How can I reverse what i've done?

[dannnyh]

I bought my first mac (ibook) a couple of weeks ago and have loved it. One night last week I was just playing around with it when I came across a screen that had my computers name on it, where it could be edited. I wanted to change it from the name I put in the first time I turned it on. I changed the name and didn't think anymore about it.

A couple of days later I turn my ibook on, load itunes and itunes comes on like it's the first time i've used it and there's no music in it! I ahve a bit of a panic and wonder what happened but i've got some software to take the music off my ipod and on to itunes so I reload all my music back on to itunes.
Then I load iphoto and it's the same thing, it loads like it's the first time i've used it and none of my photos are there!!

The screen I changed the computer name on was in System Prefrences/Sharing.
When I click on the Hard Drive/Users there is now the house icon with my original computer name and a folder next to it with the new name. Inside that new folder is all my music, photos, documents, etc but in the house icon there is nothing (apart from all the music I re-installed from my ipod!!). In System Prefrences/Accounts there is only one account.

Can anyone tell me what I've done and how I can reverse it.

 

[allegrocm]

I bought my first mac (ibook) a couple of weeks ago and have loved it. One night last week I was just playing around with it when I came across a screen that had my computers name on it, where it could be edited. I wanted to change it from the name I put in the first time I turned it on. I changed the name and didn't think anymore about it.

A couple of days later I turn my ibook on, load itunes and itunes comes on like it's the first time i've used it and there's no music in it! I ahve a bit of a panic and wonder what happened but i've got some software to take the music off my ipod and on to itunes so I reload all my music back on to itunes.
Then I load iphoto and it's the same thing, it loads like it's the first time i've used it and none of my photos are there!!

The screen I changed the computer name on was in System Prefrences/Sharing.
When I click on the Hard Drive/Users there is now the house icon with my original computer name and a folder next to it with the new name. Inside that new folder is all my music, photos, documents, etc but in the house icon there is nothing (apart from all the music I re-installed from my ipod!!). In System Prefrences/Accounts there is only one account.

Can anyone tell me what I've done and how I can reverse it.

Did you try moving the contents of the renamed home folder into the new home folder?

 

[GimmeSlack12]

Manchester eh? I'm on my way over there tomorrow. Of course I still have a little business with the British Consulate but I'm sure it will work out.

Now your problem. I just dealt with someone who had done the exact same thing and everything disappeared. I would say zap the PRAM (cmd-opt-cntrl-P-R) at startup and see what happens I believe it should put everything back to the way it was. Rename everything to what it used to be before doing the PRAM thing. It should reset some things, but your data will be there still.

 

[dannnyh]

Manchester eh? I'm on my way over there tomorrow. Of course I still have a little business with the British Consulate but I'm sure it will work out.

Now your problem. I just dealt with someone who had done the exact same thing and everything disappeared. I would say zap the PRAM (cmd-opt-cntrl-P-R) at startup and see what happens I believe it should put everything back to the way it was. Rename everything to what it used to be before doing the PRAM thing. It should reset some things, but your data will be there still.

Cheers, I'll give that a try tonight. Enjoy your stay in Manchester.

 

[VanNess]

When I click on the Hard Drive/Users there is now the house icon with my original computer name and a folder next to it with the new name. Inside that new folder is all my music, photos, documents, etc but in the house icon there is nothing (apart from all the music I re-installed from my ipod!!). In System Prefrences/Accounts there is only one account.

Can anyone tell me what I've done and how I can reverse it.

From OS X Help:

In Mac OS X 10.3, 10.4 or later you can rename your home directory without the safeguard of entering your password (authentication). If you do this, your home directory contents and preferences will appear to be lost the next time you log in. Applications use default preferences, and your home directory subfolders (Documents, Pictures, and so forth) are empty.

This issue affects Mac OS X 10.3 or later.

When an "admin" user renames his home directory, a new, empty home directory will be created the next time the affected user logs in. Though the original home directory is not being used, it is still present. This may create the false impression that the home directory is lost.

Note: For technical reasons, it is best not to intentionally change the name of a home directory unless absolutely necessary.

Before you assume that the home directory contents were actually lost, check the /Users folder to see if the missing home directory is present and simply renamed.

If you determine that the home directory is present but renamed, follow these steps:

1 In the Finder, go to the /Users folder.
2 Locate the new home directory, which bears the users' short name.
3 Add "_new" to the new home directory's name.
4 Rename the old home directory to the user's correct short name.
5 Log out and back in with the affected user account.

 

[dannnyh]

From OS X Help:

In Mac OS X 10.3, 10.4 or later you can rename your home directory without the safeguard of entering your password (authentication). If you do this, your home directory contents and preferences will appear to be lost the next time you log in. Applications use default preferences, and your home directory subfolders (Documents, Pictures, and so forth) are empty.

This issue affects Mac OS X 10.3 or later.

When an "admin" user renames his home directory, a new, empty home directory will be created the next time the affected user logs in. Though the original home directory is not being used, it is still present. This may create the false impression that the home directory is lost.

Note: For technical reasons, it is best not to intentionally change the name of a home directory unless absolutely necessary.

Before you assume that the home directory contents were actually lost, check the /Users folder to see if the missing home directory is present and simply renamed.

If you determine that the home directory is present but renamed, follow these steps:

1 In the Finder, go to the /Users folder.
2 Locate the new home directory, which bears the users' short name.
3 Add "_new" to the new home directory's name.
4 Rename the old home directory to the user's correct short name.
5 Log out and back in with the affected user account.

Brilliant, that did the trick! Would it now be safe to move the shortname_new folder to the trash?

 

[VanNess]

Brilliant, that did the trick! Would it now be safe to move the shortname_new folder to the trash?

Should be, but I would play it on the safe side. Is it the folder empty? Go ahead and place the folder in the trash, but don't empty the trash yet. Then try logging out and back in again, and see if all is still well. If so, double-check all your apps, particularly iPhoto, iTunes and see if everything shows up and works as expected. Create a couple text docs as a test and make sure they are being saved in the location where you expect and you can retrieve them again normally. If all is still okay, then its probably safe to go ahead and empty the trash.