Any way to change the Admin short name in 10.3.9?

Hi Mike,

You may want to have a read of these links first:

Mac OS X 10.3, 10.4 or later: Return to default desktop, apparent "loss" of home directory


and

Recover from renaming your Home folder


and

Mac OS X: How to change user short name or home directory name

littleshoulders 🙂

Mike:

The most efficient way for you to proceed would be to backup any data you have on the computer, then reformat the HDD and reinstall the OS. That will make the computer completely yours. Even if you changed the computer shortname, created a new admin account for yourself, deleted the old account(s) of your friend, there will still be vestiges of your friend's stuff on your computer. Besides, it will take a lot more effort.

Please post back and let us know what you think of my suggestion, or how you would prefer to proceed.

Cheers 🙂

cornelius

Download the freeware utility ChangeShortName - VersionTracker or MacUpdate.

Hi Mike!

Here is a direct link to ChangeShortName, by Don Frakes.

ali b

Mike:

it is too much work to re-install the OS and then bring it forward with all the updates, and third party application installs and updates, and music and photo libraries. The above solution took maybe 30 minuets tops from download, to reading the PDF doc, and execution of the program.

I am familiar with the script for changing the shortname, and could have posted a link in my first response. However, when you take over a computer which someone else has been using, to truly make it your own you need to start from scratch. What you have done is change the shortname, which does not essentially change the functioning of the computer, or any issue you may have inherited from the previous owner. However, if that is all you wanted, then the script served your purpose.

Good luck.

cornelius

You are very welcome, Mike.

Good luck.

🙂 cornelius