Names and directories related to User Accounts on XP Pro

[Robert M Jones]

Just setting up a Dell Dimension 4400 desktop with XP Professional, with
the default Admin account Default Admin, one newly created Admin account
Myname Admin, and two further limited privilege user accounts - Bill and
Ben. guest account is off.

During the Setup process I managed to make a mistake in naming the
Myname Admin and gave it a name I wanted to use for one of the user
accounts by mistake. I then changed the name in the installed Windows
"User Accounts" interface to Myname Admin and that was reflected in the
logon screen.

However I see that the various folder names reflect the original name
given during Setup, so that I now have a set of user folders under
Documents and Settings - "Bill" (which relates to Myname Admin) and
"Bill_2" which relates to Bill - the user account. And Ben - but that is
fine.

I noticed it when I was about to set up OpenOffice and it was selecting
its document folder and it wasn't called what I was expecting. I aborted
the Open Office setup at that point.

I would like to know if there is an easy way to rename those folders
(relating to Myname Admin, but called Bill) globally or whether I should
just delete the Myname Admin account and then create another one?

I have done no setup work yet on the two windows user accounts, except
create them. So I could also delete the Bill account (with the Bill_2
folders) and recreate that one as Bill?

I have already installed a number of programs and don't really want to
have to reinstall them all. Hopefully this wouldn't happen as the
"default admin" account would then reappear on the logon screen and I
could use it to create the new Admin account?

I've already spent too much time setting this machine up, so want a nice
quick easy solution but one that will keep the machine neat and tidy!
(and if I can have the moon too...)

Many thanks.

 

[Anteaus]

As you've rightly observed, you cannot properly rename an account once it has
been logged-on to and the userprofile folder thus created.

To correct this you need to (As another admin-privelege user) delete the
account completely and make sure that any userprofile folder is also deleted
or renamed out of the way, so it won't interfere with the creation of a new
account.

You then need to re-create the account and log-on once as the new user.
(whoch action creates the profile folder)

Beware that if the profile folder already exists, re-creating the user will
result in a profile folder named Bill.Computername instead of Bill.

 

[Robert M Jones]

As you've rightly observed, you cannot properly rename an account once it has
been logged-on to and the userprofile folder thus created.

To correct this you need to (As another admin-privelege user) delete the
account completely and make sure that any userprofile folder is also deleted
or renamed out of the way, so it won't interfere with the creation of a new
account.

You then need to re-create the account and log-on once as the new user.
(whoch action creates the profile folder)

Beware that if the profile folder already exists, re-creating the user will
result in a profile folder named Bill.Computername instead of Bill.

Thanks. That all seems to have worked. I couldn't find the new folder,
but as you say, a logoff/logon created it. Bill and Ben the flowerpot
men are now all in their places, and Weed is now suitably placed as the
administrator. ;-)