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How do I Change "Short Name" and Identity in full!?

A

Arielle

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 2, 2003
42
0
Columbia University
Hey- I'm running OS X on my new titanium G4 laptop:

is there any way to change my computer's "name"?? I filled in my real name and now I regret it, in that I might be doing things that I don't want traced to my laptop's name in the future ... :cool:

I want to keep all my prefs tho!

Is there a way to rename my admin user/ computer name AND "short name" w/o blowing away my prefs?

Please help!

>=--ARIELLE--->

PS- when I tried to change it by logging in as root, it just screwed up login/ prefs!
 
A

Arielle

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 2, 2003
42
0
Columbia University
No, that didn't work...

Don't ya think I tried that!? :*P

What I REALLY want to do here is blow my name OFF the computer completely. I need a little Christian Slater ala "Pump Up the Volume" action!
 
Phatpat

Phatpat

macrumors 6502a
Jun 15, 2003
903
2
Cambridge, MA
I helped set up an xserve this summer, and I remember shortnames not wanting to be changed...dunno if that applies to normal os x, but yeah, I wouldn't be optimistic. Can you create a new user and copy the prefs?
 
B

Bear

macrumors G3
Jul 23, 2002
8,088
5
Sol III - Terra
Re: How do I Change "Short Name" and Identity in full!?

Originally posted by Arielle
Hey- I'm running OS X on my new titanium G4 laptop:

is there any way to change my computer's "name"?? I filled in my real name and now I regret it, in that I might be doing things that I don't want traced to my laptop's name in the future ... :cool:

I want to keep all my prefs tho!

Is there a way to rename my admin user/ computer name AND "short name" w/o blowing away my prefs?

Please help!

>=--ARIELLE--->

PS- when I tried to change it by logging in as root, it just screwed up login/ prefs!
Click to expand...
Umm don't do anything you might regret? There are other ways of tracking things on the internet.

And the best way is to create a new user and delete the old one. You can easily change anything but the shortname for an existing account. As noted above, changing the short name requires careful work.
 
stoid

stoid

macrumors 601
Feb 17, 2002
4,312
29
So long, and thanks for all the fish!
Re: Re: How do I Change "Short Name" and Identity in full!?

Originally posted by Bear
Umm don't do anything you might regret? There are other ways of tracking things on the internet.
Click to expand...

Yeah, keep in mind that computer traces are done via IP address and on internal networks Ethernet Addresses, and rarely (if ever) done base on a username. So if you plan on doing anything not so legal, changing the user name on your computer isn't going save your ass when they come to get you!
 
A

Arielle

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 2, 2003
42
0
Columbia University
How?

How could they "get you" if you are on a laptop?.... On a campus with thousands of others with laptops? It's not as though I had to register my computer with them to get on their wireless network? Could they really trace someone on Mac who is wireless in a mile radius with a thousand other computers all connected??

>Ar
 
wrldwzrd89

wrldwzrd89

macrumors G5
Jun 6, 2003
12,110
77
Solon, OH
shyne26 said:
i think the best thing to do is to erase/reinstall the OSx. what ya think?
Click to expand...
First of all, you revived a REALLY old thread from 2003...
Secondly, by no means is that required to change your user name. An Archive and Install, without preserving users (prior to Snow Leopard, which removed the UI for that) will work just as well.
 
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