Change home folder

How do I change both the short and long name in my home folder? My name was entered incorrectly when setting up. This was done through the directory utility in Snow Leopard but there is no directory utility in Lion.

Mac OS X- How to change user short name or home directory name
Macworld | Changing the short username in Leopard
The second reference should work in Snow Leopard and Lion. Use the last procedure titled, "The Full Monty."

Similar Messages

  • How to change home folder name

    How to change home folder name ?

    Here are the instructions from Apple on changing user short name or home directory name. I've used this on a couple of used MacBooks I've bought on eBay. And remember to go into System Preferences>Sharing and change the Computer Name in there.
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1428

  • Changed home folder name, how do I get my desktop back?

    I changed the home folder name and when I logged off and then back on to the computer, my desktop was completely different. I was told by apple care that it had to be corrected through the command lines. I would greatly appreciate someone's help with this issue!
    iMac   Mac OS X (10.4.10)  

    http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=107854

  • Unable to change home folder owner? ls -al showing root

    Hello.
    I seem to be unable to change the owner of my home folder?
    I have tried to use the following command:
    sudo chown -R myusername /home/myusername
    I even tried to log in as root and do the same, and still ls -al shows root as owner..
    I think i have been able to chmod the home folder though, because i can create and delete files in my users homedir.
    However, this is kinda bothering me because vncserver seem to be unable to read its passwd file as its asking for a new password every time i start it.. (unless i start it with sudo, but then it reads the passwd file from /root/.vnc/passwd)

    If you want proper permissions/acl support you'll have to create a usermapping from uid and gid to microsoft sid. If I don't want to share it with windows I create a usermapping like this:
    https://www.tuxera.com/community/ntfs-3 … r-mapping/
    #!/bin/sh
    domain=$(sed -e "i obase=10\nibase=16" -e "s/[[:xdigit:]]\{8\}/\U&\n/g" /etc/machine-id | bc | {
    read a
    read b
    read c
    echo "$a-$b-$c"
    echo "# generic \.NTFS-3G\UserMapping"
    echo "# (id generated from /etc/machine-id)"
    echo
    echo "# root group"
    echo ":0:S-1-5-21-$domain-512"
    echo "# root user"
    echo "0::S-1-5-21-$domain-500"
    echo "# user group"
    echo ":users:S-1-5-21-$domain-513"
    echo ":100:S-1-5-21-$domain-513"
    echo "# generic template"
    echo "::S-1-5-21-$domain-10000"
    Last edited by progandy (2014-03-31 16:16:19)

  • Changing HOME folder name

    Just upgraded to 10.5. My Home folder (the little house icon) won't let me change its name.
    The message I get is:
    'martinwhite' can't be modified or deleted because it is needed by OS X
    How do I rename it?
    Cheers,
    martinwhite !!!!!

    MartinJapan2007 wrote:
    Just upgraded to 10.5. My Home folder (the little house icon) won't let me change its name.
    The message I get is:
    'martinwhite' can't be modified or deleted because it is needed by OS X
    How do I rename it?
    Cheers,
    martinwhite !!!!!
    That's called your "short" name.
    Open System Preferences, open Accounts, select yours.
    Click the lock icon below to open it up. You need to enter your password.
    Now, right-click your name and you will see "Advanced Options"
    Here you can change your "short name"
    Please read the warning and be sure you have a very recent backup - - just in case.

