Removing Password-Protected User in XP

[AlecWest]

A friend of mine had a "visitor" for a short time ... and while visiting, created a password protected user account on their WinXP computer (administrator-level). Outside of formatting and reinstalling XP from scratch, is there a way to delete this user account? They do NOT communicate with this "visitor" anymore ... so asking them for the password is not an option.

[ROF]

Log-in as the administrator and remove the account in the control panel.

[Treebeard]

Any other Administrator accounts can delete user accounts.

[MOVIEGEEK]

Is the OS XP Home or XP Pro?

[AlecWest]

Is the OS XP Home or XP Pro?

I believe it's XP Home. In any case, I attempted to delete the account from another administrator account and it (ahem) froze. But, I'll try it again.

[MOVIEGEEK]

Try going into safe mode to delete users and make sure you disable System Restore:
www.softwaretipsandtricks.com/forum/windows-xp/15897-not-able-delete-user-account.html
BTW...while you(or your friend) are in safe mode set a password for the Admin and then set user accounts to "limited",that way hackers or visitors can't muck up the OS.

[AlecWest]

I tried it again ... this time waiting about 10-15 minutes at the point where it "froze." As it happens, it didn't freeze ... it just took a heckuva long time. I was finally able to delete the account - and a couple of others this creep visitor set up. And yes, I ran a virus scan and spyware scan. Clean computer. Unfortunately, this visitor mucked up her computer in general ... and (sigh) it looks like I'll have to format and reinstall.

P.S. This "visitor" was her son - who'd just gotten out of prison. And he likened himself to being a computer guru. One thing's for sure ... he sure knows how to create problems I can't handle - and I've seen quite a few I could handle without such drastic action as a format/reinstall.

P.P.S. I was tempted to do it today. But (ahem) she can't find her XP OEM disk. I told her she has three options:

1) Find it and call me.
2) Buy another XP OEM disk.
3) Have me install my Windows 98SE.