I have just bought a second-hand PS3. I want to restore the whole system so I can delete the previous owners email etc., but have no instruction booklet. Please help

From Google:
"From the top level of the PlayStation 3 Home Menu, go to Settings > [System Settings] > [Restore Default Settings]. Once you select [Restore Default Settings], you will see a list of settings that will be restored. Scroll through them and press torestore the settings.Jul 20, 2017"

If you search Google for: "factory reset a PS3" you will find only 1,920,000 other results.

Enjoy!
Anthony

hold power button when its off. it will turn on hear first beep then second bee and turn off. release the power button. hold it down again it will turn on youll hear the first beep and release the power button when youll hear 2 fast beep. wait 2~3seconds and youll see the factory service menu on your tv. do the factory reset

http://uk.playstation.com/ps3/support/general/detail/linked391089/item391133/Delete-data-on-the-hard-disk-drive/

You are asking a whole lot here.
From what I understand, you are running Windows XP. The previous owner has not removed his name from the system.
You want your name to show up as a user.
You want the previous owner's info gone.

Do this:
Go to the control panel and to the Users icon. Create a new user (you) as an admin.
Now log off of Windows and log back on as you. Go back to the control panel and the users icon.
Click on the previous owner's name and choose "delete account." Do not save the data. Just choose delete.
This will delete the user and all his data.
This should do it for now.

To delete a user you must be login as another user and select the user you want to delete and press triangle then delete

Once that's done you can make a new PSN account for your new user name to go online.

Try safe mode. When it shuts off by itself and the red light starts blinking then that's a YLOD problem, I can email you instructions how to do the YLOD fix if thats the problem. The instructions are to long to post in a answer on this site. [email protected]

SAFE MODE:

1. Place you finger on the on/off sensor leave it their untill you console turns off then take you finger off the sensor.

2. Place your finger back on the on/off sensor leave it their until you hear 2 consecutive beeps then take your finger off.

3. Once the safe mode screen comes on select the option PS3 SYSTEM RESTORE.

NOTE: A PS3 system restore will delete all data except the OS. I recommend backing up your console onto a USB flash drive if possible.

Good Luck!

The only way to do this would be to completely restore the PS3 system so that when it next turns on it asks for your information.

Hope this helps

call sony they can take care of it for you

To reset your PS3 back to manufacture conditions you will have to go to the Settings page, locate System Settings, run down untill you reach Restore PS3 System. Click yes, and voila.

You can log in as a new user but im not sure if you'll have admin control of the system, might do though. failing that you could reformat the hard drive but you'll lose all your saved data, music, game saves etc