  • Change Home folder for AD accounts to a separate NAS

    Hi,
    We're running a large Windows network at a school with all pupils having individual Windows domain logins. Most of the subjects use Windows based PC's (Win 7). However, a small number of departments (Art, Music etc) have a number of Macs.
    We have the Macs running fine on the network with pupils able to log in on the Macs via their AD accounts (all Mac workstations joined to both OD and AD - running 10.9.4). They have access to their "Windows" home folder on the dock and also a separate Home folder created locally on the mac they log into. Until now that has been fine. However, we want to move to having all the Mac home folders on one NAS, giving greater flexibility for pupils to move from Mac to Mac and keep the same files, and also retain separate access to their AD folders too (although this last bit isn't essential)
    I gather I can edit their AD accounts to change the Windows home folder to point to the NAS used for the Mac Home folders, which will fix the problem when they log onto the Macs. But of course this is of no use as they will still need to be connecting to their Windows home folder whenever they log onto a PC.
    On the Mac server (running 3.1.2) the ability to change the Home folder is grayed out for AD accounts. Similarly when I try and change the Home path in Workgroup Manager (10.9) the process errors - "Error of type eDSNoStdMappingAvailable (-14140) on line 1351 of /SourceCache/WorkgroupManager/WorkgroupManager-421/Plugins/UserAccounts/UserVol umesPluginView.mm"
    Finally, I have also gone into the Directory Utility and tried changing the NFSHomeDirectory to the correct path manually, but again when I try and save I get an error "An invalid attribute type was not provided".
    Just to get to the nub of the problem - can I set up a separate networked home folder location for AD users logging onto my Macs, independent of the Windows home directory. Ideally as I have well over 1000 student accounts this is something I'd like to be able to sort en mass rather than individually, but will take any suggestions at this point!
    Cheers,
    LSDWho

    Hi,
    Could still do with trying to work out if this is possible. If anyone has any ideas / suggestions it would be much appreciated.
    Cheers,
    LSDWho

  • How to change name on Home folder?

    I have an Apple iBook PPC G4 1.33 GHz running Leopard OS X version 10.5.8 and with 1 GB Memory. I just purchased this machine, which is in excellent condition, but I have a problem. It is not earthshattering and doesn't threaten the life of the machine in any way, but it is my machine and I would like the Home directory to reflect that.
    The name in the System Preferences for Administrator is "gdavies", which is myself, but the Home Folder in the Finder sidebar is named "macuser". I went in as root user and came close to complete disaster, but got out in time. Having me named as administrator in Accounts but not on the Home directory is unusual. If both were called "macuser" I believe I could fix it, but this requires a greater level of expertise than I have.
    Any ideas how to make home folder read "gdavies"? I just bought this iBook and it came with the Home folder named as "macuser". I changed the computer's name in "Sharing" in system prefs and I believe I may have changed the name in the Accounts. I know I should not have done it that way, but it doesn't help changing it back.
    When I open the Users folder in the Mac HD there are there folders, one called "gdavies" with 10 items, most empty, such as desktop, downloads and so on, though dropbox is there.
    The next folder is the house icon for the Home directory named "macuser" with 38 items and is the working folder. Then there is a folder called "shared", which contains no items.
    How do I change the Home directory name in the Finder window sidebar to "gdavies'?

    Kappy, you are indeed working overtime to help me and I just want you to know how appreciative I am.
    Now, I shall take your answer step by step.
    1. Log into Accounts using the admin password for "macuser". That password and the "other" admin password for gadvies is one and the same. However, done.
    2. Click on Login Options, done - verify gdavies has admin status - done - answer "yes, gadvies has admin status".
    3. Turn off Auto login - done.
    4. Logged out then logged into "gdavies".
    5. Returned to Accounts pane authenticating with "gdavies" password - done. But remember that the admin password is one and the same for "macuser" and "gdavies". Now, I did *not* set it up like that. It just seemed to happen. do I :- )  or do I :- (    ???
    6. Select "macuser" account and using Login options delete. Select the option to remove completely.
    I am sorry Kappy, but this pesky "macuser" sits in the home directory without any account in Accounts. So there is no "macuser" account to delete.
    I went through all the motions and I was sort of hoping that a "macuser" account would *appear* in the Accounts pane beneath the Guest account so that I could delete it, but no such luck. You know, sometimes things like that do happen.
    Thanks a heap for the try, Kappy, I do appreciate you exercising on my behalf "those little grey cells" as Hercule Poirot would say - my favorite Private Eye (Agatha Christie).
    Cheers, Gareth

  • How can I change the name of the HD and Home Folder?

