Changing the user name in "Documents and Settings\[user]"

[Guest]

Hello,

The guy that set up my XP computer (a surprise from my wife, bless her
heart) spelled my name wrong on the user account name. I changed it there,
but it creates a misspelled path name. That's easily changed, as well, but I
wondered if there are any unseen repercussions from doing so? Will any
programs not work because they are looking for "Jim Spieser\My Documents"
instead of "Jim Speiser\My Documents"? Will I have to make changes all over
the place? Am I better off just leaving it?

Thanks,
Jim Speiser (not Spieser)

 

[Shenan Stanley]

The guy that set up my XP computer (a surprise from my wife, bless her
heart) spelled my name wrong on the user account name. I changed it
there, but it creates a misspelled path name. That's easily changed,
as well, but I wondered if there are any unseen repercussions from
doing so? Will any programs not work because they are looking for
"Jim Spieser\My Documents" instead of "Jim Speiser\My Documents"?
Will I have to make changes all over the place? Am I better off just
leaving it?

Leave it.

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

Jim;
An easy way to do it is to create a new profile and copy the data from old
to new profile.
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=811151
After you are sure all is OK, you can safely delete the old account in User
Accounts.

 

[Guest]

If you have a tool such as Norton's Utilities, it can be used to scan the
registry and correct any invalid references, including 'changed' user names.
One would choose simply to make the changes manually to ensure the correct
path is chosen, not the 'best' alternative determined by Norton's logic
[which may just be right anyway].

Without this, you can change the Microsoft Office [or individual components
if you haven't got the 'suite'] default save locations for the affected user
name.

Each of Excel, Word, Access, Outlook etc provide the option to change the
default save locations and you can look in the help files for each to see how
this is accomplished.

Other applicatons may have established ther own 'save' folders which may not
be in the 'My Documents' folders.

An alternative is to make a 'new' user with your correct name: and as
described before simply move all of your work from the wrong folder to the
right one. Leave the old one there just in case you don't change one of the
default saves and you can always move that file later.

Once you have made absolutely certain all your work is where you want it,
then you can go ahead and delete the incorrect user. No need to rush along
with these things.

 

[Guest]

Thank you for your responses. I've decided I can live with it.

A related question: What is the impact of renaming a computer, especially
if its on a Windows network? I know I've done it before, and don't think I
had any troubles, but maybe I did and didn't realize it was from renaming the
computer...

If you have a tool such as Norton's Utilities, it can be used to scan the
registry and correct any invalid references, including 'changed' user names.
One would choose simply to make the changes manually to ensure the correct
path is chosen, not the 'best' alternative determined by Norton's logic
[which may just be right anyway].

Without this, you can change the Microsoft Office [or individual components
if you haven't got the 'suite'] default save locations for the affected user
name.

Each of Excel, Word, Access, Outlook etc provide the option to change the
default save locations and you can look in the help files for each to see how
this is accomplished.

Other applicatons may have established ther own 'save' folders which may not
be in the 'My Documents' folders.

An alternative is to make a 'new' user with your correct name: and as
described before simply move all of your work from the wrong folder to the
right one. Leave the old one there just in case you don't change one of the
default saves and you can always move that file later.

Once you have made absolutely certain all your work is where you want it,
then you can go ahead and delete the incorrect user. No need to rush along
with these things.

Jim;
An easy way to do it is to create a new profile and copy the data from old
to new profile.
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=811151
After you are sure all is OK, you can safely delete the old account in User
Accounts.

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

There shouldn't be any as long as you use a unique name.