Renaming the USER Folder/User Name

I've got a hand-me-down laptop that I inherited from my dad (IBM Thinkpad 600X), which is running Windows XP Home Edition.

I never cease to be amazed at what sort of weird configurations my dad managed to get in place, or how much time it takes to undo some of these configurations now that the laptop has been handed down. Sometimes it almost reminds me of the story of the Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

I've noted that under Task Manager, somehow my dad got the User Name under the Processes tab, which usually displays USER, to somehow display his name (let just say for right now it's displaying Icabod). How do I reconfigure that setting to just display USER. Although I'm not using the suspect laptop right now, I think that he managed to rename the USER folder under Documents and Setting directory to Icabod, and that's why it shows up under the User Name on the Task Manager. This change apparently has nothing to do with the Computer Name or Computer Description Name or Workgroup Name.

How do I change that back to just say USER, or whatever the default setting is? I tried to change the USER folder name on my own laptop, and Window rejected my attempt to do that, with some message that the USER folder name was a system requirement.

(signed) Washington Irving

 

Hi,

Why don't you go to Control Panel -> User Accounts and make a user account of your own. You can transfer any files you need, then you can actually delete the original one. You can then customise the new one to your own liking.

Matt

 

Okay, sounds like a good idea. I'm not sure why the old user's name is still showing up on the Task Manager under the User Name - since you can see that I've changed my name to be the new Computer Adminstrator under the User Account panel. Any thinking on why the TM is holder the former user's name?

 

I can't answer you directly, I notice that behaviour, but it does not bother me.

Analogy?...You can change your name by Deed Poll, you cannot change the name on your Birth Certificate.

It can probably be done using Administrative Tools, but I have not covered it.

Matt
Edit: I see Arie has added some information a few minutes before me.

 

Okay, I'm inclined toward the idea of deleting the primary computer administrator account and creating my own (although that would actually be done in reverse order). I'm fine with creating the new account, but I'm more than a little hazy on how to transfer over the files/profile of the existing user account before/during the deletion stage of the process.

It must be pretty simple, since I'm guessing that fairly frequently you might want to set-up multiple accounts, but have a core group of "settings" that were common, but you wouldn't want to have to recreate all those settings. Anybody willing to help out with some maybe too-plain-to-see advice?

 

The way I feel about many of problems that aren't really problems, when someone points out the simple solution.

Try using the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard. If you only want the settings carried over, you can select it without the "files ".

Start -> Accessories -> System Tools

Replace "new/old computer" with "new/old user ".

Matt

 

Okay, the use of the File Settings Transfer Wizard was a winner. It's a little unnerving to watch some of this process just prior to deleting the primary computer administrator account. Fortunately, I realized that I also needed to copy over a couple of profiles and some other files to ensure continuity in the "new" computer administrator account - but that all seems to be working just fine now.

I wasn't familiar with that File Settings Transfer functionality until today, and I can see that it would have a good deal of utility - not just for the purpose I used it for today. Sweet!

Was just wondering if there was any value whatsoever to keeping that prior user's name directory under the Documents and Settings directory - now that everything is working okey-dokey? Nothing in there seems relevant now and it's swallowing up about a quarter of the total hard drive space. Recycle Bin?

 

In Control Panel -> User Accounts, you can select to delete the account there. It will ask if you wish to delete the files as well.
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Just something that I think is important is to make certain there is an account titled Administrator, but that may be something I don't completely understand. I believe it could be helpful if you get locked out of Windows. If you are the owner, make certain you know the password for that account.

Matt

 

Yes, good tip about the computer adminstrator account (and even more so about not forgetting the password). Luckily, Windows is configured in such a way that you actually cannot totally delete all Computer Administrator accounts entirely. That's obviously set-up so that someone always has an account that can modify settings and accounts on the computer. Again, a good fix solution!