Mac OS X User Name Rename

Mac OS X User Name Rename

The user id of 501 is the owner of all the software installs so not having this as the user id (uid) for the user causes privileges problems with updates and installs, etc. This procedure describes how to rename the user name, whilst maintaining the original application installs, settings, etc.

Login as the main admin user (uid: 501)

Go to “System Preferences” -> “Accounts” -> Make a new user: name and short name: “temp” (click the “+” (bottom left above the padlock) (password can be set to blank))

Give the new user (“temp”) Administrator privileges (click on “Security” tab -> tick box “Allow user to administer this computer”)

Logout as admin user

Login as “temp” user (blank password)

Go to “Applications” folder -> “Utilities” -> run “NetInfo Manager”

Find the “Users” folder -> select/highlight the original admin user (the one with the uid 501)

Change the following from the admin user name to the new admin user name (with no spaces and ideally not longer than 8 characters):

_writers_passwd

name

home (/Users/<new username>)

_writers_hint

_writers_picture

Real Name (to new user, usually: <first name> <last name>)

_writers_tim_password

_writers_realname

Go to “Domain” menu ->”Save changes”, click “update this copy” to confirm.

Quit “NetInfo Manager”.

The user name will change in the list to the new user name.

Go to the “Users” folder and select/highlight, change the privileges (via “Get Info”) from “system”/<new user name> to “temp”

Go to the old user name folder and rename to the <new user name> (must be exactly the same as set above).

Change the privileges for the users folder from “temp” back to “system”/<new user name>

“System preferences” -> “Accounts” -> give the changed user Administrator privileges again as the change reset privileges to standard user (click on “Security” tab -> tick box “Allow user to administer this computer”)

Reset password (A dialogue will say “can not reset ‘Keychain’ password, click okay)

Logout as “temp”

Login as the <new user name> (uid 501)

Delete the keychain: go to “Users” folder -> <new user name> -> “Library” -> delete “Keychains” folder.

Delete the “temp” user. Go to “System Preferences” -> “Accounts” -> select/highlight “temp”. Click the “-” (bottom left above the padlock). Then “Delete immediately”.

Go to “System Preferences” -> “Sharing” -> change the “Computer name” to <new user first name last name>

All Done J