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Changing User ID

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6 replies

by quinnbj

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Due to staff changes,the User id on Win2000 PC's need changing, however, I do not want the actual files,existing email, desktop, programs etc etc to change. I tried changing a user ID in Properties of the current user and lost the login for that user and got "new" user settings. Consequently all that was there before, is now not available...although the files appear to still be there under Docs & Settings. Is there a way I can just simply change a user name on a PC but keep everything as is for the next user?

6 replies

by allthegoodnamesweregone

are these local account or domain accounts(assuming AD)? i've done this several times with success on domain accounts but have never tried with local accounts.

for AD, just open the properties for the account, go to the account tab, and change the use logon name.

by quinnbj

They are just local network PC with old user login details which I want to change but keep everything as is for the new user. I hear I can create a new account and copy the old profile to that new accounts so that after login with the new username, everything is the same. Very simply Mary is old user, Jane is new. I want to remove Marys name & add Jane and I want Jane to use everything exactly as Mary had it.
I've tried copying the "unknown Profile" to Janes profile but I have not been successful. Any help will be much appreciated. You would think such a small change wouldnt cause such drama huh ?

by allthegoodnamesweregone

i would think that if you just renamed the account through computer management that it wouldn't create a new profile at logon...

if it did, then i would assume the old profile is still on the system, and you can force that old profile to be used by the new user id by going to the profile tab of the user properties and specifying the profile path.

by quinnbj

The new profile was created and the old profile is still on the PC. Tried to copy old profile to new but keep getting error message "Failed to Set Security on the Destination Profile: error access denied" I dont know how to correct this. Where exactly is the profile path? C:\docs & sett\user?

by collignond

If you login as the administrator and go to Documents and settings you can copy all the information from one profile name to the next.

To change the name in control pannel goto, Administrative Tool, then Computer Management,
select Local Users and Groups, then select the Users folder, Right click on the account name and use the rename command. It works I have done a number of this type of changes.

by lmayeda

To move the old email to the new user, setup either Outlook or Outlook Express for the new user (blank files). (Helpful to give the new user local PC admin rights while copying files from 1 profile to another). For the new user, OUTLOOK: rename the OUTLOOK.PST (empty) file found in Documents and Settings\userid\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook to XXXOUTLOOK.PST. Then copy the old OUTLOOK.PST found in the similar path of the old user to the new user. For OUTLOOK EXPRESS, the path is Documents and Settings\userid\local settings\Application Data\Identity\bunch of characters\Microsoft\Outlook Express. For Outlook Express the INBOX, SENT ITEMS are in separate .dbx files. Rename the equivalent (empty) files on the new profile and copy the old files to the new profile. Note: if you do not see the entire path , you will need go to Tools, Folder options, View to show Hidden Files and uncheck Hide Protected Operating System Files. An alternative for OUTLOOK if you can still log on as the old user is to Export Files and then import the file into the new profile.

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