error 80070402 deleting user account on win xp home

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.security_admin (More info?)

Hi, I am abysmally unlucky using newsgroups. I tend to get no reply at all.
If I do something wrong, please let me know. I do need help.

I am getting an error trying to delete a user account on a Windows XP Home
machine which was heavily infected (virus, mal-ware, dialers, etc).

I tried to delete the user account and specified to save the files. I got
the message "The specified local group does not exist" and every other
attempt yields "Could not complet the operation due to error 80070402". I
have googled around and I am seeing this message turn up, but I am finding no
resolution steps that will work on the XP Home OpSys.

I'm open to suggestions,
-g

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.security_admin (More info?)

9 times out of 10 a "machine which was heavily infected (virus, mal-ware, dialers, etc)"
should be reformatted and a "Clean Install" performed. They is no telling how much
damage was done by all the malware.

Clean Install Windows XP
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User
Microsoft Newsgroups

Get Windows XP Service Pack 2 with Advanced Security Technologies:
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/windowsxp/choose.mspx

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"GregJ" wrote:

| Hi, I am abysmally unlucky using newsgroups. I tend to get no reply at all.
| If I do something wrong, please let me know. I do need help.
|
| I am getting an error trying to delete a user account on a Windows XP Home
| machine which was heavily infected (virus, mal-ware, dialers, etc).
|
| I tried to delete the user account and specified to save the files. I got
| the message "The specified local group does not exist" and every other
| attempt yields "Could not complet the operation due to error 80070402". I
| have googled around and I am seeing this message turn up, but I am finding no
| resolution steps that will work on the XP Home OpSys.
|
| I'm open to suggestions,
| -g

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.security_admin (More info?)

Carey, Thank you for your reply.

I'm afraid that reformatting is not a real good option at this juncture.
There is software on the machine which cannot be re-installed because the
client does not have the discs. It is amazing how many of my clients fail to
keep the most basic re-install stuff. This situation could be the subject of
a rant, but I'll leave off on that.

Anyway, Do you (or anyone else) have a method to delete the user account? I
can delete the data, but I would like to be clean about the whole thing and
get rid of the user accounts entirely. I tried to use the snapin, but alas,
Home is crippled in that regard and it won't operate.

-g

"Carey Frisch [MVP]" wrote:

> 9 times out of 10 a "machine which was heavily infected (virus, mal-ware, dialers, etc)"
> should be reformatted and a "Clean Install" performed. They is no telling how much
> damage was done by all the malware.
>
> Clean Install Windows XP
> http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html
>
> --
> Carey Frisch
> Microsoft MVP
> Windows XP - Shell/User
> Microsoft Newsgroups
>
> Get Windows XP Service Pack 2 with Advanced Security Technologies:
> http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/windowsxp/choose.mspx
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> "GregJ" wrote:
>
> | Hi, I am abysmally unlucky using newsgroups. I tend to get no reply at all.
> | If I do something wrong, please let me know. I do need help.
> |
> | I am getting an error trying to delete a user account on a Windows XP Home
> | machine which was heavily infected (virus, mal-ware, dialers, etc).
> |
> | I tried to delete the user account and specified to save the files. I got
> | the message "The specified local group does not exist" and every other
> | attempt yields "Could not complet the operation due to error 80070402". I
> | have googled around and I am seeing this message turn up, but I am finding no
> | resolution steps that will work on the XP Home OpSys.
> |
> | I'm open to suggestions,
> | -g
>
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.security_admin (More info?)

