Short name in main accouny

how can i change the short name in my account ?

download <change shortname> by Dan Frakes. The Apple website has a method but it is more complicated. Read the warnings on both methods.Make sure if you can that each works on the latest version of the OS on your machine.
I have used neither. I was about to some time ago but an HD failure meant I had to start afresh, and that obviated the need for either. The best advice however is live with it unless there is a material reason to change.

Similar Messages

Rename short name or switch main user identity

Hi fellow mac users!
I recently have taken over a new G5 at work and want to personalize it to my new user identity. How do I change the existing 'short name' or delete the existing user and make myself the main user?
I'm trying to avoid a whole system re-install since apps and files already exist from the previous user.
Is there a technique that I can try?
thanks in advance.

If you don't need anything from the previous user's home folder, you can simply create a new admin account in SystemPreferences>Accounts and then delete the previous user's account.

Can not login after changing account short name and home directory

Hi,
I did sth rather stupid while trying a get timemachine working on my iMac 10.5.5.
I changed the short name, login shell and home directory of my account. (didn't listen to the waning that I may not be able to login if I change those information Now I can not log into my account anymore. I tried to use fileVault master password to change the password of my account, but it didn't help. Can anyone tell me how do I fix this problem?
Thanks a lot!

xyz2008 wrote:
No, I still can not log in as that user.
I did as you advised, but it gave the following message:
"attache failed, no such file or directory"
then I suspect you may be entering the command incorrectly. another possibility is this. I noticed you said in one of the previous posts that if you cd into the main user home directory you only see user.sparseimage. It actually should be user.sparsebundle. Or have you upgraded to leopard from tiger with filevault turned on? then it could have remained sparseimage rather than sparsebundle.
run the following in terminal
sudo ls -la /users/username
and post the results.
does it list sparsebundle or sparseimage?
Another thing, when I typed in the command, it didn't take the admin (root) password, but the password of the account I was logged in got me through.
that's what it has to be. it takes the password of the user (it jhas to be an admin user) which is currently logged in.
I am wondering if I can recover the problem user's files from the sparseimage file, then copied all the files to a new user.
Message was edited by: V.K.

Restoring original short name

My user short name is z1. Somehow a second name was created (z1(2)). This has become the main user and the original now shows as a shared destination. What file do I restore to return to having just one user - z1?
Also, can time machine go forward or only back?

There is still only one user account called mb (admin). There is also a1 (sharing only) and test, which I only use for testing. In sharing, it was listed as z1 (computer name) which has changed to z1 (2). In the sidebar, where it lists "devices", "shared" and "places", z1 is now under "shared". I tried to include a screen shot but I can't. My connected G4, (computer name 'a1'), which was under "shared" has been replaced by the original z1. When I open the shared device it now shows the z1 desktop/dock but has all the 'a1' drives shown - no a1 desktop . Kind of a "Brundlefly" - it's genes are all mixed. The G4 is not backed up in time machine. Hope this clear.
What I meant by forward was - if i return to yesterday's state and don't like it, can I return to today's state? This only happened a few days ago. Just need to regress the "computer name" if I knew where it's kept.

How can I assign image file name from Main() class

I am trying to create library class which will be accessed and used by different applications (with different image files to be assigned). So, what image file to call should be determined by and in the Main class.
Here is the Main class
import org.me.lib.MyJNIWindowClass;
public class Main {
public Main() {
public static void main(String[] args) {
MyJNIWindowClass mw = new MyJNIWindowClass();
mw.s = "clock.gif";
And here is the library class
package org.me.lib;
public class MyJNIWindowClass {
public String s;
ImageIcon image = new ImageIcon("C:/Documents and Settings/Administrator/Desktop/" + s);
public MyJNIWindowClass() {
JLabel jl = new JLabel(image);
JFrame jf = new JFrame();
jf.add(jl);
jf.setVisible(true);
jf.pack();
I do understand that when I am making reference from main() method to MyJNIWindowClass() s first initialized to null and that is why clock could not be seen but how can I assign image file name from Main() class for library class without creating reference to Main() from MyJNIWindowClass()? As I said, I want this library class being accessed from different applications (means different Main() classes).
Thank you.

Your problem is one of timing. Consider this simple example.
public class Example {
    public String s;
    private String message = "Hello, " + s;
    public String toString() {
        return message;
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        Example ex = new Example();
        ex.s = "world";
        System.out.println(ex.toString());
}When this code is executed, the following happens in order:
1. new Example() is executed, causing an object to constructed. In particular:
2. field s is given value null (since no value is explicitly assigned.
3. field message is given value "Hello, null"
4. Back in method main, field s is now given value "world", but that
doesn't change message.
5. Finally, "Hello, null" is output.
The following fixes the above example:
public class Example {
    private String message;
    public Example(String name) {
        message = "Hello, " + name;
    public String toString() {
        return message;
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        Example ex = new Example("world");
        System.out.println(ex.toString());
}

IMail: How can I set mail preferences to display actual email address and not short names.

