I recommend that you use the tutorial instead.
Note that, for example, "But some people find that this only changes the user folder name, but not the user account name", is complete rubbish. It is impossible for changing the folder name to change the account name. I'm very surprised that MiniTool would say such a ridiculous thing.
Denis
In addition that rename is not an option on "Users profiles" since at least W7.
Hi Denis ! (and others)
update.....
Worked on Pamela's computer last night and ended up with a glitch, but fixed it so I could boot into here main profile.
What I did...
I went to the Registry Editor and to the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList\ and found the SID with C:\Users\scott in it and I edited this to say C:\Users\Pamela and closed the editor.
Then I went to My Computer (renamed from This PC) and wen to C:\Users and tried to rename "scott" to "Pamela" but would not work, as no "rename" in the menu item. Even at the top the Search was grayed out so could not use that.
I created a folder in that directory called Pamela . So now have scott with all the normal folders in it, and "Pamela" with no folders. Then I went into "scott" folder and highlighted all special folders in there and "Copy" and pasted into the folder I created called "Pamela" so C:\Users\ had both Pamela and scott, with the exact same folders.
I rebooted.
Then is when my glitch appeared. i got "We can't sign into your account" and "You've been signed in with a temporary profile"
So what I did is I went back into Registry Editor and wen to the area that I had changed the name from "scott" to "Pamela" and changed it back to "scott" got out of that and rebooted.
Now it came up with Pamela original desktop and all good, except that "scott" in the C:\Users folder still remained. Since I copied (not cut and pasted) all those folders into the folder I created in there called "Pamela" I simply highlighted all and deleted them, except skipped the files of the "AppData" folder, since they are system files. Oddly enough the folder was not hidden like it is in usual explorer and only seen when you click "show hidden files and folders"
NOW I KNOW I need to actually invoke the built in administrator account in Windows 10, log into Administrator before doing anyting to "scott" to change it. I think it has an issue with changes and being the logged in user at the time of these changes.
Can I completely delete the folder I created called "Pamela" from the C:\Users\ folder, as only has AppData folder n there and I don't think it is actually considered a "system user" per se.
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Well, using the new Administrator account I went into registry and edited the name "scott" to "Pamela"
Then closed.
Went to C;\Users and highlighted "scott" and right clicked. There was a "rename" now and i clicked on that and renamed it from scott to Pamela.
Then...
I used the Elevated Command prompt and added mklink /d "C:\Users\scott" "C:\Users\Pamela" and it was successful.
Logged out of Administrator and back into Pamela when it was presented. She is now changed to a local account in good order. In control Panel in User Accounts, her face and name "Pamela" is listed as Local Account Administrator
On Desktop is shows "Pamela" and clicking it I noticed 2 folders of Documents and 2 folders named OneDrive
Now the OneDrive folders are exactly the same size and contain the same files/folders. In the path of one of the OneDrive it is C:\Users\scott\OneDrive and the other folder is C:\Users\Pamela\OneDrive
In the 2 Document folders, 1 is C:\Users\scott\Onedrive\Documents and in #2 the path is C:\Users\Pamela\Documents
Can the ones with "scott" in the path address be deleted to mitigate confusion?
BOTH folders of OneDrive have exactly same size and same files and mentioned.
Also another peculiar thing I notice is that when we always boot up her laptop there is a white square in the middle of the screen and it soon loads with Microsoft Office icons, but has a X in the upper right so you can just close it. Now when the computer starts up the large white square appears in the center of the desktop, but is totally blank and no X in the upper right to close it. Ctrl+Alt+Del brings up the Task Manager that shows "Microsoft Teams" and there I can highlight it and click "end task" and it is now gone... until next time we reboot or log in and then the white box appears again
I found out I can stop it from starting every time by going into Start - Setting - PC Settings -Apps- Startup and hen I found Microsoft Teams, I hit the slider to turn off. However, it is odd that it used to pop up with icons (MS Office) with the X in the upper right, but now just blank, with no Office icons nor an X to close it like before.
Many thanks to all you fine folks for the helps!!! This 68 YO guy appreciates it.
Last edited by Brink; 12 May 2022 at 21:05. Reason: fixed format
New question, but rather than starting a new thread, i believe it will work here, since it is related to what was said earlier.....
