how to change true user name, not display name

[Eric]

Hi, i'm trying to change the true name of a user account
on my XP Pro system. Not just the name that displays on
the login screen (that's easy). I want to change the way
the user's Documents & Settings folder is named and
everything.

For example: when I first created the user her name was
Gail & Rich (herself and her husband). But they now have
separate accounts. So I now want her user name to be
only Gail. Obviously I can change the display name on
the login screen, no problem. But Gail's documents
folder is still named Rich & Gail. Not good.

Is there any way to do this other than deleting the user
and recreating her? I suppose I could edit the registry
to change every occurrence of the old name to the new
one, but besides being dangerous, that still wouldn't
change the actual name of her documents & settings folder
(which the system won't let me change the usual way).

Thanks in advance!
-Eric

 

[Guest]

Yes, there is. If you go to Control Panel> Users Accounts>Advanced>Advanced
User Management section and click on the Advanced button, double-click users
folder, highlight the local user name that you want to change, right-click
it, the click on Rename.

MIND YOU, this can have effects on the documents and settings. Couldn't
really say what, but you never know what can happen with dial-up or other
types of access-oriented accounts. The new user name may not match up with
account data that is set up. I have only done this once before, but haven't
had any problems yet.

 

[Guest]

Thank you for your reply! I believe you mean not Control
Panel, but Computer Management>Local Users &
Groups>Users> right click the user and Rename. Somehow I
had right-clicked but overlooked the Rename option that I
was looking for.

 

[Rock]

Thank you for your reply! I believe you mean not Control
Panel, but Computer Management>Local Users &
Groups>Users> right click the user and Rename. Somehow I
had right-clicked but overlooked the Rename option that I
was looking for.

Did that rename the User folder under documents and settings?