Even though I have it correctly set in Preferences , i.e. "Use Smart Addresses" is unchecked, the addressee automatically changes to the person's name rather than the email address. I am unable to find a way to display the actual email address option on iMail (Yosemite) I do not want nicknames/short names but want the actual email address to display on my address line. Can anyone advise please?

Thanks, Ernie
I wasted about 20 minutes looking for it and couldn't find it
cheers,
tom

Can I Change Home Name and Short Name This Way (Safely)?

Tried this question a couple weeks ago and got 0 replies in the Admin/Accounts section, so I'm revising and trying here. Please help!
Let me see if I can make this simple.
Small office environment; 2 Mac (G4's); Airport network. I am admin on both computers. My employee is admin on his computer as well, but not on mine. Each of us has data we use on our own computer but we can access data from the other computer when necessary. We use the same password to login (just for simplicity). My user name is "Joe Smith" and my assistant's is "Bob Lee Brown." His short name is "blb".
My assistant is moving out of town and I'm hiring someone else. I'd like to set up a new user with that person's name ("Jane Jones"). I'd like the entire "Bob Lee Brown" and "blb" off the computer, and have that replaced by "Jane Jones" and "jj" (for a short name) everywhere, for the new assistant. I want to make sure we're still 100% networked when I get done, and that I can still admin both accounts but my new assistant can't admin my computer. In other words, I'd like a clone of what I have now, only with the names changed everywhere.
So - here's the question (in multi-part format):
Should I create a new Admin account on the assistnat's computer, log in as that one and delete the existing one, saving the user prefernces from the deleted user?
In this event, could i take the deleted user file that's saved and import back in all the user preferences - particularly for Word and Entourage?
If this is the right way to go, what would I have to do on my computer to complete the network process? Any keychain issues I'd have to deal with (what and how?)?
Or, should I use ChangeShortName v1.2 (which I've read about in other posts)? Is that safe?
Or should I just tell my new assistant that she's stuck with a he's name and leave well enough alone?
Thanks - been on Macs since 1984, but never had to do this one before and I'm a little concerned I might mess something up without some step-by-step instructions!

I have used ChangeShortName once and it worked fine; a real timesaver. However, I would backup the /Users folder (or the whole drive) and repair permissions first to be on the safe side.
bd

How can I change the "short name" of my account?

I want to change the short name of my account because when my dad bought this computer for me he set up the account with his name as the short name and it has been bothering me ever since.
When I go to system preferences and then accounts my account is listed and when I click on it under password I am able to change my name, but not my short name because it is greyed out and cannot be clicked. Is there any way to change the short name on my account? I can't even delete my account and make a new one because the account delete button is greyed out when I click on my account.
Also, I went to my home folder and changed that from my dad's name to my name. This has reset every program on my computer to default settings! For example when I open my Safari browser a message pops up saying a keychain cannot be found to store Safari and asks me if I want to restore default settings.
So pretty much I've tried to change the short name on my administrative account, I reset everything to default settings and my short name is still my father's name. Can anyone help me out here?

Try this.
Or you could just create a new account and delete the old one.

I would like to change my Short Name. But no edit menu in the directory to choose root.

Like the title says, pretty self explanatory. I bought this MacBook from a friend of mine and her name is still on the Home Icon (short name). I get the idea of how to change it but once I get to the Directory Utility to enable the Root User, I find that there is NO edit menu. So now I'm somewhat at an impasse on how to do this so I've decided to come here for some help. Sorry if this has been asked a million times, I've gone through some other topics somewhat similar and nothing remotely came close to this issue. I find it odd that I don't have an Edit Menu in the DU. If there is a different way to this then please let me know, if not then please walk me through this. Thanks!

Have a look at this link - hopefully it sorts it out for you...
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1428
http://www.cultofmac.com/126621/how-to-move-or-rename-your-mac-home-folder-macrx /

NW 7.01 upgrade to 7.3 (BW) - Error: Unknown language short name Z2

Hello,
While upgrading a BW system to NW 7.3, in phase PREP_CONFIGURATION/LANG_SELECT I get the error:
Unknown language short name 'Z2'
and the upgrade cannot continue. The Z2 language is supplemented with English and is working properly in the system.
It is only used so that some BI reports to be presented in that language. It is not a correspodence language. Simulation in transaction i18n reports no errors.
Since no objects are translated in this language, I also thought to remove the language during the upgrade and import it after.
However, even this approach was not possible, since I do not get any screen in the upgrade GUI in order to be able to remove Z2 language. Also searched for Notes and in SDN, but no one seems to have faced such an issue.
The system is a standalone development NW 7.01 SPS 8 in Windows 2008 R2 SP1 with SQL 2008 R2 SP1.
Any help or ideas appreciated.
Thank you,
George.

Hi Sunny,
I do not have any translations to save. Nevertheless, I exported the language before starting the upgrade with SMLT_EX.
I get the error and the upgrade stops. I do not get any screen to remove the language.
Regards,
George.