    Recently, I had a problem with my computer in which a prohibition sign came up instead of apple logo at start up. I took it to an Apple Store, and they told me that the mistake was in the HD, that they needed to restart the system, so I told them OK, but then it turned out that it wasn't that, it was the cable which connected the HD to the motherboard which was damaged.
    They obviously put the name of the HD to another one, and the home folder as well.
    So my HD name is "Apple HD" and I want to change it to "Macintosh HD".
    My home folder is named "eduardo" and I want to change it to "Eduardo".
    I am currently running on OSX 10.9 (Mavericks)
    My MBP is a mid 2012, model 9,2.
    Thanks! Hope u can help me!

    Open the Terminal in the Utilities folder and paste the following at the prompt:
    sudo diskutil rename / "Macintosh HD"
    Press RETURN. Enter your admin password as prompted. It will not echo to the screen. Press RETURN again.
    Diskutil is a disk utility.
    Rename is a command.
    / is your main drive.
    Note that there is a space before the slash mark and after it.

  • How to change the name of my Home Folder

    I'm just wondering how I could change the name of my personal home folder which is associated with my username. I heard that there's a script I can download or something.

    First, before you go messing around with your home folder, make SURE you have a backup. If you have to ask how to make one, this process is not for you-it's advanced, and can mess up your data if done wrong.
    1. Open Accounts preferences (>System Preferences...>Accounts)
    2. Unlock the lock at the bottom, if necessary.
    3. Control (or right) click your account's name, and click "Advanced Options..."
    4. (IMPORTANT) Change "Short Name" to what you want the new short name to be.
    5. (IMPORTANT) Change "Home Directory" so that the path is right (I.E. if your new short name is "test1", change the path to "/Users/test1"-basically, DON'T CHANGE "/Users/"-just what comes after it-DON'T TYPE THE QUOTES)
    6. (IMPORTANT) Click "OK", and restart.
    Good luck! AND BE CAREFUL!!!!!!!

  • How does one change the name of the home folder?

    I would like to change the name of the administrator and home folder on one of my computers. How is this accomplished?
    I'd be most grateful for some help with this.
    Thanks.

    Macworld | Changing the short username in Leopard. Use the last procedure, "The Full Monty."

  • How to change the default location of 'Music', 'Pictures' in my home folder

    IMAGINE I have 2 hard disk partitions on the SAME hard disk,
    one is called 'Macintosh HD' and the other is called 'My Data'.
    The Plan:
    In the 'Macintosh HD', there are (1) system files & (2) users' settings.
    In the 'My Data', there are all the music, pictures, etc.
    For example, the 'Macintosh HD' has 40GB and the 'My Data' has 120GB.
    All I want to do is to *separate the SYSTEM and my DATA* _without migrating my home folder_ inside 'Macintosh HD' which contains folders called 'Music', 'Pictures'... to the partition 'My Data'.
    _+*I want to separate the system files and my data incase I need to reinstall the Mac OS X while leaving all my data untouched.*+_
    So the way I should do (I guess) is to leave my home folder inside 'Macintosh HD' empty,
    and create files called, for example, 'My Music', 'My Pictures', etc. in the 'My Data' partition.
    Then _redirect the files 'Music', 'Pictures', etc. in my home folder inside 'Macintosh HD'_ to _'My Music', 'My Pictures', etc. in the 'My Data' partition_.
    In Windows XP or Windows 7, you can redirect those as using the methods below:
    (1) http://i41.tinypic.com/2rorkhx.jpg
    (2) http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/18629-user-folders-change-default-location. html
    But I just don't know how to do that in Mac OS X, it seems that Mac OS X doesn't even provide a way for users to do so:
    http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=336192
    I saw a reply in macrumors forum and tried to move the 'Music', 'Pictures', etc. folders,
    but it turned out that those files were being copied, not moved.
    So I can't move the 'Music', 'Pictures', etc. to the partition 'My Data' and make aliases of them which can be put in my home folder inside 'Macintosh HD'.
    So, are there only 3 options for me too choose?
    (1) stop trying to fight Apple and Mac OS X on where it puts things, just put all the things in my home folder inside 'Macintosh HD', using only 1 partition
    (2) move my home folder to the other disk partition, in this case, the partition 'My Data'
    (3) can't redirect the location of Music', 'Pictures', etc. folders in my home folder in the 'Macintosh HD', but just simply put things in the 'My Data'.
    Thanks in advance!
    Message was edited by: MicBook

