How do I change the name on my MacBook as the owner? I got it in my divorce and don't want his name on anything. I was able to change my email here and new credit card and such but I don't know how to change the owner of the computer itself.
MacBook Pro 13", macOS 10.13
This is what I would have him do if his name/account was associated with the computer:
What to do before you sell, give away, or trade in your Mac - Apple Support
But if all you want to do is change the computer username:
Change the name of your macOS user account and home folder - Apple Support
This is what I would have him do if his name/account was associated with the computer:
What to do before you sell, give away, or trade in your Mac - Apple Support
But if all you want to do is change the computer username:
Change the name of your macOS user account and home folder - Apple Support
The overall name of the computer itself is at the top of
System preferences > Sharing
as for changing the names of Users ... DON"T.
There is a procedure for changing the name of an account, but it usually results in Users being shut out of their Mac, with no way to log in at all.
Instead, create a new User Account with the name you like, and copy any files you need form the old user account.
I think it was helpful. Should I take it to the Geniuses at the Apple store and have them change it? I'm not too computer savvy concerning Apple products. And when I was computer savvy it was in 2002. So, things have changed. LOL!
I just don't want to see his name on anything. I kept the house and just got it refinanced into my name only. My medical licenses are finally changed. Last things were this computer and now my Passport needs my maiden name.
I was avoiding buying a new Mac because this one is fine for what I use it for like documents and paying bills online. I erased all of his documents on here and his pictures...I bought a jump drive to download all of my documents and pictures so it's basically erased of everything....except his name on the upper right corner.
To change the computer-name, just click on the edit button in that panel, and enter the name you want.
When you are done you will be a little more computer savvy, and a little more self-reliant than before.
The worst that happens is that it stays the same and you can try again.
So is that the administrator that will be changed? That's what he named it. I have done the user thing but everything is under his name as administrator. I need my name to be the administrator. I didn't realize that was the term.
MacOS is inherently a mult-user system, and can have any number of regular users Accounts and any number of Admin User Accounts. Every Admin user is equivalent in power to every other Admin user. There is no "Owner" account.
There is a procedure for changing the name of an Admin Account, but it usually results in Users being shut out of their Mac, with no way to log in at all.
Instead, create a new User Admin Account with a name you like, and copy any files you need from the old Admin User Account. if after a week or so you are not having troubles and are not missing anything, you can delete the old Admin user with the hateful name.
System preferences > User&Groups
.
I was able to go to the system preferences etc...and got that far and that one button to select was dark and I couldn't click on it. He never had a password so getting that far was easy.
I made an admin user in my name but it doesn't have the MS software that's loaded under his Admin name. Everything else has been deleted and put on a jump drive. That's for all of my documents and pictures.
I feel that I'm an an impasse, and probably need to go to the Apple store. They may very well tell me the exact same thing so at that time I'll just need to decide on whether I just get a new one or put a piece of electrical tape over his name! LOL! That's a VERY easy and cheap solution to keep as far away from that name as possible. I hope he's not your nurse at THR in Allen Texas! He's an abusive cheater that takes narcotics home from work...yep, patient's pain meds.
<<I made an admin user in my name but it doesn't have the MS software that's loaded under his Admin name.>>
Then he installed it wrong.
Applications should be installed in the main folder here:
/Applications
they MAY be installed (wrong) is:
~/Applications. (where tilde[~] is an active abbreviation for "current user")
if you have the authorization codes, you may be able to re-download and re-install those Applications in the correct default location, making them available for all Users (even if there is only one User) and providing better protection and slightly faster operation.
He never had a password so getting that far was easy.
This strikes me as strange - it's impossible to set up any kind of user account without a password. Even if you use TouchID (and the OP's Mac is obviously too ancient for that) you're still required to set a password.
Name change
