WinXP User Accounts

[AnAngelsDeath]

I'm pretty sure there is a simple answer to this, but for the life of me I cant figure out how to change the name of a User Account on WindowsXP. When I installed windows XP, i forgot to name my user account "Josh" and so it automatically just put it as "Administrator", well I would like to change that. Is this even possible, cause I've never had a problem with windows I couldn't fix, but I cant seem to figure this one out, so I'm assuming I'm either just being a dumbass and overlooking some option, or its just not possible to change the name of a User once the account is created. So what can I do to fix this, if it even is fixable ?


- thanks in advance for any helpful replies

 

[MrGuvernment]

http://www.google.com/search?q=chan...-us&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&startIndex=&startPage=1

 

[gimp]

you cannot change the name of the Administrator account.

you'd have to create an additional account.

the Administrator account is there by default.

it's not that you didn't rename it, it's that you didn't create an additional account.

 

[LookTJ]

Try

control userpasswords2

in the run prompt. then in the advanced tab, I forget where in there leads to what you want, something along the lines of users and groups which you can also find in control panel->Administrative tools->Computer Management.

All you have to do is right click on the username you want to rename and the obvious should be there.

Good luck.

 

[LookTJ]

you cannot change the name of the Administrator account.

you'd have to create an additional account.

the Administrator account is there by default.

it's not that you didn't rename it, it's that you didn't create an additional account.

You can change both the default Administrator and Guest account name, as well as set the password for the Guest account.

 

[AnAngelsDeath]

you cannot change the name of the Administrator account.

you'd have to create an additional account.

the Administrator account is there by default.

it's not that you didn't rename it, it's that you didn't create an additional account.

when you install windows, its ask you to name the main account (administrator account, not an additional account) and if you dont then it puts it as Admin by default, but if you name it then the main account will say whatever name you choose instead of Admin. Trust me, i've installed windows thousands of times on thousands of computers. thats why at windows setup screen after fnishing the main install, it has like 4 or 5 boxes for account names, the first one says YOUR NAME, and thats where your supposed to type in your name, or just leave it blank to be called admin, and the other boxes say ACCOUNT 1, ACCOUNT 2, etc etc, those are the ones for setting up additional accounts, aside from the main admin account that you CAN name whatever you want not just admin

 

[QwertyJuan]

when you install windows, its ask you to name the main account (administrator account, not an additional account) and if you dont then it puts it as Admin by default, but if you name it then the main account will say whatever name you choose instead of Admin. Trust me, i've installed windows thousands of times on thousands of computers. thats why at windows setup screen after fnishing the main install, it has like 4 or 5 boxes for account names, the first one says YOUR NAME, and thats where your supposed to type in your name, or just leave it blank to be called admin, and the other boxes say ACCOUNT 1, ACCOUNT 2, etc etc, those are the ones for setting up additional accounts, aside from the main admin account that you CAN name whatever you want not just admin

Hmmmm for someone that has installed Windows THOUSANDS!!?!??!?! of times, you'd think you would know by know that the "administrator" account is "administrator" NOT "admin" like you say...

 

[AnAngelsDeath]

Hmmmm for someone that has installed Windows THOUSANDS!!?!??!?! of times, you'd think you would know by know that the "administrator" account is "administrator" NOT "admin" like you say...

wtf are you talking about, admin is short for administrator, i was just using it so i didn't have to type in Administrator everytime, but just for you, I'll make sure i do from now on !

 

[LookTJ]

wtf are you talking about, admin is short for administrator, i was just using it so i didn't have to type in Administrator everytime, but just for you, I'll make sure i do from now on !

Actually in XP, the default Administrator is hidden by default and usually the password is blank by default. Yes the main account can be named in the installation process, but not the default administrator account.

 

[QwertyJuan]

Actually in XP, the default Administrator is hidden by default and usually the password is blank by default. Yes the main account can be named in the installation process, but not the default administrator account.

Don't argue with the guy... unless you have installed XP more times than him!

 

[darkpaw]

when you install windows, its ask you to name the main account (administrator account, not an additional account) and if you dont then it puts it as Admin by default, but if you name it then the main account will say whatever name you choose instead of Admin. Trust me, i've installed windows thousands of times on thousands of computers. thats why at windows setup screen after fnishing the main install, it has like 4 or 5 boxes for account names, the first one says YOUR NAME, and thats where your supposed to type in your name, or just leave it blank to be called admin, and the other boxes say ACCOUNT 1, ACCOUNT 2, etc etc, those are the ones for setting up additional accounts, aside from the main admin account that you CAN name whatever you want not just admin

It is an additional account, the first box creates the first user specific account with a name you choose and administrative rights, but the administrator account (500) is still present as well and active. If you get rid of that fast user switching BS, you can log in with the administrator account just fine.

