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Question Profile
| DATE | Jan 12, 2008 |
| TICKET | #335623 |
| STATUS | Closed |
| SUBJECT | files transfer after name change |
| CAT | Computers, Operating Systems, Applications or Connected Devices |
| TYPE | Operating System Features, Bugs and Problems |
| DESC | Apple |
| DESC | 10.4.X (Tiger) |
| PLATFORM | Apple Macintosh (PowerPC G3,G4,G5) |
| MODEL | PoweMac G5 |
| PROC | 1.8Ghz |
| RAM | 768 MB DDR SDRAM |
| DRIVE | 80GB |
| NAME | Krystyna |
| USERNAME | krycha |
| TECHNICAL | Little Experience |
| ISSUE | Need Advice |
Question Details
TICKET ARCHIVE -> files transfer after name change
krycha - Jan 12, 2008 - 4:44 pm
I have stupidly changed the user name in my HD and all my emails, iCall data, Pictures, Music etc disappeared. I managed to recover everything except the iCall data. Where do I find it? It's all my work details.
Stuartpau - Jan 13, 2008 - 7:58 pm
If you created a new user name to log on to your mac with, what you have created is an empty account, as the computer assumes you are a different user not the original user.
IF you deleted the original user, then the files belonging to that user, should be inside the Users Folder at the root level of your HD.
Now comes the hard part.
All your files should be there, but they are in an encrypted form, in case that original user did not want everyone to have access to their files. Not only is this file encrypted, it is I believe also in a Disk Image format that can be mounted, and from that point you should be able to copy all your files to where you need them. The caveat here is you will need to have permission to do this.
This means to open the file and access the hidden files you will need to remember your original user ID and Password.
IF you do not have this information there are other ways that may or may not work.
One way is to copy the backup of your old user files to a different hard drive.
Once it is there, do a get Info on the HD itself and scroll down the list to where you can check the box that tells the OS to ignore permissions on tis drive.
From that point you may be able to simply mount the disk image and retrieve your files. They will still have the original owner name and maybe password, but this can be changed, if you log in to your system with an admin account.
Then you can change the ownership of the files to the account you currently are using ad all should be well.
IF this does not work, you may be able to create a root user password, however you must be extremely careful wit this account as it allows you to do anything you want to your system and without warning you may irreparable damage your system.
The easiest way to do this is to start the computer on the CD's or DVD that came with it, as if you are going to install a new system.
Instead of installing a system, you can access the password utility, and that will allow you to change any passwords for any user on that startup drive, and it will allow you to create a root user with Password that has full access to almost everything on the computer. (Be warned this is the absolute most dangerous account you can have on your Mac as it does not need any special permissions or password to do almost anything on that computer so be very careful using a root user account) The Admin user has a lot of power but you have to enter a password before doing anything like installing or moving a file from certain parts of your computer, and you should be able to do most things needed from the Admin account, much more safely)
Now having a root user you may be able to mount the DMG file that was made if you deleted your old user account. OF course this assumes you did not also discard this file, which most people don't as they don't know it is there.
The hard part is getting back into that file to reacquire your files.
LEt me know how you manage and if that lot does not help we will have to lok at other ways, or maybe someone else may have some ideas.
Stuart
IF you deleted the original user, then the files belonging to that user, should be inside the Users Folder at the root level of your HD.
Now comes the hard part.
All your files should be there, but they are in an encrypted form, in case that original user did not want everyone to have access to their files. Not only is this file encrypted, it is I believe also in a Disk Image format that can be mounted, and from that point you should be able to copy all your files to where you need them. The caveat here is you will need to have permission to do this.
This means to open the file and access the hidden files you will need to remember your original user ID and Password.
IF you do not have this information there are other ways that may or may not work.
One way is to copy the backup of your old user files to a different hard drive.
Once it is there, do a get Info on the HD itself and scroll down the list to where you can check the box that tells the OS to ignore permissions on tis drive.
From that point you may be able to simply mount the disk image and retrieve your files. They will still have the original owner name and maybe password, but this can be changed, if you log in to your system with an admin account.
Then you can change the ownership of the files to the account you currently are using ad all should be well.
IF this does not work, you may be able to create a root user password, however you must be extremely careful wit this account as it allows you to do anything you want to your system and without warning you may irreparable damage your system.
The easiest way to do this is to start the computer on the CD's or DVD that came with it, as if you are going to install a new system.
Instead of installing a system, you can access the password utility, and that will allow you to change any passwords for any user on that startup drive, and it will allow you to create a root user with Password that has full access to almost everything on the computer. (Be warned this is the absolute most dangerous account you can have on your Mac as it does not need any special permissions or password to do almost anything on that computer so be very careful using a root user account) The Admin user has a lot of power but you have to enter a password before doing anything like installing or moving a file from certain parts of your computer, and you should be able to do most things needed from the Admin account, much more safely)
Now having a root user you may be able to mount the DMG file that was made if you deleted your old user account. OF course this assumes you did not also discard this file, which most people don't as they don't know it is there.
The hard part is getting back into that file to reacquire your files.
LEt me know how you manage and if that lot does not help we will have to lok at other ways, or maybe someone else may have some ideas.
Stuart
krycha - Jan 15, 2008 - 8:57 pm
This turned out to be actually slightly easier problem to fix. I only changed the actual name next to the icon so I still had access to everything but didn't know where to find it all, especially the entries in my iCal, which I use to keep an eye on my work flow, but eventually I found it.
Thanks a lot for your help and thorough answer
Thanks a lot for your help and thorough answer
Stuartpau - Jan 15, 2008 - 9:55 pm
You are welcome, I hope the info I gave you will come in handy someday and at the very least enable you to locate the files of users you have deleted and do want to either recover or fully delete for the sake of space.
Stuart
Stuart
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