Ridding XP of previous owner's name

I bought this computer from my sister when she bought a new Dell a few months ago. In system information, under user name it shows Debbie/sister's name. How do I get her name off of it? I've seen this in several instances such as the paths. Documents and Settings/Debbie/sister's name/ etc...Not a big problem and not critical but an irritant just the same. Thanks.

 

Click Start then Run then type: regedit and hit OK.

Then navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion

RegisteredOrganization
RegisterdOwner

Change the values in the right hand pane.
Note: BACKUP the registry first.

Or:
Doug Knox's tweak?

 

Thanks for your reply. However, I had done this previously (guess I should've mentioned that) and it has Bullock Farms as the Registered Organization and Debbie Bullock as the Registered owner. It doesn't show my sister's name anywhere on there. It does, however, have it showing in the system information. Also when showing a path (for instance...a picture on the desktop) it'll have her name...C:/Documents and Settings/DEBBIE/sister's name/Desktop/picture.jpg.

Thanks.

 

Right click on each of those values and choose modify, then enter what you want it to show.

 

Thanks for replying. Where are you talking about? In the registry? Bullock Farms and Debbie Bullock ARE what I want it to have. The registry is fine. It's the paths such as when you click on the properties of something that it has my sister's name. In the system information, right-clicking does nothing. No pop-up menu to modify. Right-clicking on the location in any of the properties gives only the options to copy and select all. When selecting all I can paste. That's it. Am I mis-understanding? Thanks.

 

I think I know what you're saying now. Let's say your sisters name is Donna. So the path to a picture that you put in Debbies pictures is C:\Documents and Settings\Debbie\Donna\My Pictures\image.jpg ? All you would really need to do is rename the Donna folder to My Documents, which is what it should be. My Pictures is a folder within My Documents. Unsure though as to why system info. would show logged user as Debbie\Donna.

 

Actually, her name is "Shirley ". It has DEBBIE/Shirley last name/desktop. etc. I've tried renaming the document's folder but it won't allow me to. Perhaps I'm trying to do it in the wrong place? I right-clicked on My Documents icon on the desktop and went to properties. It shows Documents and Settings/Shirley*/My Documents as the target folder location. I can't remember where, but I was pointed to someplace to change it some time back and it wouldn't allow me to change the name of a system folder... I believe that's what it said. Thanks.

 

What are the contents of the documents and settings folder?

 

Change it from Windows Explorer, not the shortcut.

Johanna

WinKey e
or
Start>Accessories> WE

 

When I go into Windows Explorer, C drive, Documents and Settings there is nothing wrong with that name...nothing else shows. I go into Documents and Settings and see five folders:

All users, Local service, Shirley, Default User, and Network Service.

I right click on Shirley, chose "rename" from popup menu, and rename it to Debbie Bullock. Then it tells me that Shirley is a Windows folder and is required for Windows to run properly. It cannot be moved or renamed. It gives me an ok button. Suggestions? Thanks.

 

Go to control panel, user accounts, select Shirley and then select change name.

 

Thought of that earlier today. Went there and there are only two accounts..Debbie Bullock(computer administrator) and Guest(guest account is off). <sigh> Beyond me...any more suggestions? Thanks.

 

You are saying that
1) you have a user account on the PC called Debbie Bullock
2) you log on using that account
3) there is no matching user listed under Documents & Settings?

Is the account you log in with a rename of the Administrator account? Otherwise there should be an account by that name showing up in the list of all your users.

If that's the case, you could create a new account (no spaces in the username), make it a member of the administrator group (so same rights as the actual administrator account) and log in with that. It should give you a documents & settings folder of your own. You can copy some things from the Shirley folder like desktop shortcuts, favorites, etc. to save yourself a bunch of work.

The administrator account (by whatever name) will have to stay there but if you log on with your new admin account, you should be able to change the administrator account name and the folder name. I would change them to single word names though.

If the above is not your situation then I'm really confused about what you have and what you want.

 

What I'm trying to get rid of is a reference to another person's name when right-clicking on an icon on the desktop and going to it's properties. For instance...I have a folder that I've placed several PowePoint shows in. When I right-click it and go to properties, the location says "C:/Documents and Settings/Shirleyxxxxxx/Desktop. I'm wanting to rid it of "Shirleyxxxxxx ". My name is Debbie which is the account that I dial-up with. Her name is scattered throughout the computer after I "ve changed the owner's name. It shows I'm the owner. I'm supposing it's just a holdover that I have yet to figure how to get rid of. The Documents and SEttings folder has her name in it. Can't delete, can't rename.

Thanks.

 

My name is Debbie which is the account that I dial-up with

??? really confused now. Are you talking about what happens when you sit at the PC or when you connect to it via modem from another PC?

I think there is a terminology issue here that is maybe causing some of the confusion. You speak of the 'owner's name' but you are posting about a single user account and the name it has.

Did you read my suggestions (the post above your last one)? Did they make sense to you? You list your experience as 'intermediate' so I left out some steps & explanations and maybe went too far.

Each user on an XP PC can and should have their own work space. Unlike older systems, this even provides you with your own desktop and all the rest. Things stored there won't have anything to do with another user's section.

