Changing Administrator name (different than question below)

I adopted my friend's iMac, and I'd like to change the Administrator name. I went to Accounts, and put in the password, but wasn't sure if I should just change it there, where it says Name, or not. I don't want to cause any serious problems that will log me out or something, so I thought I'd ask first.
Thanks

Michael answers your question. But I recommend wiping the hard drive and reinstalling the OS and all applications from the original install discs. With a used Mac there's no way of knowing what haxies, security holes, or other junk you don't know about might have been left on it by a previous owner. Even a friend you trust could have inadvertently opened up security holes that neither of you are aware of. Wiping and reinstalling is just good security practice and it will also allow you to set what ever admin and other user account names and passwords you want.

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Changing Users Name - different from the other post below

I want to change my home name under the places folder. It's not my account name that can be viewed in the preferences under account. When I got this new MacBook Pro and went thru the set up, somehow I must have agreed to use the name that is next to the house icon under places in the finder sidebar. I really don't know where they got it from and when I search the whole computer all that comes up is the user folder. I tried to rename the name but it won't let me. There has to be somewhere I can change that name short of clearing out the contents of the MacBook and loading a new system from the supplied start up disk.

Hi,
Just to amplify -
An account actually has two names, the "long name" (now called "Full Name" in System Preferences), and the ""short name" (normally a single word in lower case, called "Account Name" in System Preferences when you first set up an account).
When you set up a user account and enter your "Full Name," the system will suggest an Account Name (the "short name"), and you have *just this one chance* to change it:
Once set, the short name becomes the name of your home folder (the house icon in Finder) and is not easily changed. You can't just change the home folder name, because the short name is also an intrinsic part of your user account. However if you very much want to change the short name, there are a few ways to do this. Apple's method is here:
*Mac OS X: How to change user short name or home directory name*
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1428?viewlocale=en_US
It's somewhat complicated as you will see, and changing the short name this way can sometimes introduce a few permissions glitches. You could still try it, or since your Mac is still new, you might instead consider wiping the HD and starting over.

Changing Administrator Name

I've just started my new job as a designer and I have taken over someone elses job. They have given me their Admin login details and I have changed the Account name and password to my own but I can't actually change the Short Name - its just faded out and wont let me select it.
Any ideas how I go about changing this? As it also appears in my windows in the left column next to my Home button.
Cheers

Hi Agent_Trig! And Welcome To Discussions!
It can be accomplished, but be very careful, there are dire consequences if done incorrectly!
Apple's Method How to change user short name or home directory name
And the Easy Way Change ShortName.
Said Consequences:
Return to Default Desktop, Apparent "Loss" of Home Directory
My home folder and desktop are different than before
Recover from renaming your Home folder, authored by Dr Smoke
You could also just create a new Admin User, transfer the files, and then delete the old account.
Good Luck!
ali b

How can I have a topic name different than the filename of a linked Word document?

I've encountered multiple issues with linking to Word files ...here's another one: If a Word document is entitled Feature_ABC, then upon generating the HTM after linking it, the HTM's filename and topic name are both Feature_ABC. As underscores are ugly in topic names and features can be renamed, I would hope that I could rename the topic to be different than the filename.
The Help documentation suggests this is possible by editing the Topic Name Pattern in the Word Conversion Settings dialog of Project Settings. However, reagardless of the Pattern entered, every time I generate or update from the context menu of a linked Word document the topic name remains the same as the filename.
Because the topic name is shown in the Search panel and browser tabs, it will be a little ugly and may even be confusing. It is possible to edit the HTML directly, but then the HTML is overwritten each time the Word documents are update and the great advantage of using linked documents is lost.
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Thank you for your quick reply - just checked Multifox out.
It seems it still forces me to open a new window, while preventing the need for a new profile.
Why isn't it in the addons.mozilla.org ? Looks dangerous ...

Changing administrator name and password

I need to make several changes to my computer. However, I don't know/remember the administrator name and password to my computer and I am the administrator! It's been a long time since I set up my laptop (I bought it and set it up on 12/31/07). It's a black MacBook, OS 10.5 aka Leopard.
What do I do?
I ask that you be as specific as possible when suggesting a solution.

