previous owner shows in home folder and computer name

NB: This is regarding a different computer than mine listed below. This one is an iMac, 2011 edition, running 10.6.8

This computer, previously owned, was supposed to be wiped with 10.6.8 reinstalled clean, but the previous owner did a poor job. The new account name shows correctly and the password works (at log in, for example) , but the home folder (in lower case, no spaces) has the previous owner's name. Also, the computer is incorrrectly called by the previous owner's name (ie., Sara Smith's computer).

I read the article elsewhere (http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1528) regarding enabling and using the root user. I enabled the root user as indicated.

Listed below are the steps I found in another post. The instructions are a little unclear to me.

Let's say the new ower is Beth Black (old owner is Sara Smith, home folder: sarasmith)

Currently, Beth signs in to the only account in the accounts pane, which is Beth Black, with password 123123

1. I log in as root, am I correct to change the home folder from sarasmith to bethblack ? (if the account FULL NAME is Beth Black, that is different from bethblack, is it not?) I would have thought that would do it, but the instructions continue:

2. If I then go to Accounts pane and follow the next step (in bold, below) am I creating a new account called Beth Black (since there already is one), or am I creating an entirely new account with the home folder short name? If so, why. It just seems wrong. This is confusing and I don't want to make a mistake. We are backed up, of course, but still...

3. The next step will probably be more self evident if I properly understood the predeeding (bold) step.

Can someone explain it to me?

Also, why can't I just create a new admin account with it's own home folder, log in with it, and delete the previous account with the incorrect home folder?

Thanks,

Joe

Changing user account /home directory

▪ Enable the root user.

▪ Log in as root.

▪ Navigate to the /Users folder.

▪ Select the Home folder with the short name you want to change, and

rename it just like you would rename any folder. Keep in mind that

the account name must be all lowercase, with no spaces, contain

only letters or contain a mix of letters and numbers, and it cannot

be the same as an existing user's Full Name.

▪ Use the Users & Groups pane (Accounts pane in Mac OS X v10.6.8 or

earlier) in System Preferences to create a new user with the Account

name or Short Name that you used in the previous step.

▪ Click OK when "A folder in the Users folder already has the name

'account name'. Would you like to use that folder as the Home

folder for this user account?" appears. Note: This will correct the

ownership of all files in the Home folder, and avoid permissions

issues with the contents.

▪ Choose Log Out from the Apple menu.

▪ Log in as the newly created user. You should be able to access all of

your original files (on the desktop, in Documents, and in the other

folders of this Home).

▪ After verifying that your data is as expected, you can delete the original

user account via the Users & Groups pane (Accounts pane in Mac

OS X v10.6.8 or earlier).

▪ Disable the root user.