Can changed username in User Accounts be set as environment variab

  • Thread starter Thread starter Guest
  • Start date Start date
G

Guest

In Control Panel -> User Accounts, XP gives users the option to change their
username. After changing names, the user can then use this name for logon,
as well as use their original name as specified in the Documents and Settings
folder (both usernames direct to the same user account settings).

Now for the details of my question. There is an environment variable
%username% that is set on the original name of the user (the one in Docs and
Settings). Is there a variable that is set to the new name of the user
(changed in User Accounts) that I can access? If not, how and where can I
find this username specifically and set it as a variable? Note that the value
of this variable is different for each user, just as the variable %username%
is.

Any Suggestions?
 
theGeek,

See "ProfileImagePath" part in this article section "To move only
user-specific data".

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314843/

Read the "WARNING" statement as well, and take a full system backup using
ERUNT.

From "Registry Hives" MSDN article:

"The supporting file for the user profile hive for a particular user is
located in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\
CurrentVersion\ProfileList\SID\ProfileImagePath, and is named Ntuser.dat.
The value of ProfileImagePath is a binary representation of the directory
name of the user's profile, which includes the user's name. Use the Registry
Editor to display this binary value as a string."

Alternately, you may create a new user account, and then use the "Copy To"
option to create a duplicate account in your prefered name.
 
Thanks for the suggestion. I believe I found an alternate solution to my
question.

I do not mind having my original username in Docs and Settings, I just want
a variable that refered to my new username that I set in User Accounts. I
found out why my new username was not showing up when I accessed Run ->
control userpasswords2. I checked out the properties associated with my
username, looked in the General Tab and found out that the Username box
contained my original username (Docs and Settings) and the Full Name box
contained my new username (set in User Accounts). So, I flipped the names
and put them where I wanted them to be. After checking that I was still in
the proper users group as a safety, I rebooted. Found out that that what is
listed in the Full Name box appears in the Start Menu and Windows Logon
Screen. As for what is in the Username box, the environment variable
%username% shows my new name as I wanted it to.

Again, thanks for your comment.
 
Back
Top