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How can I migrate my data from one user to another (to eliminate a previous owner's shortname?)

I purchased a Macbook Pro second hand a couple of years ago and whilst I immediately changed my user name, didn't realise that the previous owner's short name still exists (I was a bit of a Mac virgin at the time!). I now have tonnes of documents, applications, settings, bookmarks, etc. which are assigned against the previous owner.


I've now bought myself an iMac and before I migrate from the older machine to the new iMac, I wish to remove all trace of the previous macbook pro owner.


In researching how to change the shortname user, I've tried virtually everything and everytime have to resort to time machine to restore my settings, desktop, etc. I simply cannot get this to work. Even what seems quite a comprehensive article and procedure didn't work i.e. "full monty" section of the following: http://www.macworld.com/article/1132693/changeshortusername.html


Having failed miserably using different techniques and subsequently having to restore three times from time machine which is costing me hours upon hours, I'm absolutely frustrated at how to do this ... all I want to do is migrate everything to a new user account and delete the old user and previous owner.


Surely someone out there can provide a fool proof, simple and effective method to migrate the user data and keep intact?


Please help if you can!

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on May 27, 2013 3:26 PM

Reply
4 replies

May 27, 2013 8:38 PM in response to STEP18

It's a bit odd, but you can do it.


When the new Mac first starts up, do not transfer anything just yet. Instead, set up a (temporary) user account with the identical names as the account you want to get rid of, and complete the setup process (you can skip registration).


When your Mac starts up again, log on to that account and start the Migration Assistant app in your Applications/Utilities folder, follow the onscreen instructions and/or see Using Migration Assistant on Mountain Lion or Lion for the gory details.


Select what you want to transfer (probably everything); then you'll get a special prompt about a duplicate account (per the pink Migrating User Accounts box in the link). Take the option to rename the account you're transferring.


When the transfer is complete, log on to the transferred account and make sure everything transferred properly. Then delete the temporary account.



The only possible downside to this is, the transferred account may lose permission to the files on previous backups. The cause is a bit different, but see the pink box in Problems after using Migration Assistant for an explanation. A workaround will be to create another user account with the same UID number as the one on the backups. You can't specify those directly; they're assigned automatically.


Message was edited by: Pondini

May 27, 2013 8:59 PM in response to Pondini

Pondini wrote:

. . .

The only possible downside to this is, the transferred account may lose permission to the files on previous backups.

Actually, there is a way to prevent that, also a bit odd. On the old Mac, go to System Preferences > Accounts and unlock the padlock. Control-click (right-click) the account you want to delete in the sidebar and select Advanced Options. That will bring up a window like this:


User uploaded file


DO NOT CHANGE ANYTHING ON THAT WINDOW. Just note the UID number.


When you start up the new Mac, the first account created (during initial setup) is automatically assigned #501. The next is 502, etc. What you want to do is, after creating the first account, Restart and set up one or more temporary accounts in a way that will include that number; then set up an additional one (an Admin account with the identical names as the one you want to trash). Then log on to the additional one, delete the temporary ones and Restart your Mac (to finish clearing the numbers).


Log on and run Migration Assistant as above. That way, you'll get the prompt to rename it as above, but the UID it has will not be a duplicate, so Migration Assistant can transfer it "as is."


Message was edited by: Pondini

May 28, 2013 12:19 PM in response to STEP18

Great! 🙂


One other thing to note: The renamed home folder will be treated as a new one by Time Machine, so the first backup will back it up entirely, taking quite a while and space on your backup disk.


Then, if you're in the TM browser, looking at backups of the current home folder, you won't be able to display the backups of the old one directly. Instead, click your HD in the sidebar, open the top-level Users folder, then the old home folder.


Since it has (or should have) the same UID, you should not have any permissions problems viewing it.


If you want to restore something from it, do not use the normal Restore button, as that will try to put it in the original location. Instead, select what you want, right-click, and choose the Restore <item(s)> to.. option to specify a destination.

How can I migrate my data from one user to another (to eliminate a previous owner's shortname?)

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