How can I change my computer's name?

Question

Level 1

8 points

How can I change my computer's name?

When my employer bought a new computer, it somehow got "named" the name of the person who preceded me (Tina). No big deal. I was able to create an Admin level account under my own name.

But somehow the computer is STILL named "Tina" That's the name on the User folder with the picture of the little house.

When I, logged in under my one name, created a disk image to hold encrypted files, it made Tina the owner, so I had no permission to write to the disk.

Even logged in as Tina, I STILL am not allowed to change the name of that folder.

HELP! Where and HOW do I change the ultimate owner name?

iMac, Mac OS X (10.5.8)

Posted on Mar 9, 2011 3:17 PM

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Answer 1

Klaus1

Level 9

52,749 points

Mar 9, 2011 3:19 PM in response to SCLerer

How to change the name of your Mac:

http://superpixel.ch/articles/running-setup-assistant-again/

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Answer 2

SCLerer Author

Level 1

8 points

Mar 9, 2011 4:01 PM in response to Klaus1

Sorry but that link give me a 404 error.

I did try instructions I found elsewhere under Apple Support, Enabling the root user, logging in as root user, etc. but that not ONLY did not solve the problem (the root user always came up as Tina), but it also got rid of all my individualized setting. To get them back, I had to log in as root and recover "tina" from first thing this morning.

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Answer 3

Klaus1

Level 9

52,749 points

Mar 10, 2011 12:43 AM in response to SCLerer

Sorry about the outdated link!

Try these:

How to change user short name or home directory name

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1428?viewlocale=en_US

Also, this might be useful:

http://www.macworld.com/article/132693/2008/03/changeshortusername.html

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Answer 4

Mar 10, 2011 1:04 PM in response to Klaus1

How about changing the computer's name instead if the user name?

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Answer 5

K Shaffer

Level 7

34,978 points

Mar 10, 2011 1:17 PM in response to Klaus1

• Apple - Support - Discussions: "Making the Setup Assistant Run... again"
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=607547

This does tell of how to use the *single-user mode* of start-up and what to
enter into there, to get the Setup Assistant run again. Not sure if this has
been superseded by other or better instructions; and I've not tried it.

Good luck & happy computing! 🙂

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Answer 6

K Shaffer

Level 7

34,978 points

Mar 10, 2011 1:37 PM in response to SundownerBrad

re: SundownerBrad:

• Mac OS X 10.5 Help: Finding your computer’s name and address
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=Mac/10.5/en/8324.html

The article tells how to change the computer's name, as it would
appear if sharing or on a network. It would not change the owner's
or first Admin user account name.

PS: More complex instructions, for Leopard 10.5+ +note that link posted earlier:+
http://www.macworld.com/article/132693/2008/03/changeshortusername.html

Good luck & happy computing! 🙂

+{ edited to add second link }+

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Answer 7

SCLerer Author

Level 1

8 points

Mar 14, 2011 4:46 PM in response to SCLerer

I haven't upgraded to Snow Leopard.

I think part of the problem is that the account that holds all my personalized settings, bookmarks, desktop, etc. seems to be UNDER user "Tina." When I renamed the root from Tina, I lost all my personalized settings.

I got them back by recovering the entire user from Time Machine (thank you, Steve Jobs, for Time Machine). So now I'm just living with "Tina."

I think using the Setup Assistant again would result in a similar loss of individualized settings.

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Answer 8

SCLerer Author

Level 1

8 points

Mar 14, 2011 4:48 PM in response to Klaus1

Those are the instructions that lost me all my personal settings.

Somehow (maybe through the Setup Assistant?) "Tina" got irreversibly attached to the root, so Tina I guess it is.

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Answer 9

Nov 1, 2011 2:53 PM in response to SCLerer

You can change the name of your computer in the "sharing" pane of system preferences...

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Answer 10

jchryss

Level 1

11 points

Dec 12, 2011 3:40 AM in response to SCLerer

To change the message on the lock screen of the computer in Lion go to System Preferences, Security & Privacy Setting – you can define what message will be shown on your lock screen.

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