Help!!! Changed Account Name!

I need help!!! I was trying to change my Mac's account name so it would just have my first name. First I went to System Preferences. Then I went to Users and Groups. Then Login Options. Then i clicked join and open directory utility. After that, I changed the NFSHomeDirectory name from /Users/adamLASTNAME to /Users/adam and then reauthenticated it. Now I logged of my Mac and all my stuff is gone! Everything! The only thing left is my applications but most of them won't open up!! Please Help!!!

Also my Mail applications won't start up. It just bounces and then stops.

Unfortunately, changing your home folder name is not advisable. Have a look at this article...

Recover from renaming your Home folder

Also I'm trying to view the Library folder in my old account but ever time I press Command Shift "G" and type ~/Library it only gives me the library folder of the new account. Supposedly I'm supposed to replace the Library folder from the old account with the new account but I can only get access to the new Library folder.

Try this - Access User ~/Library Folder in OS X Lion

Would this work???

Boot into Recovery Mode (Command and R keys while booting)
Select Utilities > Terminal
Type the following into Terminal, very carefully:

Choose the Restore Home Directory Permissions and ACLs option. Follow the prompts.

cwa107 said:

Try this - Access User ~/Library Folder in OS X Lion

Click to expand...

So do I replace the Macintosh HD Library folder with the Macintosh HD/Users/adam/Library?

macuser1232 said:

Would this work???

Boot into Recovery Mode (Command and R keys while booting)
Select Utilities > Terminal
Type the following into Terminal, very carefully:

Code:

rm -R /Volumes/Macintosh\ HD/Users/adam

Code:

mv /Volumes/Macintosh\ HD/Users/adamLASTNAME /Volumes/Macintosh\ HD/Users/adam

Code:

resetpassword

Choose the Restore Home Directory Permissions and ACLs option. Follow the prompts.

Click to expand...

I would think so - only one way to find out for sure!

That, or restore from the backup you made just prior to the change (hopefully you're in the habit of doing so).

cwa107 said:

I would think so - only one way to find out for sure!

That, or restore from the backup you made just prior to the change (hopefully you're in the habit of doing so).

Click to expand...

I im confused!!! I know of two library folders! One is under Macintosh HD. The other is under my current account(adam) with none of my stuff. Am I supposed to be able to access the Library folder from my old account that is under Users too?

macuser1232 said:

I im confused!!! I know of two library folders! One is under Macintosh HD. The other is under my current account(adam) with none of my stuff. Am I supposed to be able to access the Library folder from my old account that is under Users too?

Click to expand...

There are two different scopes for the Library folder - the one specific to the OS, and the one specific to the user. The latter of which is the one you're focused on. It should remain as before, but the path is different since its parent container was changed.

As you go through the process, do NOT touch the Macintosh HD\Library folder at all, ever, under any circumstance.

cwa107 said:

I would think so - only one way to find out for sure!

That, or restore from the backup you made just prior to the change (hopefully you're in the habit of doing so).

Click to expand...

I have no backup.

cwa107 said:

There are two different scopes for the Library folder - the one specific to the OS, and the one specific to the user. The latter of which is the one you're focused on. It should remain as before, but the path is different since its parent container was changed.

As you go through the process, do NOT touch the Macintosh HD\Library folder at all, ever, under any circumstance.

Click to expand...

Ok. So how do I swap the Library folders of the accounts if I can't get access to the old account's library folder that has everything on it?

macuser1232 said:

I have no backup.

Click to expand...

You're kidding. Why would you go mucking about with your machine and no backup?

You seem like a pretty savvy kid - heck, you've played around with several versions of Linux, know a bit about Windows and the Mac... you even have designs on administering one of the biggest forums on the Interwebz... and yet you haven't ever made a backup?

This is computer-user 101 - always make a backup before making an OS change.

Think you may well be in for an erase of the drive, format Mac OS Extended (Journaled) and a clean install of Lion/Mountain Lion. Did you make a USB thumb drive of whatever operating system you are using? SAnd you do need either a Time Machine or cloned copy on an external drive.

macuser1232 said:

Ok. So how do I swap the Library folders of the accounts if I can't get access to the old account's library folder that has everything on it?

Click to expand...

The Library folder you're looking at, contained within your newly renamed home folder, should be the "old" account's library folder. Have there been changes to it as you've tried to recover from the rename? Probably, but it's likely the same folder. What leads you to believe it isn't?

cwa107 said:

You're kidding. Why would you go mucking about with your machine and no backup?

You seem like a pretty savvy kid - heck, you've played around with several versions of Linux, know a bit about Windows and the Mac... you even have designs on administering one of the biggest forums on the Interwebz... and yet you haven't ever made a backup?

This is computer-user 101 - always make a backup before making an OS change.

Click to expand...

Oh wow thanks for the compliments. So do you think you could help me out with the last part. I'm not able to view the Library folder of the old Account. Should I do what I said earlier and enter in that code in recovery mode? You think that would solve the problem?

macuser1232 said:

Oh wow thanks for the compliments. So do you think you could help me out with the last part. I'm not able to view the Library folder of the old Account. Should I do what I said earlier and enter in that code in recovery mode? You think that would solve the problem?

Click to expand...

Can't get much worse at this point, considering the alternatives (and I believe harryb is probably dead-on).

Fixed it! Just entered some code in terminal on recovery mode.

Great work.

Look around for an external drive and case and start backing up.

harryb2448 said:

Great work.

Look around for an external drive and case and start backing up.

Click to expand...

Ugh. I don't have the money! I just need to be more careful of what I'm doing.