On Thu, 24 Mar 2005 20:00:19 GMT, Bob Sanderson
I recently changed a user's username on our server, but his user folder on
his PC still has his old name on it and Windows won't allow me to change
it. In other words, I want to change Documents and Settings/oldusername to
Documents and Settings/newusername. Can this be done. It's not a big
deal, but I'm just anal enough to have it bother me
It can become a big deal if you try - this is one of the really ugly
parts of the whole user accounts thing.
There are supposed to be two levels of account identity:
1) SID (Security Identity Descriptor)
This is supposed to be hidden, unique, and permanent. When your
account is created, it gets a unique SID that never changes, no matter
whether you rename the account - so that security can't be undermined
by changing the account name e.g. as a way of disassociating the
account from previous activities logged as done by that account.
2) Account name
This is the bit you are supposed to see, and be able to change to
taste. All human access to the account is supposed to be done via the
name. But wait, there's more...
1.5) Original account name
The actual directory name poses a problem - it's permanent, and it's
visible, so it can't be named after the SID or account name. So in
effect, this third level of account identity is added.
This is not supposed to be visible at all, though inevitably it is,
when you browse "Documents and Settings". In fact, things get really
confusing, as you see a mix of actual directory names based on (1.5)
as well as "editorialized" namespace names based on (2), such as
"Fredrick's Documents". Very, very messy.
It gets worse, because not only are these original dir names visible
to the naked eye, but it seems as if some apps see them via API calls
as well. For example, a 3rd-party replacement for WinPopUp still sees
(1.5) as a name to send messages to, and that makes it a nightmare to
switch PCs around between users.
If you do try to rename those account base directories (from outside
the OS, e.g. DOS mode, Linux, Bart's PE, hosting the HD in another XP
system) then things get VERY ugly. New account subtrees with even
uglier names are spawned when XP starts up again, data from the
accounts vanishes and can't easily be re-integrated - truly awful.
I just gave up on the whole user account mess - I name the account
something meaningless and generic, so it's equally inappricable to any
user, and I don't create multiple user accounts.
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Gone to bloggery:
http://cquirke.blogspot.com