Rename User Account Folder

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Rudi
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Rename User Account Folder

Post by Rudi »

Hi,

I just bought a new laptop for an acquaintance and used my credentials during the initial setup of Windows 8. After I got all the settings up and running and apps installed, I created a new account (as administrator) for my acquaintance and used their name and email. Then I deleted my account. However, I later noticed that the account name is karen_000. I'd like to rename it to Karen (without the zeros). Is there and easy and quick way to do this? If so, please direct me with a step by step. I have searched the web and found various methods, but some look really technical and complex, referring to registry and the works.

TIA
Regards,
Rudi

If your absence does not affect them, your presence didn't matter.

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MalcolmWalker
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Re: Rename User Account Folder

Post by MalcolmWalker »

Rudi, I will be very interested if there is a satisfactory solution to the problem you identify.

My computer underwent a factory warranty repair and was returned with an apology that the user name was no longer Malcolm but User. (I suspect a new hard drive formed part of the repairs.) That was over 12 months ago and I have not been able to find a satisfactory way of changing User back to Malcolm despite lurking at length in the Windows 8 Forums picking up and actioning whatever seemed relevant. After time I became complacent about what to me became a non-issue.

Nevertheless good luck - I'll be watching and lurking! :smile:

Malcolm

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Rudi
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Re: Rename User Account Folder

Post by Rudi »

I do have some possible guidelines after doing some extensive searching.
I'm going to give the two methods I located a try tomorrow and see if it does the trick.

I will report back irrespective of the result.
(Obviously I'll make sure I have a very recent restore point)
Hold thumbs....
Regards,
Rudi

If your absence does not affect them, your presence didn't matter.

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Rudi
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Re: Rename User Account Folder

Post by Rudi »

I feel like a novice twit !!!!!!!!!!!! (I reveal why below!)

I found two guidelines (links below) that seem slightly different (as they take different routes), but really provide the same underlying advice:
1. Create a temp admin account
2. Log into temp
3. Change name of original account in accounts manager, in Windows Explorer and in the Registry
4. Log out of temp
5. Reboot and log in as original with new name
6. Delete temp account

I could not test this process as I made a HUGE error (hence calling myself a twit!)

I created the temp account (THEN went to eat lunch)
On my return, I proceeded to rename the original account (and that's when things went wrong)
I discovered that I have relogged into the original account before I went to lunch. So I ended up renaming the current admin user while I was logged in as this user!! This caused the name to disappear from the user account dialog and I could not fix the issue. I tried doing a system restore and it failed as it prompted that certain files were missing.

Fortunately (for me, it was not a train smash, since the PC was new and there was no data I was going to loose), so I gave up and booted into the built in recovery partition of the PC to restore it to factory settings. Of course, with the restore in place I created the user the correct way to start with.

So my issue is resolved, BUT I was not able to verify the process for you..... :sorry:

Here are the two links that look sound and would seem to be able to do the task...esp if you review the comments below the articles.

My advice if you are to try this:
1. ENSURE you are in the temp admin account BEFORE you rename the original....as the articles suggest
2. ENSURE you have a recent restore point to fall back on. (My restore did not work as I tried to restore on the tainted account).

Good luck Malcolm....

Links:
Regards,
Rudi

If your absence does not affect them, your presence didn't matter.

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viking33
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Re: Rename User Account Folder

Post by viking33 »

Glad you resolved that but you forgot to add:
Eat lunch before starting this procedure! :evilgrin:
BOB
:massachusetts: :usa:
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If I agreed with you we'd both be wrong.

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Rudi
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Re: Rename User Account Folder

Post by Rudi »

:laugh: Of course, that too.
Regards,
Rudi

If your absence does not affect them, your presence didn't matter.