How to change User name

[marybernard]

Under Documents and Settings there are 4 main user folders (besides LocalService and NetworkService) - Administrator, All Users, Default User, and [?Owner]. My new Dell computer came with my title (Dr) as well as my name on this [Owner] folder. I use my title on my credit card, but not in ordinary life, and it's a real pain to see it all the time in my computer. Dell were very unhelpful - basically couldn't be bothered. Can anyone tell me how to get rid of the 'Dr'? I'm afraid to delete all instances in the Registry for fear of trashing my file system or something.

Mary

 

[Marcs41]

Go into control Panel - User Accounts - Click your account - click Change Name. That is all.

Marc
[sub]If 'something' 'somewhere' gives 'some' error, expect random guesses or no replies at all. Please specify details.
Free Tip: The F1 Key does NOT destroy your PC![/sub]

 

[marybernard]

Marc

I'd already done that. It has no effect on the C:\Documents and Settings\Dr Mary Bernard folder - which Explorer won't let me rename: 'It's a Windows system folder and cannot be renamed.'

Thanks anyhow

Mary

 

[bcastner]

This process sounds worse than it is:

1. Change your existing username as marcs41 suggested above to something to use temporarily. Logon as that user

2. Add the username you want, with the profile name you want, as a new user with Admistrator rights. Logon as that new user. This creates the new profile structure on your hard disk drive.

3. Logon as "Administrator" with an empty password. Do this by hitting Ctrl-Alt-Del twice.

4. Follow these instructions to copy the "Dr." profile to the new user name profile you created in Step #2:

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=811151

Note the special steps required if you have Outlook Express accounts set up.

5. Logon as your new preferred name and delete the unneeded user accounts and then remove the old profile. You can remove the old profile by right-clicking My Computer, Properties, Advanced, User Profiles.

 

[Marcs41]

Go as bcastner suggests.
But .. your question did not specify to change the folders, all you said was 'it's a real pain to see it all the time in my computer'. hence my short answer to change the name, as you don't really see the full path that often anyway.
But ok, there you go with Bill's full solution!

 

[marybernard]

Thanks to marcs41 and bcastner - but it didn't work. I followed bcastner's instructions, and those on the Microsoft page, faithfully.

Having set up 2 new users (a temp one, and one the name I wanted), and logged in as [temp user], I was supposed to copy almost all the Documents and Settings folders/files from [olduser] to [newuser].

But Explorer refused to let me copy 'index.dat' from 3 or 4 of the folders (it let me, with others), and wouldn't copy everything but them.

So I copied by hand (i.e., everything *but* the 'index.dat' files). But the result was to copy some of my extensive customizations, but not enough to make it worthwhile to change.

I guess I'll just resign myself to being 'Dr'.

Thanks anyhow - Mary

 

[bcastner]

"Press and hold down the CTRL key while you click each file and subfolder in this folder, except the following files:
Ntuser.dat
Ntuser.dat.log
Ntuser.ini"

If you made extensive customizations through the HKEY_CURRENT_USER registry hive, these will not carry over.

 

[wolluf]

bill - wouldn't the profile copyto feature in system properties be a better bet here?

Set up new user (called what you want to be). Log on to it then log off and log on as Administrator. Go to system properties, advanced, user profles settings and use the copyto feature to copy existing (DR) profile to new profile. Log on new user- should look like old.
You'll still need to import OE data (if you use Outlook Express).

 

[Mattb7]

Right click My Computer, click Manage, Click the plus next to local users and groups, click users, then right click the pne you want to change and click rename. This should do what you want.

 

[bcastner]

I do not know wolluf.
It would certainly be worth a try.

I have seen this issue before where tweaking tools were used to heavily change the hive HKCU (which is contained in ntuser.dat) and I do not think these changes (or the hive) will transfer in this instance.

 

[marybernard]

What would happen if, instead of creating new user, etc., I simply (!) changed every instance of 'Dr Mary Bernard' in the Registry to 'Mary Bernard'?

I have a feeling the answer must be: total disaster, which is why I haven't tried it. But I'm curious.

I have, by the way, made extensive - very extensive - tweaks to everything in sight. It took ages, and I'd rather leave my name as Dr, much as I dislike that, than have to re-create my tweaks in a new user profile.

Mary

 

[bcastner]

Total and complete unhappiness would be the result.

But to be honest, if you followed the earlier advice about copying profile data, and you still have all those tweaking tools, redo the effort.

It would take you on the second instance little time, and perhaps you would make different choices.

Bill