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How to change name on Home folder?

I have an Apple iBook PPC G4 1.33 GHz running Leopard OS X version 10.5.8 and with 1 GB Memory. I just purchased this machine, which is in excellent condition, but I have a problem. It is not earthshattering and doesn't threaten the life of the machine in any way, but it is my machine and I would like the Home directory to reflect that.


The name in the System Preferences for Administrator is "gdavies", which is myself, but the Home Folder in the Finder sidebar is named "macuser". I went in as root user and came close to complete disaster, but got out in time. Having me named as administrator in Accounts but not on the Home directory is unusual. If both were called "macuser" I believe I could fix it, but this requires a greater level of expertise than I have.


Any ideas how to make home folder read "gdavies"? I just bought this iBook and it came with the Home folder named as "macuser". I changed the computer's name in "Sharing" in system prefs and I believe I may have changed the name in the Accounts. I know I should not have done it that way, but it doesn't help changing it back.


When I open the Users folder in the Mac HD there are there folders, one called "gdavies" with 10 items, most empty, such as desktop, downloads and so on, though dropbox is there.


The next folder is the house icon for the Home directory named "macuser" with 38 items and is the working folder. Then there is a folder called "shared", which contains no items.


How do I change the Home directory name in the Finder window sidebar to "gdavies'?

iBook, Mac OS X (10.5.8), 1.33 GHz, PPC G4, 1 GB Memory

Posted on Oct 9, 2011 11:19 AM

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37 replies

Oct 9, 2011 11:29 AM in response to gilli2000

Open Accounts preferences in System Preferences. Click on the lock icon and enter the admin password for the account you are logged into, "macuser." Click on Login Options. Verify that the account, "gdavies," has admin status. If it does not then check the appropriate box to give it admin status. Turn off auto-login if activated. Log out of the acoount and log into "gdavies." Open Accounts preferences, click on the lock icon, authenticate with the "gdavies" admin password. Select the "macuser" account and click on the Delete [-] button to remove it. Select the option to remove completely.

Oct 9, 2011 11:46 AM in response to Kappy

Folks,


I forgot to mention, when I go to log out it says "Log out gdavies".


Then I log out and I can log in as "gdavies" using the admin password *and* I can log in as "macuser" using the same password.


But in the Finder window in the side bar there is a "squatter" presumably exercising squatters rights occupying the Home directory.


I had the folder "gdavies" sitting next to it for a while, but I found it an unecessary irritant, so out it went.


Kappy, thanks for the help. But it seems that I am logged in to the account as "gdavies" as in the Accounts it says;

My Account

gdavies

Admin


This is the state of affairs as the Home directory reads "macuser".


I apologize for not mentioning this infor earlier.

Oct 9, 2011 11:58 AM in response to Kappy

Kappy, there is no sign of "macuser" in the Accounts pane in System Prefs, only in the side bar of the Finder window. Then again, "macuser" occupies the Home directory in the Users folder, i.e. HD/Users/Home Directory/


So to clarify, I am named as administrator in the Accounts pane where there is no sign of "macuser".


"macuser" is the unchangable name of the Home directory in the side bar of the Finder window and inside the Users folder on the MacIntosh HD.


So I can't delete the "macuser" account as it doesn't seem to have one.


Folks, I am so pleased to receive your help, no kidding, and so promptly too, but I must depart for an hour. Anyway, I shall return and see what developments there are.


Cheers everyone,


Gareth

Oct 9, 2011 2:02 PM in response to Kappy

Hi there Kappy, I am back! :- )


I did as you suggested, only I didn't need the command key to do it. Nothing happened. So I did what I always do when I want to remove something from the sidebar, I just dragged it out and then the traditional "Poof!"


So now I don't have the home folder in the sidebar and the "gdavies" folder is still the same, no "blessing" of that folder and to be honest, I didn't think there would be, because the Home directory is still in the Users folder on the HD.


I just dragged that back to the side bar and restored the status quo.


I am very much scared to just drag the Home directory (the one with the house icon) from the Users folder to oblivion in the Trash. I am certain it would need an administrator's authority to do that. If I did the computer would then be without a Home directory and I imagine that even an administrator's authority would be insufficient, so the computer would probably just say "Nada"!


Thanks Kappy anyway for the original thought.

Oct 9, 2011 3:21 PM in response to Kappy

Kappy, you are indeed working overtime to help me and I just want you to know how appreciative I am.


Now, I shall take your answer step by step.


1. Log into Accounts using the admin password for "macuser". That password and the "other" admin password for gadvies is one and the same. However, done.


2. Click on Login Options, done - verify gdavies has admin status - done - answer "yes, gadvies has admin status".


3. Turn off Auto login - done.


4. Logged out then logged into "gdavies".


5. Returned to Accounts pane authenticating with "gdavies" password - done. But remember that the admin password is one and the same for "macuser" and "gdavies". Now, I did *not* set it up like that. It just seemed to happen. do I :- ) or do I :- ( ???


6. Select "macuser" account and using Login options delete. Select the option to remove completely.


I am sorry Kappy, but this pesky "macuser" sits in the home directory without any account in Accounts. So there is no "macuser" account to delete.


I went through all the motions and I was sort of hoping that a "macuser" account would *appear* in the Accounts pane beneath the Guest account so that I could delete it, but no such luck. You know, sometimes things like that do happen.


Thanks a heap for the try, Kappy, I do appreciate you exercising on my behalf "those little grey cells" as Hercule Poirot would say - my favorite Private Eye (Agatha Christie).


Cheers, Gareth

Oct 9, 2011 3:40 PM in response to gilli2000

So clarify for me because I think I'm not seeing the picture clearly.


1. What account do you want to use? Is it "gdavie," "macuser," or something else?

2. Give me the full path to the "macuser" account you want to remove. It would appear that you see it as /Users/gdavies/macuser/. I thought it was simply /Users/macuser/.

3. List the user folders you see in the /Users/ folder.

4. List the account names displayed in Accounts preferences.

5. If you don't necessarily want the "gdavies" account, then you could create a new admin account with the name and password you prefer. Log into that account and delete all the others in Accounts preferences.

Oct 9, 2011 3:59 PM in response to Kappy

Gareth has said that he does want the gdavies account, Kappy.


It's hard to figure out exactly what's happened, but I think it must have to do with attempting to change the short user name improperly. Since the iBook is new to Gareth, maybe he should do an Erase and Install? (Assuming the system discs came with the purchase of the iBook, which many times they do not.)

How to change name on Home folder?

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