I need help with renaming my Mac Home Folder

MaxGCSL · MaxGCSL #1 (**permalink**)

04-09-2011, 10:03 PM

I started the process by following the instructions here : Mac OS X: How to change user short name or home directory name. I have Max OS X 10.6.7, even though my OS is not mentioned in the link, I was assured that it would still work. I have renamed my folder to, "Max." When I go to create a new account in system preferences, I do not get a popup menu, a red arrow just appears in the Account name field, and in red underneath it, it says, "Name is in use by another user." I know that it said to name it with all lowercase, but the instructions on iClarified said otherwise, and when I switched to the Apple instructions everything else seemed to be identical. I want to switch to doing it this way: YouTube - How to change your home folder on snow leopard. But I am afraid I will not be able to open my old account. If I change the folder in Mac HD>Profiles that is now called "Max" to what it used to be, can I log out of root profile like nothing happened, logged into my normal account, then disable root? Or can someone just give me instructions on what to from where I am now.

chscag · chscag #2 (**permalink**)

04-09-2011, 11:05 PM

Changing the home folder name can be dangerous. I would only follow the instructions that Apple has in its knowledge base article. And that means you must activate the Root user and proceed from there.

Before you attempt anything, make a backup of your entire hard drive and make sure it's a good backup. Use Time Machine if available.

MaxGCSL · MaxGCSL #3 (**permalink**)

04-10-2011, 12:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chscag

Changing the home folder name can be dangerous. I would only follow the instructions that Apple has in its knowledge base article. And that means you must activate the Root user and proceed from there.

Before you attempt anything, make a backup of your entire hard drive and make sure it's a good backup. Use Time Machine if available.

I made a time machine back up before I started. While I thank you for the help, I think you misunderstood me, I have already changed the folder name using root. I am following Apple's instructions and I am NOT getting the popup menu it is telling me I will get. What should I do from here, and can I put the name of the user folder back to what it was and log out without any problems (all I did was change the user folder name in root)

6string · 6string #4 (**permalink**)

04-10-2011, 01:41 AM

Ummm, what pop up menu?

If you mean this one....

then you need to click the lock and enter your password

Then you click the + sign

to add the user in which you get that pop up box to create the account.

chscag #2 (permalink)
Member Since: Jan 23, 2008 Location: Fort Worth, Texas Posts: 31,998 Mac Specs: 21.5" iMac 2.5 GHz i5, iPad 3rd Gen., 3 iPods	04-09-2011, 11:05 PM Changing the home folder name can be dangerous. I would only follow the instructions that Apple has in its knowledge base article. And that means you must activate the Root user and proceed from there. Before you attempt anything, make a backup of your entire hard drive and make sure it's a good backup. Use Time Machine if available. Community Guidelines
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MaxGCSL #1 (permalink)
Member Since: Feb 03, 2011 Posts: 15	04-09-2011, 10:03 PM I started the process by following the instructions here : Mac OS X: How to change user short name or home directory name. I have Max OS X 10.6.7, even though my OS is not mentioned in the link, I was assured that it would still work. I have renamed my folder to, "Max." When I go to create a new account in system preferences, I do not get a popup menu, a red arrow just appears in the Account name field, and in red underneath it, it says, "Name is in use by another user." I know that it said to name it with all lowercase, but the instructions on iClarified said otherwise, and when I switched to the Apple instructions everything else seemed to be identical. I want to switch to doing it this way: YouTube - How to change your home folder on snow leopard. But I am afraid I will not be able to open my old account. If I change the folder in Mac HD>Profiles that is now called "Max" to what it used to be, can I log out of root profile like nothing happened, logged into my normal account, then disable root? Or can someone just give me instructions on what to from where I am now.
	QUOTE Thanks

6string #4 (permalink)
Member Since: Sep 09, 2009 Location: Down Under :D Posts: 5,484 Mac Specs: Back to my old 2.2GHz C2D MB after selling my MBP and wondering what my next Mac will be :)	04-10-2011, 01:41 AM Ummm, what pop up menu? If you mean this one.... then you need to click the lock and enter your password Then you click the + sign to add the user in which you get that pop up box to create the account.
	QUOTE Thanks

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