Windows 7 - Laptop logs in using old user account

I bought a floor model laptop that has an account called Kiosk on it. I created a new account and an admin account and deleted the Kiosk account. When windows 7 boots up the kiosk account pops up and attempts to log in. I have to switch users and manually enter the name of the new account. When I try to manage accounts the Kiosk account is nowhere to be found just the two accounts that I created. Is there any way to fix this? it is a minor annoyance, but it does annoy me!!

Thanks in advance

Hi and welcome to SevenForums!

From your description, it sounds like there was some third-party software installed that tries to log in with the Kiosk account automatically, and now it doesn't know you deleted that account.

Since you really have no way of knowing what all was installed/modified on the existing Windows system, I would recommend a complete reinstall.

I assume that the laptop has a valid COA and product key somewhere on the bottom. Assuming you have no Windows 7 setup DVD, you may download an official Windows 7 .iso and burn it to DVD, then use it for a clean installation and use your product key to activate it. (This is completely legal!)

For more details, please read these excellent tutorials:
Clean Install Windows 7
Clean Install : Factory COA Activation Key

EDIT: Alternatively, if your laptop has a factory recovery partition, you can use that to restore it to "brandnew" condition, the way it's shipped from the manufacturer. The disadvantage is that you'll likely have "crapware" along with Windows which PC makers tend to pre-install on the system.

I have something similar with a computer that resided on a network and most all the applications were on that server.

I was unable to uninstall because I had no access to the server where the applications had been located. Example: I regularly get notifications that a Blackberry Update is available. I have no Blackberry and never did but the previous owner obviously did.

There is one high capacity HDD that contains applications I do not want to lose so reformatting is an undesirable approach (one I have been avoiding).

I am slowly cleaning out unwanted software using regedit. I have been warned of the related hazards associated with this methodology but I have no other means of recovery (without losing the applications that are resident).

In the end I may have to wipe the HDD clean and start from scratch but until that happens, I am learning the ins and outs of cleanup the hard way.

A bit of a long shot but try running control userpasswords2. Then look for a check box for "Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer". If its not checked, put a check mark in it and see what happens on a reboot. Removing the check mark sets up an autologon with a selected account.