Google infestation must go

[kleinscmidt]

This is a new Acer laptop w/ Windows 8.1, and I use Firefox 38 as my default browser. ALWAYS. I hate IE with a passion.

My previous laptop ( still useable, but headphone jack needs repair, and must use external keyboard ) has Windows 7 HP. I'm in the process ( still ) of moving all of my "stuff" to the new one. BUT, to the problem at hand.

A long time ago, I made the mistake of opening a Gmail and Google+ account. Don't ask me, but somehow I ended up with TWO separate Google+ pages. One has my username listed on the Google+ home page, the other has my real name, or rather, used to have. I JUST finished managing to change the "real name" account, to one using a pseudonym instead. In this case, no harm, no foul.I had no idea of the trouble that these accounts would end up causing me. I must admit that all the problems aren't entirely Google's fault. I had a hand in it as well. Yeah, I know...what a shocker. I'm not a tekkie by any stretch. The Gmail address, with me assisting, has left a trail, hither and yon, that I need to try everything I can to wipe out as completely as possible.

I know that a Gmail account can never be completely deleted, ( at least that's what I've been told ). But, it was suggested to me that I could ( possibly ) create a new, unique Gmail account, and delete the old one. That is something that I could live with, but for now, it would seem that Google follows me everywhere I go online. It feels like I am having to use Google sign in 50 times a day. It reminds me of the ever present "sign in with Facebook" crap. My Facebook account has been gone for awhile now. I feel like I'm being stalked online, but I have the "do not track" feature turned on at every place I've been able to find it.

Google has caused me some tremendous headaches at one or two websites ( not all Google, but me too ), and has even kept me from obtaining employment once. As I said, this wasn't a 100% Google-caused problem. I've had these accounts for several years. Along the way, I've managed to "raise a red flag or two" at a couple of different websites. It's nothing that would literally get me in some kind of serious trouble, but I would like to be able to return to those sites, go through the "register / sign in" process once again, without the site or its' members having any knowledge of my former identity / persona.

How much, if any, of Google can I get the heck out of my PC, short of wiping the PC clean, or some kind of factory reset? To what degree does Google HAVE TO BE involved in accomplishing my task, if any at all?

Thanks for any advice and / or help with this.

Holding on to anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die-Buddah

[DanRaisch]

If you have an email account other than the Gmail one you should be able to register on any web site you wish without the Google account being a factor in any way.

Have you tried simply clearing the cache and cookies in Firefox before trying to register on one of these sites?
Exactly what is happening to indicate that the site is aware that you have a Google account?

[kleinscmidt]

Yes, I have cleared cache and cookies, after logging out of Google, and otherwise. No dice.

When I register at a particular site...it can be anywhere, my Google sign-in screen always comes up.

The point is that I want this Gmail account GONE. at least, as gone as I can manage. I also want the two Google+ pages that I have GONE.

AS I said, there have been a couple of "problems" that I need to get around. In order to do that, I need to get rid of Google as much as I can.

Do you know of wordpress.com? Well, I am registered there with an account that has a non-existent email address. I didn't do anything wrong. The email did exist when I opened the account there. I'm sure that I'll be able to handle that. But the Gmail is still floating around in there somewhere, and in order for me to set things straight everywhere else that I need to go, including possible employment sites, and even though there is no username associated with the Gmail account at wordpress.com, I'm sure that the address is still in their database, and I need to get rid of that, too.

Meanwhile, I have a blogspot.com blog, with blogger.com, and cannot even access the thing, because the dashboard is now obsolete, and I can't get them to acknowledge and change it. At the top of the blog, plainly visible, is my Gmail address, and I want to DELETE that blog. I haven't used it in five years, nonetheless, I want it gone as well.

In other words, everything that associates me with Google, that can be seen or found on the web...I want it gone forever. No matter where I go in the future, if it requires a Google email / password / username in any combination, I am NOT registering anything there. I have had ENOUGH of Google! Period. If I knew how to erase it from my hard drive, it would already be gone.

I do not want Google to know that I exist.

Thanks for the reply, and trying to help me make this problem, not a problem anymore.

Holding on to anger is like drinking poison, and expecting the other person to die.-Buddah

[malliz]

https://support.google.com/mail/answer/32046?hl=en

[kleinscmidt]

malliz,

Thank you. Allow me to say thank you. In addition, thank you. This is exactly what I have been seeking. May I follow up with another question or two? I wish only to try and be as thorough as a relative computer illiterate can be.

After all is said and done while utilizing this information, I can then create a new Google+ account, with a different email / username / password, and it doesn't have to be a gmail address? All that's needed is for me to go through the necessary procedure(s) once again, as if I never had an account in the first place? And by doing so, Google is none the wiser, as to my real, but former Google identity?

Is it true that, eventually, one's former profile and personal information get purged from the Google cache, meaning that essentially, their "Google slate" is wiped clean? I'm thinking I read that somewhere, but that it takes some time. If so, would you know about how long that might be? That knowledge would be a huge benefit.

Again, let me extend my gratitude, and should you choose, I would look forward to becoming further acquainted. I really like your avatar. Is he / she yours?



Best regards,
kleinscmidt

[lovemyfoxy]

No one replied. The avatar is Sean Connery.

[malliz]

I was moving house at the time and didn't get back to the thread. It happens