As for the OP, if you're using the account named administrator already, you can change the name in the security policy editor. I'm not sure if that is installed on XP Home, but on any other version you can run secpol.msc, go to Local Policies, Security Options, and Accounts: Rename Administrator Account. There is probably a registry setting for that as well that you can do, but I don't know it off the top of my head.

 

[AnAngelsDeath]

Don't argue with the guy... unless you have installed XP more times than him!

I misinterpreted what you were saying, so I apologize. I dont think that I kno everything, obviously, or otherwise I wouldn't be here asking for help. I thought that they account that it ask you to name during the XP install was the Administrator account and that you just named it whatever you wanted, so once again I apologize.

so basically all I'm trying to figure out, is the only account on my computer says "Administrator" and I would like it to say my name instead, since i forgot to type in my name into one of those boxes during the install. So how would I go about renaming the account that I am currently using.

 

[Sparkyy]

Simpliest way to do it is either do the "control userpasswords2" and change it in there or by right clicking on "My Computer" from either Start or on the Desktop if you have it there.

Click on Manage and then going to "Local Users and Groups" and then click on "Users" and in here you will see "Administrator", "Guest" etc. Just right click on "Administrator" and select "Rename" then type in "Josh" and hit Enter or click elsewhere and restart. When you come back up it will then say "Josh" with no other modifications to the system.

That is unless you have to do Ctrl-Alt-Del to log in then you have to type in "Josh" but still be able to log in.

 

[Catweazle]

so basically all I'm trying to figure out, is the only account on my computer says "Administrator" and I would like it to say my name instead, since i forgot to type in my name into one of those boxes during the install. So how would I go about renaming the account that I am currently using.

If you are (in normal mode) logging in to an account called 'Administrator' then the install must have been tweaked to enable that form of operation. The 'Administrator' account is a hidden account normally, and XP won't allow you to create another user account which has that name.

I don't think it allows renaming of the Administrator account either (although I could be wrong there). If it doesn't then to do what you desire you'd need to disable the administrator accont from appearing at the Welcome screen, and instead use a new user account named in accordance with your wishes.




Here's the tweak necessary to have the Administrator account available in Normal mode rather than just in Safe mode:

http://www.tweakxp.com/article36811.aspx


To disable it again you'd simply need to alter the 'Accounts: Administrator account status' setting to disabled.

 

[gimp]

I didn't think you could rename it either, but sure enough, you can. Guess it's been a while since I've had to deal with that

but will it let you rename the account you are currently logged on to?

best thing may be to just create a new account, leaving the administrator account there.

never hurts to have an extra acct to log in to.

 

[Sparkyy]

Yes, you can rename any account in XP, Vista or Win7 all you need to do is just reboot afterwards, maybe type out the new name if you have that feature enabled or turned on and you can log in as usual.

Also I remember with XP there always was an Admin profile that you just couldn't use/see unless you booted in to Safe Mode then it was there.

 

[QwertyJuan]

As a general rule of thumb, most security experts will tell you to completely disable the 'administrator' account, as well as the 'guest' account... I am pretty sure since 2k, the 'guest' account has been disabled by default(no idea why it's even still there actually).

But I guess just renaming the 'administrator' account(like I did on my domain here at work)would work just the same as disabling it.

 

[AnAngelsDeath]

Click on Manage and then going to "Local Users and Groups" and then click on "Users" and in here you will see "Administrator", "Guest" etc. Just right click on "Administrator" and select "Rename" then type in "Josh" and hit Enter or click elsewhere and restart. When you come back up it will then say "Josh" with no other modifications to the system.
.

Thank you, that worked perfectly ! thank you all for the helpful replies, its much appreciated !

As a general rule of thumb, most security experts will tell you to completely disable the 'administrator' account, as well as the 'guest' account... I am pretty sure since 2k, the 'guest' account has been disabled by default(no idea why it's even still there actually).

But I guess just renaming the 'administrator' account(like I did on my domain here at work)would work just the same as disabling it.

thanks for the advice, everything helped !