changing system name

[Maveric169]

When I was having problems with my system and installed XP Home on a backup harddrive I just named my system quickly planning to change it later if it worked, but now I can't remember how to do it!

C:\Documents and Settings\Willie aka Hop Along\Desktop


How do I change this system wide?

 

[j79zlr]

In Control Panel > User Accounts you can change your username. Just click on the username you want to change and in the Edit Account menu there is a Change Name option. This will not change the actual Docs & Settings folder though.

 

[Shamus MacNoob]

Make a new account and move your favs, docs, and desktop icons , after delete the old one

 

[Maveric169]

In Control Panel > User Accounts you can change your username. Just click on the username you want to change and in the Edit Account menu there is a Change Name option. This will not change the actual Docs & Settings folder though.

The logon name is correct, just my name, I just want to change the directory name system wide

 

[madmatt]

You want to keep the username the same but change the directory that your profile looks to for settings and documents?

Or you want to change your fullname? (Start, Run, control userpasswords2, OK)

 

[Maveric169]

You want to keep the username the same but change the directory that your profile looks to for settings and documents?

Or you want to change your fullname? (Start, Run, control userpasswords2, OK)

I just want to rename the directory that my profile looks to, change the part in bold in my orginal post, and do that system wide. I am sure there is a way to do it, I thought it was a registry key that would do it but I can't remember what.

What Shamus posted will work, but I have allot I would have to move

 

[madmatt]

Shamus' suggestion would be the best compared to the alternative. It can get messy with registry changes.

You can copy a profile but neither user can be logged on or in memory.

Right click My Computer
Properties
Advanced (tab)
User Profiles: Settings
Highlight Profile Name, Copy To

 

[Maveric169]

Can anyone tell me what registry keys I would need to change?

 

[madmatt]

Anything with your old username in it. I don't recommend it.

 

[LeeJend]

There's a whole mess of keys. A very bad idea. Go with Shamus.

I got tired of counting at 100 keys...

Note: You may still run into many applications that stop running if you delete the original user. Many of the applications stash stuff in the users "mydocuments" and those key entries will have to be changed by hand.

 

[Shamus MacNoob]

You can use the old account as the template
Just copy over the contents of the C:\Documents and Settings\XXX account into the new one