    Here's the easy solution:
    1. Copy the folders you want on the My Data partition.
    2. Verify all files copied OK, then delete the same folders on Macintosh HD.
    3. Make an alias for each of the folders you have moved.
    4. Copy the aliases to your Macintosh HD/Users/Home folder.
    5. Delete the space and "alias" from each of the aliases so the have the exact same names as the originals.
    DO NOT do this with the /Home/Library/ folder as the above will not work with that folder.
    When you attempt to delete the folders you have moved the OS will complain that it cannot delete them because they are needed by OS X. This is normal. In order to delete the original folders and rename the aliases you will need to boot the computer from another drive or from the OS X installer disc. But for the latter you will need to run the Terminal (from the installer's Utilities menu) and use Unix commands to delete the folders and rename the aliases. If you know how to use the Terminal then the entire operation can be done from the command line. See the following:
    1. Boot the computer into single-user mode.
    2. At the prompt enter:
    /sbin/mount -uw /
    cd /Users/yourusername
    mv /Documents "/Volumes/My Data/rest of path/Documents"
    Repeat the above line replacing "Documents" with the names of the other folders you are moving. The "mv" command actually moves the folders rather than copying them.
    ln -s "/Volumes/My Data/rest of path/Documents" /Users/Documents
    Repeat this line for the other folders replacing "Documents" with the names of the other folders.
    You may find printing out the command line routine using a large mono-spaced font useful in assuring you spot the spaces in each command line. Note that the quotes used in the command lines above are required.
    Enter "reboot" without quotes to restart the computer.
    Message was edited by: Kappy

  • Time machine no longer backs up changes to files in home folder.

    My Time Machine seems to be in some sort of weird state where it has stopped backing up any files/folders in my home (~/) folder or below.
    This is obviously a big issue since those are the files most needing to be backed up.
    It does catch changes to the /Applications folder, the /Developer folder, and the /usr folder, for some examples.
    A typical backup where it misses a lot of changes in my home folder is as follows:
    Starting standard backup Backing up to: /Volumes/My Backup Disk/Backups.backupdb No pre-backup thinning needed: 1.22 GB requested (including padding), 253.01 GB available Copied 20 files (157 bytes) from volume . Starting post-backup thinning Deleted backup /Volumes/My Backup Disk/Backups.backupdb/My Computer Name /2009-09-11-185523: 253.01 GB now available Deleted backup /Volumes/My Backup Disk/Backups.backupdb/My Computer Name /2009-09-07-124935: 253.05 GB now available Deleted backup /Volumes/My Backup Disk/Backups.backupdb/My Computer Name /2009-10-03-205432: 253.05 GB now available Deleted backup /Volumes/My Backup Disk/Backups.backupdb/My Computer Name /2009-10-03-205215: 253.05 GB now available Deleted backup /Volumes/My Backup Disk/Backups.backupdb/My Computer Name /2009-10-03-204044: 253.05 GB now available Post-back up thinning complete: 5 expired backups removed Backup completed successfully.
    And looking at it in TimeTracker it just shows a lot of 0 byte backups, with the occasional backup with only changes to the above-mentioned folders visible.
    How can I reset Time Machine and get it back on track?
    I'd like to preserve the current backups on it if possible.

