How to change the default user directory name?

[Guest]

Received new PC as gift from "Bill", but at time of purchase, the store
registered computer under his name instead of mine - "Barbara". I've found
directions on how to change the registered owner name using regedit, but that
doesn't change the default directory name:

i.e., C:\Documents & Settings\Lane\....MyMusic etc., seems to be the
Default directory/path???..... and I want it changed to "Barbara". I know I
can create a new user - "Barbara", but all the "Lane" stuff is still there.

Contacted the store where PC was puchased (they installed XP), but they want
us to bring the box back so they can see if they can fix it. The tech there
couldn't find XP-specific instructions on how to change the registry to do
this. I've found instructions that come pretty close (for same purpose), but
apparently aren't XP specific.....

Anyway... yes.... we can take it back in if it comes to that, but what a
PITA!! Just hoping there's someone out there that can tell me exactly how to
edit register to accomplish this.

Thanks in advance!!

Barbara
(Just a mom with a PC in her Family Room, but can navigate in the Registry
just fine - with instructions) ;-)

 

[Guest]

Replying to my own post to clarify the names thing. I named my PC "Bill"
(that name has nothing to do with my question). Computer was registered
under the name "Lane"..... "Lane" is in all the Directory path names, etc.
As if my question wasn't confusing enough to begin with!! Sorry for that.
Hope someone can help me sort this. Thanks!! )

 

[McSpreader]

"=?Utf-8?B?QmFyYmFyYQ==?="
<[email protected]>
wrote in @microsoft.com:

Replying to my own post to clarify the names thing. I named my
PC "Bill" (that name has nothing to do with my question).
Computer was registered under the name "Lane"..... "Lane" is in
all the Directory path names, etc. As if my question wasn't
confusing enough to begin with!! Sorry for that. Hope someone
can help me sort this. Thanks!! )

No need to tinker with the registry, try this:

Create a new account named Barbara; that will create a
directory tree specific to the new account and named C:
\Documents and Settings\Barbara.

Logout and login again as Barbara.

Delete the Lane account. You will be asked whether you want
to save or delete the data files for account Lane (C:
\Documents and Settings\Lane\*.*).

 

[Nepatsfan]

Received new PC as gift from "Bill", but at time of
purchase, the store registered computer under his name
instead of mine - "Barbara". I've found directions on how
to change the registered owner name using regedit, but that
doesn't change the default directory name:

i.e., C:\Documents & Settings\Lane\....MyMusic etc., seems
to be the Default directory/path???..... and I want it
changed to "Barbara". I know I can create a new user -
"Barbara", but all the "Lane" stuff is still there.

Contacted the store where PC was puchased (they installed
XP), but they want us to bring the box back so they can see
if they can fix it. The tech there couldn't find
XP-specific instructions on how to change the registry to do
this. I've found instructions that come pretty close (for
same purpose), but apparently aren't XP specific.....

Anyway... yes.... we can take it back in if it comes to
that, but what a PITA!! Just hoping there's someone out
there that can tell me exactly how to edit register to
accomplish this.

Thanks in advance!!

Barbara
(Just a mom with a PC in her Family Room, but can navigate
in the Registry just fine - with instructions) ;-)

You're on the right track. You can create a new user Barbara.
You then need to log on to that account to create the folder
structure within C:\Documents and Settings. You then log off
and log back on with a different account that is a Computer
Administrator. The built-in Administrator account will work
fine for this purpose. You can also create another account that
is a computer administrator and delete it once you're done with
this procedure. Once logged on you copy the Lane account into
the Barbara account. Here are a couple of articles that you
might want to take a look at:

How do I copy a user profile in Windows XP?
http://www.petri.co.il/copy_user_profiles_in_windows_xp.htm

How to copy data from a corrupted user profile to a new profile
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/811151

Good luck

Nepatsfan

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Received new PC as gift from "Bill", but at time of purchase, the store
registered computer under his name instead of mine - "Barbara". I've found
directions on how to change the registered owner name using regedit, but that
doesn't change the default directory name:

i.e., C:\Documents & Settings\Lane\....MyMusic etc., seems to be the
Default directory/path???..... and I want it changed to "Barbara". I know I
can create a new user - "Barbara", but all the "Lane" stuff is still there.

Contacted the store where PC was puchased (they installed XP), but they want
us to bring the box back so they can see if they can fix it. The tech there
couldn't find XP-specific instructions on how to change the registry to do
this. I've found instructions that come pretty close (for same purpose), but
apparently aren't XP specific.....

Anyway... yes.... we can take it back in if it comes to that, but what a
PITA!! Just hoping there's someone out there that can tell me exactly how to
edit register to accomplish this.

The user profile folders (C:\Documents and Settings\Username)
_cannot_ be renamed, even if the associated user account has been.
So, your best course of action would be to log on using the built-in
Administrator account, create a new user account, with the username
desired. You can then delete the old user account(s).

HOW TO Create and Configure User Accounts in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;279783

How to Copy User Data to a New User Profile
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;811151


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH

 

[Guest]

The user profile folders (C:\Documents and Settings\Username)
_cannot_ be renamed, even if the associated user account has been.
So, your best course of action would be to log on using the built-in
Administrator account, create a new user account, with the username
desired. You can then delete the old user account(s).

HOW TO Create and Configure User Accounts in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;279783

How to Copy User Data to a New User Profile
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;811151


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH

Thank you McSpreader, Nepatsfan & Bruce for your replies. I had already
created a "Barbara" account (with administrator priviledges), but no matter
what I've tried, the "Lane" account is still there..... under C:\Documents &
Settings\Lane

The error says:

"Lane is a Windows system folder and is required for Windows to run
properly. It cannot be renamed, moved or deleted."

Please note, at the Logon Screen, the only accounts that were showing / that
I could logon with were "Barbara" and "Guest". With "Barbara", I created an
account named "Fixit" per instructions here - but still cannot do anything
with "Lane".

Please also note that these are the accounts listed via Windows Explorer:

C:\Documents & Settings
All Users
Barbara
Default User
Fixit
Guest
Lane
LocalService
NetworkService

There *is* a "WINDOWS" file within "Lane", with nothing in it that I can see
even after going into folder options to show hidden and protected files.

There is also a "WINDOWS" file directly under C:\ (in the tree)... and I can
see all the files in that folder.

As such, I was thinking the only 'fix' is within the registry??

Barbara

 

[Guest]

The user profile folders (C:\Documents and Settings\Username)
_cannot_ be renamed, even if the associated user account has been.

I'm afraid I've been using the wrong "words" in my questions (saying
'account' when I mean 'folder').... it's the profile FOLDER named "Lane" that
I want to rename to my name. And you've just answered my question,
Bruce....... 'it _cannot_ be renamed'.

I was hoping that since I was able to change the Registration name using
regedit, that I could do something similar to change the folder name, which
would/should change the name in default path... bla, bla, bla.

NOPE!

I can only create a new user account in my name, while Lane's name remains
on the folder... and then everywhere else........ all the time... like
registering new software, his name pops up automatically, etc. Just driving
me nutz! It's supposed to by MY computer and I want MY name on it, dammit!

<tossing self onto floor, flailing about>

MINE
MINE
MINE!!

LOL :-D

So...... thank you all again for the replies..... taking the box back
tomorrow to have operating system re-installed.

Barbara