Interface Prefs Lost While Changing Username in Root- Help!

[Arielle]

Hello. Could somebody help me to recover my settings?

I logged in using "root" mode, and went to "Users" in "System Settings," where I changed the name of my main User. This was all I did!
When I went back to log into this main User, it logged me in ok, but ALL my settings (for desktop pictures, as well as desktop folders, etc) were no longer there! I found that my files were in the desktop folder of my User, but I could only access them by opening the folders manually.
I tried to restore my the settings/ folders of my main User by renaming the User the old name, but this proved fruitless. I tried logging out/ in and rebooting, but no dice.

Anyone know what I did wrong, and what I can do to change this back?

Thanks a million!

>=--Arielle--->

[mmmdreg]

If you changed the "small" username, ie. the lowercase one, then you probably screwed around a bit further than you should have. It's not exactly a major drama to change interface settings though, so rather than recover them, just recreate them. But yeah. That username isn't meant to be changing. That's why people shouldn't use root ;)

[stoid]

I've been exactly where you are. My problem developed when I backed-up the home folders, and then did a fresh install of Mac OS X on the drive. It turned out that when I created the new user I had to make sure that both the user and short names were identical to the old ones. Then, BEFORE copying the old home folder over the empty one created by the system I had to log in as the user once, then copy the files over.

I'm your case I would suggest backing up your home folder, and then deleting the user, and creating a new user with the initial settings of the user, logging on once as that user, and then copying the home folder over the newly created folder. You'll get all your stuff back, but whatever name change you tried to make won't go through, but you should be able to change a name in system prefs and I don't know why you went into root, although I'm sure that if it's important you'll tell me.

[Arielle]

I wasn't able to! The idea I had had was to take my name off the machine, so I couldn't be traced when I d/l-ed from school via airport!
Duuuh. I should have just thought of that in the first place!