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Number next to computer name?

Hi all,

I'm very curious to know why there is a number next to the name of my Macbook Pro. For example if you go to Finder and see under Devices it says "User's Macbook Pro (4)" The number in brackets seem to change every now and then and goes up in number. Pretty soon it will say "User's Macbook Pro (5)".

Does anyone have an idea of what this means?

Thanks in advance!

Macbook Pro 15'', Mac OS X (10.5.8)

Posted on Apr 10, 2010 9:24 PM

Reply
12 replies

Apr 11, 2010 8:23 PM in response to Zik86

Hi Z,

After I bought my MBP, I migrated everything from my old TiBook. I used the same name, same password, everything. I sometimes use my MBP through my TiBook via sharing/remote desktop. The TiBook shows my name with a number 2 behind it, just like you're talking about. Whether it's due to sharing or same name or both, I don't know, but I'm wondering if you have sharing set up, and there are others accessing your MBP. I haven't replied to this before because I've never heard of the number just randomly continuing to go up and up, so unless it's due to the sharing, and more and more people are "sharing" your MBP (known or unknown to you), something seems amiss, maybe a preference file. Another thought, do you have other partitions/volumes/external drives connected with the same name by chance?

Apr 14, 2010 9:27 PM in response to Meherally

hallo

I have the same problem at a lot of customers. Not only with the computernames but also with the bonjour printernames

I am sure it has to do with a bad implementation of bonjour. One machine has even (7) behind it. Maybe it has to do with the sleep mode, when the machine awakes after hours it is recognised by the rest as new computer 😟

At one client wo have a strange behaviour that we are not able to change the name and delete the number & brackets. All the machines at this client are OD-Clients, no restrictions in the workgroupmanager. Some has changeable computernames other are locked.

I am sure it is a bug in 10.6 (in 10.5 I see it very few times, 10.6 it occurs at all my clients)

Regards
Gérard

Apr 19, 2010 7:46 PM in response to Zik86

A few ideas for those with this issue:

If you have not yet tried a new/different admin account, I would create/login to a different one and see if the issue exists there. If not, this would suggest a particular setting in your normal account and/or a corrupt preference file.

First, I would make a clone/backup (SuperDuper, CarbonCopyCloner, TimeMachine) so you can return to your current state, if, after messing with settings, things get messed up beyond your being able to restore them. (That's what's nice about full clones/backups, you can play pretty much to your heart's content, and if things don't work out, "press the go-back-in-time-button" in almost all cases except for firmware changes.)

Open System Preferences:

Network: Advanced: uncheck "Remember networks this computer has joined." Click ok. Restart. (And/or play with other settings you're comfortable restoring afterwards.)

Accounts: Login Options: Network Account Server: Join (I know nothing about this setting, just seems like it could be related and may be something you want to look into further). Restart.

Sharing settings. Restart.

Print & Fax: Uncheck "Share this printer on the network." Restart.

Before you make your next clone/backup, make sure everything functions as you need it to, as you don't want to copy any mistakes over the original functioning clone/backup, even if it is adding those numbers after the computer name.

Apr 20, 2010 11:36 AM in response to tjk

+I am sure it is a bug in 10.6 (in 10.5 I see it very few times, 10.6 it occurs at all my clients)+

I had this consistently in 10.5 so the issued existed then. I also have it in 10.6.

I agree that it's really a nuisance when the printer is no longer recognised because the computer's name has changed number. Plus it's just plain annoying to have the computer labelled as "4" or whatever.

Number next to computer name?

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