I don't think you want to change the administrator name. It's also impossible to forget it. It's the name in Finder right under Places, assuming you are the administrator.
What you want to do is reset the admin password which you can to by using the Leopard DVD that came with your computer.
Boot into the DVD and hold down the "C" key with DVD inserted. After language screen, menu top left under Utilities you will find the proper item. Just follow the instructions.
Message was edited by: nerowolfe

Change administrator name without starting over.

Hope someone can tell me how to change the administrator name and or delete the one that's in there that was cemented in the system when I got the computer and replace it with my name, without re-formating the drive and starting over. It's a G4 tower with 10.4.11. I have tried everything I can think of....
Thanks! you Mac guru guys. I know someone knows how to do this...
Bud

I found a way to do this but it might be scary for a newbie. Open the accounts in system preferences and create a sub account with the name you want to use as the new administrator. Next check the new user to allow to administer the account and remove the check mark in the original administrator. Now open the library folder on the hard drive and find the preferences folder. Trash the com.apple.preferences.accounts.plist and reboot. The new name you created and authorized will now be the administrator. The original administrator will be deleted.
The kicker is you will not be able to ever change the account settings. The accounts button will disappear in the system preferences. Also you may loose contact with some software as the system partially reverts back to default. DO THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK and don't do it without backing up important files first externally and also be sure you have the install disks for your software if you need to reinstall something. It worked for me but so far I have only done it once. I did loose Safari bookmarks and some other minor things, had to re-do mail preferences but it kept Adobe stuff ect. Lost MS Office. Had to re-install that. The original items are still on the computer somewhere but.....

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Change administrator name

how can i change my administrator name on my macbook 10.4.11 tiger.
thanks barbara

Try this.
Open your system preferences/Accounts pane, and add a new account. Make sure to select the block to allow this new account user to administer the computer. When the new account is created - log out of your current admin user, and choose your new user from the list. Enter your new password there, and you will login to your new user account. Go in to that same system preferences/Accounts pane, and click on the old account, and click the minus at the bottom of the accounts window to delete the old account.
Basically you are creating a new admin acount & deleting the old admin account; not changing it.
 Cheers, Tom

How to change administrator name and password?

I have macbook pro laptop which my father bought in china. App Store ask for a administrator name and password when i install anysoftware or updates.
Please help me how to solve this problem.

It would appear that your User Account is not an administrative account.
Can you log out, and see what other accounts are availalbe to chose from?

IPhoto Folder Names Different Than Event Names?

Hello! I have used iPhoto since 2007, before Time Machine, and I back up all of my events as I upload them onto a zip drive. In the past, before Yosemite, when I would go into the iPhoto package contents, I would select the year (2014), and I could easily find the name of the event I just uploaded. I would then drag it to my zip drive.
Since the Yosemite upgrade, the iPhoto package content folders do not match my event names in iPhoto. Why is this? How can I make it so that the originals within the iPhoto package content folder again matches that of my iPhoto events? In the past, when I have made any changes within Finder, I have regretted it, so I don't think that is the solution. Just wondering why the event names and the folder names are not matching up any more, and if there is an easy fix to this.
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https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-4921
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1. Boot from your Snow Leopard Installer Disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu.
2. After DU loads select your hard drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. Note the SMART status of the drive in DU's status area. If it does not say "Verified" then the drive is failing or has failed and will need replacing. SMART info will not be reported on external drives. Otherwise, click on the Partition tab in the DU main window.
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How do I change the administrator name and password?

I am trying to put some needed applications on my G3 Lombards and it won't let me because the previous administrator of the computer failed to erase all of his info before I bought it.
How do I change the administrator name and password?
This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen yet.
Please help. FAST
Edited by an Apple Discussions Host

Robert:
May I strongly urge you to get a set of installer CDs. They will come in handy as you need them for much more than just installing the OS. From time to time, e.g. you may need to boot from the installer disk to Repair Disk (you can Repair Disk Permissions from Disk Utility on the HDD, but to Repair Disk, you must boot from a different volume). And if you had installer CDs changing the password and creating a new Admin Account would be a breeze.
You can get universal installer disks at applerescue. Another option in your situation is to do a complete re-install. That will not only enable you to create your own admin account, but it will automatically change the computer short name. However, for that you need installer disks.
Meanwhile, <a href=""http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=121786&tstart=0>here is another article that should help.
Good luck.
cornelius
Message was edited by: cornelius

Changing Administrator name (different than question below)

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