Q: can i remove a user account on snow leopard create a new one but keep files from the old?

Normally, programs are set up to be system-wide. You could check them by selcting the icon for one, right-clicking and choosing "Show in Finder".

For the movie, create the new user account first, then drag the movie to the new user's Public folder.

First you need to be a Admin user, head to System Preferences > Accounts and create a new user account.

by unlocking and clicking the plus sign.

Once the new Admin account is created (do not use Standard) then you can transfer files from the old Users/Folders like music, pictures etc. to the "DropBox" of the new user account like so.

Finder > Go menu > Computer

 

A window appears with your boot drive, double click on it to open

 

Inside is Users folder, double click to open it

 

Inside is your User accounts, double click on the one you want to send files too

 

Double click on the Public folder drop the files into the DropBox folder,

 

The permissions will change and can be used in the other user account when you log into it.

Anything in the Applications folder is a "global access" folder, meaning if you log into the new account you can run those programs, no need to move them.

Only if you installed a program into the old user account, like you dragged and dropped it into Documents for instance, then it will ony run in that old user account.  So transfer it global Applications folder and your fine.

Log out and into the new user account to set it up and tweak it, run the two accounts for some time until your ready to delete the old one via System Preferences > Accounts.

Export bookmarks, Address Book details and so forth and transfer between accounts like the above, until your completely on the new account.

Be warned, deleting the old account will delete all information in that account, so take your time.

How do I securely delete data from the machine?