Try the following:

User Profile Hive Cleanup Service
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=1b286e6d-8912-4e18-b570-42470e2f3582&displaylang=en

What's User Profile Hive Cleanup Service (UPHClean)?
http://www.windowsitpro.com/Articles/Print.cfm?ArticleID=42257

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User
Microsoft Newsgroups

Get Windows XP Service Pack 2 with Advanced Security Technologies:
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/windowsxp/choose.mspx

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"GregJ" wrote:

| Carey, Thank you for your reply.
|
| I'm afraid that reformatting is not a real good option at this juncture.
| There is software on the machine which cannot be re-installed because the
| client does not have the discs. It is amazing how many of my clients fail to
| keep the most basic re-install stuff. This situation could be the subject of
| a rant, but I'll leave off on that.
|
| Anyway, Do you (or anyone else) have a method to delete the user account? I
| can delete the data, but I would like to be clean about the whole thing and
| get rid of the user accounts entirely. I tried to use the snapin, but alas,
| Home is crippled in that regard and it won't operate.
|
| -g

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.security_admin (More info?)

Carey,

Thank you again. I tried that but it didn't seem to help. I don't want to
log the accounts which I am trying to delete. I went to the event log, clear
it and re-created the error. Nothing showed up in the event log.

Alas, I can go no further. I tried to do an XP repair run, but #(%*&%&# the
XP HOME OEM disc that I have is not valid with the user's XP HOME OEM COA
number on their machine. Just when I though "Great, no more lost numbers," I
find that I can't use my discs when the user's no longer have theirs. Curses
& very frustrated. How is a repair shop to function in this environment?

Anyway, thanks for your help. Please consider this closed with no resolution.

"Carey Frisch [MVP]" wrote:

> Try the following:
>
> User Profile Hive Cleanup Service
> http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=1b286e6d-8912-4e18-b570-42470e2f3582&displaylang=en
>
> What's User Profile Hive Cleanup Service (UPHClean)?
> http://www.windowsitpro.com/Articles/Print.cfm?ArticleID=42257
>
> --
> Carey Frisch
> Microsoft MVP
> Windows XP - Shell/User
> Microsoft Newsgroups
>
> Get Windows XP Service Pack 2 with Advanced Security Technologies:
> http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/windowsxp/choose.mspx
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> "GregJ" wrote:
>
> | Carey, Thank you for your reply.
> |
> | I'm afraid that reformatting is not a real good option at this juncture.
> | There is software on the machine which cannot be re-installed because the
> | client does not have the discs. It is amazing how many of my clients fail to
> | keep the most basic re-install stuff. This situation could be the subject of
> | a rant, but I'll leave off on that.
> |
> | Anyway, Do you (or anyone else) have a method to delete the user account? I
> | can delete the data, but I would like to be clean about the whole thing and
> | get rid of the user accounts entirely. I tried to use the snapin, but alas,
> | Home is crippled in that regard and it won't operate.
> |
> | -g
>
>

 

[lee]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.security_admin (More info?)

Hi,
I also had the "Could not complete the operation due to error 80070402"
problem. I tried everything. THis is what finally worked for me. I logged
into the account I was trying to delete. Went to settings and removed
administrer privileges. Set the account to limited. Next logged out of that
account went to an administrator accont and removed the account with the
error message. It deleted the problem account.

"GregJ" wrote:

> Hi, I am abysmally unlucky using newsgroups. I tend to get no reply at all.
> If I do something wrong, please let me know. I do need help.
>
> I am getting an error trying to delete a user account on a Windows XP Home
> machine which was heavily infected (virus, mal-ware, dialers, etc).
>
> I tried to delete the user account and specified to save the files. I got
> the message "The specified local group does not exist" and every other
> attempt yields "Could not complet the operation due to error 80070402". I
> have googled around and I am seeing this message turn up, but I am finding no
> resolution steps that will work on the XP Home OpSys.
>
> I'm open to suggestions,
> -g
>

 

[anonymous_1]

Here's an interesting tidbit: I just ran into this same problem with trying to delete an account. I tried the Hive Cleanup Service with no effect.

The account was already limited, so I did not feel the need to try the other solution mentioned above of removing admin privileges, however, I logged onto the account anyway (after removing the password -- this was an inherited machine) and discovered that no one had probably ever logged onto this account previously (I got the "take a tour of Windows XP" message and was presented with a nice, clean desktop).

After logging out of this account and getting back into my own, I was able to delete the account. Go figure.

 

[sjwrick]

This worked well for me. Thanks!!


Rick