Somehow my short user name has a space in it?!

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Level 1

15 points

Somehow my short user name has a space in it?!

Hey all

I've recently used Migration Assistant to move my user account from my old iMac to my new Macbook Pro. My user account was called Nathan on my iMac. However I didn't run migration assistant on the first boot - i had way too much stuff on my iMac to fit on the smaller hd of my laptop. So on the first boot i created an account also called Nathan on my macbook, without really thinking. When i'd trimmed my iMac down, I ran MA and was told I couldn't have a second account also called Nathan - quite obviously. So I added a 2 to the end of it to make it Nathan 2.

6 hours later i then deleted the first account 'Nathan' and am now left with 'Nathan 2'. I'm a fussy guy and it's irritating me. I've tried to use the ShortNameChanger script but its complaining my current short name is invalid (?) due to the space. Have I somehow slipped through a loophole in migration assistant and managed to get an invalid short user name? Is there nothing i can do to fix it/change it?

Also, whilst I'm here Onyx refuses to run saying that I'm not an administrator - although I clearly am. Is that related?

P.S. can someone also tell me how to change the name of my computer? because it's still called Nathan's iMac G5 which has somehow sneaked across via migration assistant, and because its now a macbook pro i want to change it. thanks guys

Macbook Pro Cor 2 Duo 2.33, 15 inch, Mac OS X (10.4.10)

Posted on Aug 26, 2007 9:08 AM

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Answer 1

First Magus

Level 7

21,278 points

Aug 26, 2007 9:55 AM in response to Splodgecat

Splodgecat wrote:
P.S. can someone also tell me how to change the name of my computer? because it's still called Nathan's iMac G5 which has somehow sneaked across via migration assistant, and because its now a macbook pro i want to change it. thanks guys

Go into *system preferences*. Then look under accounts Change the Name there.

Here is some info on short names. Mac OS X: How to change user short name or home directory name

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Answer 2

Splodgecat Author

Level 1

15 points

Aug 26, 2007 12:21 PM in response to First Magus

Thanks for your help Mort. I've looked where you said and can't see anything to do with the name of the computer, only the name of my account. And as for the larger problem, I've read that document in detail. My question is unanswered by it - why and how is there a space in my short name? Shouldn't it be numbers/letters/underscore only? And how can I change it if it's invalid to begin with?

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Answer 3

First Magus

Level 7

21,278 points

Aug 26, 2007 12:34 PM in response to Splodgecat

Duhhh! Brain dead today. Go back under *System Preferences* and look under Sharing. Then change the *Computer Name*: Hopefully this will work for you.

As for the short name try this program. ChangeShortName 1.3

I have used it and it works good. Maybe it will overwrite the error in the shortname. Thats all I know to do at this point.

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Answer 4

Splodgecat Author

Level 1

15 points

Aug 26, 2007 1:24 PM in response to First Magus

Awesome, I've managed to change the computer name thanks. ChangeShortName is actually the script I mentioned using in the first post - sorry I wasn't more specific. The problem is that it says the current short name (Nathan 2) is invalid and so it won't proceed - the button is greyed out. How wierd is that?

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Answer 5

Niel

Level 10

726,749 points

Aug 26, 2007 7:37 PM in response to Splodgecat

Turn off automatic login from the Accounts pane of System Preferences if it is turned on, open the NetInfo Manager in the /Applications/Utilities/ folder, remove the space or change the short name in all the instances of the short name in the user and group lists, log out, and log back in.

(23926)

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Answer 6

Aug 26, 2007 10:30 PM in response to Niel

No, please don't use this method. NetInfo Manager handles only some instances of your short username; there are other places it won't get changed this way, and you'll end up with some changed and some not.

The current version of ChangeShortName doesn't support short usernames that contain a space; however, the next version will, and we're sending Nathan a version that will work for him.

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Answer 7

Aug 29, 2007 2:28 AM in response to Dan Frakes

Dan Frakes wrote:

[snip]

The current version of ChangeShortName doesn't support short usernames that contain a space; however, the next version will, and we're sending Nathan a version that will work for him.

Just guessing.. How about putting it between quotes?
Like this: "Nathan 2".
There is a chance we can fool ChangeShortName.. 😉

Ciao,
Ermanno

Message was edited by: Ermanno Polli
Typo in my name...

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Answer 8

Oct 1, 2007 8:17 PM in response to Dan Frakes

Dan Frakes wrote:
The current version of ChangeShortName doesn't support short usernames that contain a space; however, the next version will, and we're sending Nathan a version that will work for him.

Dan Frakes, I'm posting this reply in the hope that maybe you'll receive an e-mail notification of someone replying to your message post. I'm wondering there's any chance you'd consider sending me this special version of ChangeShortName as well? My situation is a bit more problematic (okay, to me) than the issue Nathan describes here -- I had to erase and reformat my HD after repeated kernel panics and I'm now attempting to restore from backup. BUT, the main account on the Mac had a short user name with a space in it, due to a migration sequence similar to what Nathan went through. The result is that I can't restore the necessary files to the home folder for that user, because I can't create a matching short user name! (Unless I'm missing something, but it sure doesn't seem like I am.)

If I'm understanding correctly that the newer version of ChangeShortName will help me in my situation, I would really appreciate your sending it to me. I'll be more than happy to make a contribution to the cause in return. Earlier today I sent you a separate e-mail message through your Web site; I'm just trying to increase the chances that you'll get my inquiry one way or another.

Thanks for any help you can provide,

Pat

Message was edited by: Patrick Mcdougall

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