Computer has an incorrect user name

When I set up my most recent Vista laptop, I inadvertently entered the
password I intended to use where I should have entered the name. Now many
things that default to the "main user" get "PH1939", not "Paul". Can I
change this? I can't start over - I have so much on this laptop now that
I'd rather live with the inconvenience than start over. Must I live with
the result of being careless? TIA, Paul

Paul H wrote:

> When I set up my most recent Vista laptop, I inadvertently entered the
> password I intended to use where I should have entered the name. Now many
> things that default to the "main user" get "PH1939", not "Paul". Can I
> change this? I can't start over - I have so much on this laptop now that
> I'd rather live with the inconvenience than start over. Must I live with
> the result of being careless? TIA, Paul

You will need to create a new user named the way you want and copy the data
from the incorrectly named user to it.

You cannot change a user account by just changing the name. Just changing
the name will make a cosmetic change only and not affect the underlying
files/folders in the profile.

1. From an account with administrative privileges, go to Control Panel>User
Accounts and create the new Standard user account named the way you want and
at least one extra Administrator account. Call the latter "CompAdmin" or
"Tech" or the like.
2. Log into the new Standard user account once so the profile files/folders
are created and then log into CompAdmin.
3. Now go to Control Panel>System>Advanced>User Profiles>Settings
4. You will see where you can copy user accounts. Copy the old account to
the new one from there. Use the Browse to select your new account (C:
\Users\newaccount).
5. Log into the new correctly named account and make sure all your stuff is
there and that it works the way you want. When you are satisfied, you can log
out and into CompAdmin and delete the old user account from Control
Panel>User Accounts.

If you wish to log into your new, corrected account automatically, do this:

Start Orb>Search box>type: netplwiz [enter]
Click on Continue (or supply an administrator's password) when prompted by
UAC

Uncheck the option "Users must enter a user name and password to use this
computer". Select a user account to automatically log on by clicking on the
desired account to highlight it and then hit OK. Enter the correct password
for that user account (if there is one) when prompted. Leave it blank if
there is no password (null).

Malke
--
MS-MVP
Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/#FAQ