Changing the user's 'name'

[John]

Hello,

I recently purchased a used laptop with Vista Home edition on it. The
computer works fine, but I recently noticed something that I would like to
change on the system. When I am viewing such folders as the Pictures folder,
or Videos, I notice in the location/address bar at the top, as for the
'pictures' folder, "C:\Users\XXXX\Pictures" what I am referring to is the
name in the space '\XXXX\'. I want to change the name appearing between the
two \s, between 'users' and 'pictures'. I don't however wish to change my
'account name'. I know how to do that, and have changed that already. I also
do not want to change my 'computer name' or 'workgroup name'. The account,
computer and workgroup names, are all consecutively different from what is
named in the space between 'Users' and 'Pictures' in the location above. How
do I change the name as referenced there.

If changing the data in that field is the same as changing my account name,
with "User Accounts", I have tried that already and changing that does not
affect the name appearing in the space in the location bar.

Thank you

 

[Charlie42]

When I am viewing such folders as the Pictures folder, or Videos,
I notice in the location/address bar at the top, as for the 'pictures'
folder, "C:\Users\XXXX\Pictures" what I am referring to is the
name in the space '\XXXX\'. I want to change the name appearing
between the two \s, between 'users' and 'pictures'. I don't however
wish to change my 'account name'.

If changing the data in that field is the same as changing my account
name, with "User Accounts", I have tried that already and changing
that does not affect the name appearing in the space in the location
bar.

You are right, changing a username in Vista does not change the name of the
actual folder that user profile is stored in. There is no easy way to work
around this, you will have to create a new account with the desired name,
and then migrate your files, folders and settings to this account before you
delete the old one.

Charlie42

 

[Rick Rogers]

Hi John,

While you can choose a new name for your account, you cannot change the name
of the user folder that was created when the account was first built. To
accomplish what you are asking requires that you create a new account with
the preferred name, then copy all of the existing account's data into it.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com