Hi Melissa,
One thing I forgot to tell you to do was to Enable Viewing of Hidden Files and Folders. You will find instructions for that in the READ ME Before Posting A Request For Assistance! link. So be sure to enable that before you begin removals.

For uninstalls try it first via Add/Remove. If the uninstall says that you have to reboot to complete then do it then and then go back to Add/Remove and continue.
If it seems to you that you will have to go into Safe Mode try going in under My Computer since the Administrator didn't work for you. But try all first from normal mode.
only thing i've removed is 'sweetim' (which it reinstalled itself), and anything related to 'mywebsearch' 'funwebproducts' 'smileycentral' - which i believe backdoored via 'sweetim'
You are definitely correct on the above. That funwebproducts stuff just gets in there and doesn't want out.
Use the Add/Remove to get rid of all the previous owner's things;
walgreens
limewire
board games
aol spyprotection (this one may be difficult because AOL can be as bad as spyware to remove and we might have to do part of this manually but try first via add/remove)
aim-also AOL
epson printer(this one might be difficult as it may ask for the disk. We will be able to get it off manually I imagine even if it asks for a disk)
netzero for riverdeep
nextpimp
motorola ringtones crud
ipod
learn2
iden
previous owner installed limewire, ringtones, tons of board games, etc.
should i uninstall via safe mode or normal mode? via 'add remove programs' or 'windows explorer' or 'hijack this'?
Do the normal mode Add/Remove uninstall route first. Make note of anything that won't uninstall or leaves files. When you do the uninstall if you get a message like "some files are only used by this program do you want to leave or uninstall" or something like that, can't remember the exact wording, tell it to take them all away.
She invested $500 on a used and infected system that has almost half the memory gone, she should not have to buy an entire new operating system and microsoft office software. i told her she could have spent the same amount of money via dell and not have to go through this, etc
You are absolutely right! Hopefully she should regain so drive space by uninstalling all of this junk. You might also do a search for music, maybe in My Music folder and see if previous owner has anything there, also maybe My Pictures too. Anything like that can just be deleted.


i want to be very careful with what is removed since my friend has not secured the operating system or microsoft windows office disks.
The key ones to try to protect are the operating system files. If there is a problem with Microsoft Office there is a very good FREE Office program called Open Office which has pretty much what Microsoft Office has AND allows you to open and also create items which can be used with Microsoft Office.
As far as being able to get updates, as long as this was not a pirated disk to begin with she should be able to get updates without the disk. Usually that isn't needed BUT of course when you do updates the MS site does check to be sure the os is a legal one.

Do all of this and then run a new HJT scan and post back with that and anything you were not able to remove and we will go from there.
Judy