Store Left the RetailAdmin on Open Box Item

[DBPbear]

I bought an Open Box HP ENVY All in One computer a couple of weeks ago. I was able to do a few things on it, but Best Buy left the RetailAdmin login on there and I was prevented from changing any settings.

I went back to the store to find out how to remove the RetailAdmin and set me up as the Systems Administrator, but they said that I needed to bring the computer back in. I can't do that because it weighs 44 lbs and I had to hire someone to carry it up to my apartment.

I asked if I installed a clean update to Windows 10 Pro, would that solve the problem and they said 'maybe.' I bought the Windows 10 Pro software, only to discover that I couldn't install it without the RetailAdmin password nor even get past the Windows login screen.

Is there any way to reformat the hard drive and start from scratch? Install Windows 10 Pro and make myself the Systems Admin?

[patio]

They should send a Geek Squad member to your house free of charge...

[DaveLembke]

I side with Patio on this one. They should send someone to your home with the system recovery media and build it up fresh and clean as if it should have been when purchased.

I had an issue happen at Staples years ago where I was looking for a deal on a new computer and they had a $999 desktop computer for $719.99 which was an open box. I bought it right away and when i got it home it was a new computer that someone bought and used long enough to already have their own data and music on it as well as Turbo Tax sensitive info. Fortunately back then the HP Computers were shipped with the System Recovery media that was tucked into a lid at the top of the computer. I wiped the 80 GB HDD clean and built it up fresh from the system recovery media. To think what if that computer was sold to someone who was shady, they would have had the prior customers sensitive Tax Return Data with social security numbers and more.

Soon after owning that computer though I realized why they returned it. It came with a game installed on it that didnt work. And the issue was that the Intel Integrated Graphics wasnt powerful enough to play the game, and when I opened it up to add a video card, the motherboard had a location where a video card could have been installed if HP decided to actually populate the motherboard with an AGP slot. So I ended up having to sell this computer shortly after buying it myself for $450 to someone who wasnt a gamer who saw getting a $999 computer half price was a great deal and I then was much more careful in checking to making sure that the next computer I bought had a AGP slot to take a video card installation since I like to play video games.