User profile for user: Maria Taylor
Maria Taylor Author
User level: Level 1
0 points

Changing ownership (main admin) to another admin user, permanently

Hi - I'm really sorry this question is so long!

On purchase of a new PowerMac, I transferred all the files and the one (jointly used) account over from the old G4 to the new machine. A few months ago, I set up an account for myself and manually copied my files and various mail messages and my iTunes folders etc into the drop box and brought them into my new a/c (having changed all the ownership names in the get info boxes. Yes, I'm sure there must have been a much quicker way, I just didn't know what it was!

Anyway, what I really need to know is how to set up my new admin a/c as the main owner of the computer. My husband now has a laptop and no longer uses this machine. I would still like to leave his account on this mac just in case I haven't transferred everything across.

How do I go about changing the core owership of this mac to correspond with my user name so that I am chief admin? I cannot find any information about how to do this. I've set up a root password in case I need one but, other than that, I'm completely stumped.

Any help would be very much appreciated..

Thanks in advance.

PowerMac G5 Mac OS X (10.4.1)

PowerMac G5 Dual 2.5 GHz Mac OS X (10.4.3) A permanent change of the machine's owner

PowerMac G5, Mac OS X (10.4.3), Dual 2.5 GHz

Posted on Dec 17, 2005 6:13 AM

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13 replies
User profile for user: iPhoton
iPhoton
User level: Level 4
2,008 points

Dec 17, 2005 7:12 PM in response to Maria Taylor

Maria:

Create a new account, give it the ability to administer your computer, then log out of your old account and into the new account. From there you can do whatever you want, including deleting the old account!

I redeploy my old computers to my children and other family members and use this procedure to make the computers 'theirs' and no longer 'mine'. Just be sure you have safely transferred, backed-up or duplicated anything you want saved. Once you delete the old account, nothing remains.

I'll even suggest an alternative method. Reinstall the operating system with the "Archive and Clean Install" option, but WITHOUT the "Save Users and Preference" setting. You'll have to go through the OS X setup procedure and re-enter all your personal information. The advantage is that the old user files are saved in a "Previous Systems" folder in case you have to retrieve anything.
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User profile for user: Maria Taylor
Maria Taylor Author
User level: Level 1
0 points

Dec 18, 2005 10:48 AM in response to iPhoton

Thanks very much for your help. I've spent the afternoon checking that most things I need have been copied over to my account. When I originally set up my account I gave myself administrator privileges anyway. I'll bin my husband's old account when I have made sure I have everything I need from it although I have a backup on a Lacie hard drive so it shouldn't really be a problem.

A final question though. Once his a/c is deleted and I am the only administrator left on the Mac, will everything recgognise me as being the "owner" in all the get info panes or will I have to bite the bullett and do the "Archive and Clean Install" that you suggest for that to happen?

Once again, thank you very much for your help with this issue

Maria
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User profile for user: Maria Taylor
Maria Taylor Author
User level: Level 1
0 points

Dec 18, 2005 10:56 AM in response to Niel

If you are trying to change the computer's name, open
the Sharing pane of System Preferences and change the
name there. If you want to set an account to be
automatically logged in, you can do this from the
Accounts pane of System Preferences.

(9732)



Thanks for your response but my computer already has my name in the Accounts Pane of the System Prefs - it still doesn't make me the 'owner' as it would if I had set up the computer from scratch rather than transferring everything over from the old mac (where we used only one a/c in my husband's name) to the new.

Thanks for your message though. .

Regards.

Maria
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User profile for user: Tom Nelson1
Tom Nelson1
User level: Level 4
2,711 points

Dec 18, 2005 2:06 PM in response to Maria Taylor

I'm not sure if just creating anew admin account and deleting the old will give you "owner" access to all of the files created by the old user. As an Admin, you will have group access to the files, but that doesn't mean you will have full ownership.

If you must, you can use the Terminal command chmod to change the ownership of a file. For a bit easier way to achieve the same thing, you can use a utility called BatChmod. It will allow you to change the ownership, group, and other, privileges as well as who is the owner. It can also propagate the privileges to files and folder nested in the current folder.

You can find BatChmod at:
http://www.macchampion.com/arbysoft/

Tom N.
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User profile for user: iPhoton
iPhoton
User level: Level 4
2,008 points

Dec 19, 2005 11:48 AM in response to Maria Taylor

Maria:

I agree with Tom Nelson's concern that you may not have full ownership privileges without doing a clean install of the operating system. You may, but I won't claim that you will.

Doing an "Archive and Clean Install" is quite simple and if you have fast broadband you can be up to date quickly. Don't attempt this if you have dial-up! I have done it several times since purchasing my current system to clear up minor problems with privileges and passwords. As always, backup first!
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User profile for user: Maria Taylor
Maria Taylor Author
User level: Level 1
0 points

Dec 20, 2005 2:07 PM in response to Maria Taylor

I was up in Oxford Street today so I went to the Apple Store Genius Bar to see what they said about this issue and I was told my only option was to change ownership by using a unix command line and not the archive and install option.

I was told to either bring the Powermac in to the store for one of the geniuses to do it for me (Oxford St, no parking, a very weighty hard drive - not really an option) or to read this page thoroughly: http://www.osxfaq.com/Tutorials/LearningCenter/UnixTutorials/ManagingPermissions /page2.ws#cow
and not make any mistakes when/if I attempt to change ownership myself.

Now I'm really confused! I think wanting to be the main owner is more hassle than it's worth but, if I get myself another Mac in a few years time, I will still have the problem of not being the owner if I use the migration assistant to transfer all my data across.

Should I just forget it, try the unix option or archive and install?

Thanks in advance for any more advice.

Confused of London

PowerMac G5 Mac OS X (10.4.3)
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User profile for user: Tom Nelson1
Tom Nelson1
User level: Level 4
2,711 points

Dec 20, 2005 3:11 PM in response to Maria Taylor

As I mentioned earlier, you can use BatChmod an easy to use utility to do the same thing as the Unix command chmod using the Terminal. BatChmod does the same thing, but gives you an easy to use graphical user interface.

It's actually a pretty handy tool to have around, it can fix a few other common difficulties, like trash that won't delete because you don't have sufficient rights.

Tom N.
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Changing ownership (main admin) to another admin user, permanently

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