Don't bother trying to follow the steps in the Apple document!
Sure - go ahead and read it, but don't try it. You will surely make a mistake!
Go this this website - look specifically for "Changing shortnames".
Download the little program - and run it from the disk image [you shouldn't copy it to your hard drive!].
It's very easy - and quick!
I just realized that this program is most likely not "MacIntel" compatible
;- (
If you use the Apple document [with it's +/- 40 steps - be VERY careful. There are too many ways to mess up - and you will have to re-install your operating system, and everything else!
Open the NetInfo Manager in the /Applications/Utilities/ folder, click the padlock, and enter your administrator password. From here, do the following steps in order:
1. Add the desired short name to the membership of the admin group without removing the current short name.
2. In the list of users, locate your account.
3. Change the name and home properties of your account so that the instances of the old short name in these properties are replaced by the new one.
4. Close the NetInfo Manager.
5. In the Finder, open the Users folder in the hard disk and change the name of the icon with the home folder to the desired short name.
6. Log out and back in.
If this procedure has been successfully completed, your old data will be under the new short name. You can now remove the old short name from the admin group membership. Do not remove root from the membership of that group or alter or delete anything else in the NetInfo Manager.
If you make mistakes while performing the procedure, it is possible to fix them without reinstalling Mac OS X; in this event, post back saying exactly what you did for further advice.
will this procedure work if i want to reset my shortname for my Admin account? I looked up help, and it said that it is computer generated though it did not mention what to do to change it. Will i have to reinstall my OS? What happens of my data then?