    Are you running File Vault?
    Besides your TM disk, what's shown in the +Do not back up+ box in TM Preferences > Options?
    If nothing there would prevent your home folder from being backed-up, try a "full reset" per #A4 of the Time Machine - Troubleshooting *User Tip* at the top of this forum.

  • Did you change your home folder name and now your computer is all wierd?

    Hello. I did the same thing and I called apple help and they just couldn't help me on this subject. I was messing around with the computer and I found a proper solution where you don't have to re-install the software. Here are the steps:
    Step one: login (if your not already logged in) into the account. It should still be there as the original name.
    Step two: Open your Finder or HD and select the Users folder.
    Step three: You should see your original account name as well as any one else's account name if you have other people sharing the computer. In addition to this you will also see the name you attempted to use as a replacement for your old Home Folder name, note that this is a new unexpected user.
    Have it in column mode for the easiest experience.
    In the new folder you created (this is the user on the list that you named your original folder) You will find all your old settings. Don't do anything yet! take and highlight all of the content in that folder by holding shift and clicking or your preferred way. Drag ALL the content to your original home folder, which should only have library and Documents. (if it has more than it's okay) it will tell you that there are already folders with that name and will ask permission to replace them. Say yes.
    Step four: log out or restart your computer.
    Step five: log in, and or wait till it's restarted Your desktop and dock should be restored to the way you originally had it. Don't change the name on it again. if you want to change the name, you'll need to create a new user.
    Step six: Thank me and leave me complements or questions.

    I think it is rather surprising that the Mac OS allows you to change the name of the home folder and doesn't seem to put up a warning or anything.
    I did change the short name used on my home folder about three weeks ago. I used ChangeShortName Utility v1.2 which I got from here:
    http://www.macosxpowertools.com
    All indications are that using this utility has been 100% successful.
    I did create a new temporary account with administration privileges and I ran the utility from that account. This meant I wasn't changing the short name on the account I was actually using.
    It is very important to read the "read me" with ChangeShortName so that you are 100% sure of what you are doing when you use it.
    Also, of course, back up first

  • How do I change the name of the Home folder OSX 10.9

    Hi there,
    I am trying to change the name of the Home folder on my Macbook Pro running OSX 10.9  I had a clean install of 10.9, and used migration assistant to restore my settings from a Time Machine Backup. 
    The problem is that the Home folder for my user is now named "Cody 1" when it used to be "Cody".  This seems like a minor issue, but all the programs that reference data in the old location, are forcing me to go and find the data manually.  Everything from iPhoto to VirtualBox, all files have to be found manually. 
    I have tried the instructions set forth in this article, http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1428, but the dialog that should, according to the article, allow me to redirect the account to the existing folder, returns an error saying that the user name is already in use.  There is no option to use the existing folder.  I have tried re-naming the folder to something different, to no avail. 
    Ideas?
    Thanks in advance. 
    -Cody

    The Apple Support document you referenced is cumbersome, outdated, buggy, and too likely to result in the sort of problems you described.
    It may be too late now but see the following:
    Niel's post here: How to change name of home folder
    and:
    Apple Support Communities contributor Pondini found an astonishingly simple way to accomplish what you seek. etresoft distilled that information into the following User Tip:
    Changing user account short name
    Note that he writes it has been tested on Mountain Lion but the procedure appears sound and should work equally well with Mavericks.
    Back up your system before doing either one.
    To fix what happened might be possible in Single user mode. I don't have specific instructions but you should be able to find and delete user accounts in the /Users directory.
    Type carefully and don't proceed without knowing the risks.

  • How do I change the name of my Home folder.

    Hey.
    I would like to change the name of my home folder in Lion.
    Can someone help me please?

    OS X: How to change user account name or home directory name

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