.1 back to factory condition next week. The owner bought it new about 1 year ago but hasn’t used it since Nov 2015 and wants to sell it. What I’m wondering about is assigning it with a decent user name. I’ve seen some computers in which the user name is User but I’d like some ideas of something “better”. I know that’s a subjective thought but any recommendations?

Most always when I ‘refurb’ a used computer I will use Owner then change the computer name to something else such as Gateway-PC, especially to better identified it if used on a non-server Network such as those in homes with 2 or more computers.

Before you wonder "Am I doing things right," ask "Am I doing the right things?"

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I have 20 computers, and selecting an appropriate User Name has always been somewhat of a chore for me, when doing a fresh install.

If you’re just going to use it yourself, then it shouldn’t be too hard to come up with a name you like, maybe even your own.
But if there’s a chance you’re going to either donate the PC or sell it….. then you’ll want to use a name like “Key Operator”, or “Owner” or something non personal.

But either way, it all comes down to your own imagination. Eh?

Cheers Mate

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The reason I asked about this is because I get to help out at our Senior Center and there are times I get a computer that needs to be restored to factory condition and then donate it. Usually there is someone ready to receive it so fortunately it’s easy to know what user name to use. On the one I inquired about there wasn’t anyone waiting for a computer so I used Preferred Customer and have donated it since then.

HP EliteBook 8540w laptop Windows 10 Pro (x64)

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Most folks getting a free computer won’t care a whole lot, what the user name is, as long as it’s not a well known mass murderer. Eh?

In an extreme case, you can always create a New User and give it the person’s name, then log in with that name and delete the old user. That’s the first thing I do when someone just Gift’s me a computer. That gets rid of all their user data too.

Cheers mate!
The Doctor

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“you can always create a New User and give it the person’s name, then log in with that name and delete the old user”
Thanks, that sounds like an excellent option.

HP EliteBook 8540w laptop Windows 10 Pro (x64)

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Note that while you can create a new user and delete the original, the original user’s name will still be plastered all over the place in the Windows Registry.

Hence, if you ever plan on giving the computer to someone else to use, best to start out with some generic name like “Preferred Customer”, “Wiley Coyote”, “Uncle Bubba”, etc.

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I just picked a VISTA computer that I’m refurbing and plan on upgrading to Windows 7 and then Windows 10.
I thought of a unique user name: mycomputer

HP EliteBook 8540w laptop Windows 10 Pro (x64)

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Names Given to Computers

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