How to get the XML file if we are using the Product short name.

Hi,
Till now I have used Short name of the Concurrent Program for Code while creating a Data Definition. Now saw a seeded template which has given the Code by Product short name. If we have the concurrent program then it is easy to refer the fields by checking the XML file. In this case how to find the XML file or how to refer all the fields if we have given code with Product short name. I saw this for iReceivables(ARI). Anybody please help me.
Thanks.

Hi Siva
Just to clarify, rather than the short name of the conc program there is a shipped data definition that just uses the product short name? What is the data def so I can check it.
Regards, Tim

Best Practice: changing a user's short name?

I administer the OS X Servers and user accounts at my school, where typically a few teachers will come back from the summer having gotten married and changed their names.
We use a standard for usernames of first letter of first name and last name, where Ann Smith is 'asmith' - when she goes and gets married and wants to be 'ajones' at the beginning of this year, what is the best way to go about this change?
Users have network homes, and IMAP email is on a separate server. Here is what I was thinking:
For the user's files, make a new user with their new username, 'ditto' the contents of the old username's home folder to the new username, and chown/chmod the new folder's contents to match the correct permissions.
For the user's mail, use SirAdmin to add ACL's to the old username's mail folders to be able to read them as the new username, have the new username set up their mail and copy the contents of the old username's mail to their new IMAP folder(s).
Does this make sense or is this far too complicated?
Do I just tell these users to log in using their old name and burn their essentials to a DVD and just worry about helping them with their emails?
Any and all suggestions would be appreciated -- thanks
BC

Hi Blair
These look like good methods to me and should work. You could consider creating a second short name - something suitable like their first name instead? Enable Mobile Account (PHD) for the affected users and log in using that short name. Their account should now be created locally as well.
If you have only a handful you could use a spare machine to do it with yourself? More on this later.
If you these users have IMAP accounts you could enable POP for them as well. As you/they log in to download from the server their current home folder their mail should be downloaded also.
What you have after that is effectively a back up of their home folders and mail kept locally on a client machine or a designated machine you decided to use. Delete their account, create the new long and short names, create the additional short name (exactly as it was before), log in with those details and upload the locally stored information back to the server. There should be no need to worry about permissions etc.
What you could do is send an email to the affected users outlining the steps they need to take to achieve what you want. Minimal effort with maximum gain.
When you are happy kill the mobile account option as well as deleting the additional short name. Send another mail advising they use the first short name for logging in. There'll be a little tidying up to do in deleting the locally created home folders but you can do this at your leisure using VNC.
I would have in place one of the other methods as well - just in case.
Tony

Yosemite install has messed up my home folder after fixing user short name.

I just installed Yosemite 10.10.2 onto a new Mac Pro, replacing 10.9.5. After the installation completed, I allow my iCloud settings the set things up for Mail and my other general account settings. The only issue is that when I changed my short name from timjones to tjones, auto correct changed it to tones (as it has done in this post 2 times). Once I recognized this, I used the normal method for modifying a user account by logging in under another admin account, using ditto to copy the '/Users/tones' folder to '/Users/tjones', selecting the Tim Jones account in Users and Groups and using the Advanced Options to reset the short name to tjones. I then reassigned the home folder to /Users/tjones.
All seemed to go well and when I logged back in as tjones. However, I could no longer set up my preferences for apps nor could I access my mail. I then clicked on the 'tjones' home folder in Finder and was greeted with a dialog that said 'Preparing to duplicate items to "Users"'. It then spun for around 2 minutes and prompted me for my password. I entered it and the dialog changed to 'Duplicating 0 items to "Users"' and it's now been spinning for around 15 minutes.
What is this and am I back at square one and reinstalling (I have good backups...)?

The "Duplication" finished finally and my home folder has now disappeared from the /Users folder in Finder. If I check in a Terminal, there are now 2 folders - 'tjones' which is set to tjones:wheel and 'tjones copy' which is set to tjones:admin. As mentioned, neither is visible in Finder.

Changing the short name at migration?

Rather than upgrading from Tiger to Leopard, I backed everything up on an external drive in order to do a clean install. When I to migrate I want to change the short name, or somehow bring what was under a previous account into a new one with a different name. Is this possible? Is it a matter of dragging and dropping folder rather than migration? (or would that mean not migrating applications?)
I can provide more details if needed.

No, you cannot change an account name via Migration Assistant. If you want to change the short name do so after migrating. Instructions are here:
How to change user short name or home directory name
Or, download the freeware utility ChangeShortName - VersionTracker or MacUpdate - and use it to change the shortname.
I suggest the latter.
If you create a new user account with the name you prefer and want to get your old account information into the new account then see this article:
How to recover a home folder (directory) .

Changing the short name

Hi,
I have a new mac I just setup an account for. Working on 17 of them and named one of them wrong. Short name.
Anyone know how I can change the short name safely
Thanks

See if this will help. I used it with good success on my MacBook. ChangeShortName 1.3

Short name in main accouny

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