How do I remove myself from a machine?

Before I begin though, I'll caution you: there's simply no way to ensure that all traces have been completely and irrevocably removed. The steps here will keep honest people honest and make it difficult, but not necessarily impossible, to recover some of your information. Not only are systems too complicated to ensure that, but should someone have enough interest and resources, it's possible to recover a tremendous amount of supposedly deleted information. It's not easy, nor cheap, but it is possible.

So before you even start using someone else's computer, be aware that you will leave a trail. I'll include some hints to make next time a little easier as well.

Instant Messaging Software

History - MSN Instant Messenger in particular has the ability to save all your IM conversations. In Tools, Options, Messages is a setting labeled Automatically keep a history of my conversations. If that's checked, and perhaps even if it's not, you need to go to the folder listed and delete the saved conversations. (You may want to copy them to a floppy if you want to keep them yourself.) Other instant messaging programs may or may not have similar archives on disk. In the future: you may want to ensure that this option is off.

Auto-Login - Most IM clients can be configured to automatically log you in when you connect to the internet. In MSN Messenger, that's in Tools, Options, General, Allow automatic sign in when connected to the internet. Uncheck that or make the equivalent change to you IM client. You can also turn off Automatically run Messenger when I log on to Windows or its equivalent at this time as well. In the future: even though it's handy, auto login means that your password is stored on the machine. Consider not using it and always typing your password in.

Remove your account - This one's a little less obvious. Even without auto-login selected, your account may still be listed as an option for logging in to your IM client - possibly even with a saved password. For MSN Messenger and Windows XP there are two things you may need to do:

• Remove the account: In Control Panel, select User Accounts, click on Change an Account, click on your Windows login account, and then on the left click on Manage my network passwords. You should now be presented with a list of accounts, one of which should be your MSN Messenger Passport account. Select it and press the Remove button.

• Disassociate the account: This applies only if you've "associated" your .NET passport with Windows XP. New installs of Windows XP are quite insistent that you associate a .NET passport with your Windows account, and most people simply use their regular instant messaging passport here as well. It's possible that the prior step will have already removed it, but in case not: In Control Panel, select User Accounts, click on Change an Account, and Change my .NET Passport. Change the passport to something else.

Change your password - This is just good practice. IN CASE you left a trace of your IM/Passport account on the machine ... from a different machine, ideally your own, after you're completely done with your work machine, change the password on the account.

In the future: consider creating a throw-away passport account to use on other machines.

Internet Explorer

Your history, and IE's cache will contain an amazing amount of information about the sites you've been visiting. Clear them both.

In IE, hit Tools, Internet Options, General. In Temporary Internet Files, press Delete Files..., select Delete all offline content and press OK. Once that's complete, also press Clear History.

In the future: Consider turning off or minimizing IE's cache and history.

If you use a browser other than IE, it'll have similar caches and settings that you'll want to visit.

Email

This will vary a lot based on the email client you're using, but in general these are the things you'll want to look at:

• Empty any "deleted mail" folders.

• Scan for personal mail in all remaining folders. You'll have to understand what's appropriate to delete and not. You may also want to copy items to a floppy or CD-ROM if you want to save them for yourself. Don't forget the "Sent Mail" folder, if you have one.

• Delete your personal email account settings.

Change your password - Just like the IM instructions above, this is just good practice. IN CASE you left a trace of your personal email account on the machine ... from a different machine, ideally your own, after you're completely done with your work machine, change the password on the account.

In the future: Consider using only a web-based email reader to access your personal email on your work machine.

Windows

These may, or may not be appropriate for your situation, but in the interest of paranoia, some general Windows items to look at include:

• My Documents - review the contents of My Documents including many of the subdirectories therein. My Downloads is one example where items could be left that you've long forgotten about.

• Start Menu History - right click to one side of the Start button, select Properties, select the Start Menu tab, press the Customize button that's enabled for you. If you're using "Classic Start menu", then just press the Clear button on the next dialog. If you're using the normal "Start Menu", then on the General tab press the Clear List button, and then on the Advanced tab also press the Clear List button.