Here is my work PC. If I log on as vailn, then I get to my normal work section. If I log on as Administrator, I get a different section; different desktop settings and all of that. If one of the other folks who occasionally use this PC log on with their account, they see only their own stuff. They could see mine if they wanted to look around and the accounts starting with a- could even work with my stuff since their accounts are also admin level accounts on the domain which gives them admin rights on this PC.

Have you created a user account for yourself? As noted in an earlier response, one with no spaces in the username is best.

Do you see any sort of welcome screen / logon screen when you first boot up or do you just get taken to a desktop?

 

I'm unsure as to why your docs and settings folder shows

yet control panel>users shows

but I do think the thing to do here is as Newt suggested. Create another user account with administrative priveledges named Debbie, transfer the folders, docs and such that you want and delete the Debbie Bullock account. The Shirley folder should go away when you do that, since it appears to be tied to that account.

 

I think you may have hit the nail on the head about the terminology. Perhaps I "ve made this sound harder than it is.

First, there are no other computers. This is a stand-alone, home computer, connected by dialup. Running XP Home.

When I restart the computer, it says logging off, saving settings, Windows shutting down. When it comes back on, I get a Logon MEssage that says "Unable to log you on because of an account. "( I'm wondering if that has something to do with the problem) There is an OK button, I click it, it goes right to "To begin, click your user name. I renamed it from Debbie Bullock to just Debbie. That, of course, had no affect on anything. I click on Debbie, (there are no other accounts other than guest which is never used) it says Loading personal settings, and goes to Desktop. There is no mention of "Shirley" anywhere in any of that. No user name , no account name.

As mentioned, I bought this computer from Shirley which may account for the fact that there is a folder inside Documents and Settings called "Shirley Duncan ". I try to rename and it won't let me. Says it is a system folder. Inside that folder are several folders..


Application Data, Desktop, Cookies, Favorites, Local Settings, My Documents, My Recent Documents, NetHood, PrintHood, Sendto, Start Menu, Templates, UserData, WINDOWS.

There are three files...
ntuser(DAT File), ntuser.dat(Text Document) and ntuser(Configuration Settings)

I'm just wondering what I have to do to get rid of that name on that folder and to rid her name from the paths. Right-clicking on just about anything I have on the desktop, going to properties it will say in the location.. C:/ Documents and SEttings/Shirley Duncan/Desktop.

I hope I simplified it to the non-important tidbit it is. If I never get it changed it won't matter. Just thought I'd like it better with MY name on it, instead. Thanks for your patience. I just didn't want to create another account or anything of that nature..I didn't ignore you suggestions. Again, thanks.

 

Good grief! I was wondering why I hadn't gotten an email that I had a reply. Figured everyone was tired of the subject. <G> Found that my last post didn't get posted. I must've clicked cancel instead of submit...so, here goes again...

Let me make it simpler. I'm afraid I'm making it harder than need be and you've probably nailed the problem...the terminology.

When I boot up there is only the one account..Debbie. There is a guest account which is never used. My son and I are the only two who use the computer and he uses my settings, etc. It's a stand-alone home computer using XP Home Edition.

I bought the computer from my sister--Shirley Duncan--a few months ago. I've already changed the owner's name and her name doesn't show up there. However, when showing the path to any particular file (such as shortcuts on the desktop) it usually has her name in the path. That's what I'm trying to get rid of. It doesn't affect my usage or anything just that it's an irritant seeing her name in the path. Apparently, there is a folder entitled "Shirley Duncan ". Trying to delete it is impossible because it's a Windows folder and is required for Windows to run properly. Inside that folder are 5
files...

All users
Local Service
Shirley Duncan
Default User
Network Service

I'm wondering how the folder got it's name in the first place if it's that necessary..it has to be a folder already in existance and somehow it got renamed...even though I can't do that now.

Here is the path.. C:\Documents and Settings\Shirley Duncan\Desktop

Inside the folder named "Shirley Duncan" are about 14 other folders:

Application Data
Cookies
Desktop
Favorites
Local Settings
My Documents

..and several others. This folder has to have had a different name at some point but I don't know what it would be or how to change it back as right-clicking won't let me do it.

Does that help or did it confuse even more?

 

If I'm reading right, you are saying that inside the Documents and Settings folder, there is;

All users, Local service, Shirley, Default User, and Network Service.

And inside of the 'Shirley' folder there is;

All users
Local Service
Shirley Duncan
Default User
Network Service

In other words, two copies of each on your PC. And if so, there is the problem. Check the contents of the doubled folders, making sure all hidden and system files are shown. If the contents match, open the 'Shirley' folder, select edit>select all from the toolbar. Then edit>cut. Now open the documents and settings folder, select edit>paste. Say yes to overwrite existing folders. You should now be able to rename Shirley.

 

Same principle applies maybe but that is slightly wrong. Let me say it again and maybe I won't mess it up this time..

There is only one Shirley Duncan folder(my bad since I typed Shirley in one place and Shirley Duncan in another...sorry). This folder is inside Documents and Settings. Inside the Shirley Duncan folder is all that other stuff...cookies, Desktop, favorites, etc...

Same answer apply? Thanks for the patience.

Debbie(banging head on keyboard...<G>)