On my computer and Pamela Desktop, if you open the folder of the [ username ] ex Vernon, it shows the system folders for me, Pictures, Documents, Videos, etc. Location on mine or Pamela's desktop is the same scenarios, eg. Pictures folder (Properties) - Location shows C:\Users\Pamela ********* My computer in those System User folders says Documents = Location = C:\Users\Vernon\Documents
But on Pamela's new HP Laptop in the desktop folder of "Pamela" if I click on Documents it says C:\Users\scott\OneDrive\Documents or in the "Pictures" folder it says C:\Users\scott\OneDrive\Pictures
Now if i go to the C:\Users\Pamela folder and create folder called "Pictures" as none exist in there, then go to the "Pictures" folder that shows in the desktop Pamela, and right click it I can "move" it, or should be able to, and i choose MOVE then the destination is C:\Users\Pamela and I choose the new empty folder "Pictures" . Then it says move all the folder and files to this location, and I say yes. Then I get an error that says it cannot move it as there is already a "picture" folder in there.
On my own laptop, I have divided the HD to C and D and created a folders in D: drive called Pictures, Downloads, and Videos and moved all the folders and files there some years back and that is where new pictures, files or downloads are put in their respective folder locations in D: drive.
\So why do I get this error and why won't it let me re-locate C:\Users\scott\OneDrive\Pictures to C:\Users\Pamela\Pictures ??
NOTE: If I choose "Restore Default Location" when I open Properties of the folder and Location, it changes it automatically in the address bar to C:\Users\Pamela\Pictures
One more thing..... The error I get is: "Can't move teh folder because there is a folder in the same location that can't be redirected.
Access is denied"
On wife's desktop there are 2 folders named "OneDrive" one has 3 entries, (also denotes "CLOUD" and the other is totally empty.
So why are "OneDrive" so prevalent in her new laptop?
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BTW wife and I do NOT LIKE storing any files or folders in "The Cloud" We have very slow internet and there have been times we had no internet for several days or even over a week before getting repaired.
We want all... ALL our files and folders to reside locally on our computers, not somewhere out there on "OneDrive" or some Cloud. The "cloud" is actually some giant HD residing someplace else, other than home.
Last edited by Gibbs; 14 May 2022 at 20:04.
When you set up her computer you inadvertently selected to keep those special folders ( Documents, Pictures, and Desktop ) backed up to OneDrive. In doing so it created special links to the OneDrive directory structure and most likely moved their contents to the Cloud.
It actually happens a lot because the workflow on a new machine during OneDrive's registration process shrewdly coaxes the user to select this option.
This thread below had a similar problem and like it, depending on how much has already happened, you may or may not be able to easily reverse it without some Microsoft Support.
How to transfer documents back to computer from Onedrive
The basic steps outlined in various parts of that thread, steps that that need to be done in this order are as follows:
1. Turn off 'Files On Demand'. That will bring the contents of Documents, Pictures, and Desktop back to your your computer from the cloud. Wait for this process to finish. ( Sync ) It could take some time depending on how much you had in those folders.
2. Uncheck everything under the Backup > Manage Backup dialog
3. Then 'Unlink this PC'
4. And finally, turn off OneDrive at startup so it doesn't start automatically when you boot and remember to never manually turn it on.
Last edited by Farvatten; 14 May 2022 at 20:53.
@Gibbs just my personal take on this. About the naming issues I would have started again with a fresh install of Windows - and HP makes it easy to get all the drivers for it on their site. You would have been up and running correctly 5 days ago.
As for OneDrive, I uninstall it first thing. My upload speed is poor and like you prefer to store my data locally on external USB drives. However I do use it for the occasional important folder by logging in to OneDrive online. First I'll encrypt the folder with 7-Zip and then upload it. I don't upload much but sometimes it's handy to have a third backup that's available if away from home.
Vern,
1 I'm sorry to nag but you could also have escaped all the awkwardness by doing what I suggested all those days ago.
And you could still do this.
2.1 As for getting out of the clutches of OneDrive in the new account you create -
- Make local copies of all your files in OneDrive before uninstalling it [there'd be nothing to stop you going to it online to get them later on but it would be more convenient to do it first].
- Here is some guidance on removing OneDrive -
Turn off, disable, or uninstall OneDrive - MSOfficeSupport [this is how I did it on my computers even though I did not have a supported version of Office at the time - look under the heading Hide or uninstall OneDrive, Uninstall OneDrive]
Uninstall OneDrive - TenForumsTutorials [this is virtually the same as the method I used but it does it through Settings, Apps instead]
Enable or Disable OneDrive Integration - TenForumsTutorials
Add or Remove OneDrive in Navigation Pane of File Explorer - TenForumsTutorials
And I'd suggest rebooting afterwards just to make sure there are no residual confusions.
2.2 And I can then also take you through double-checking that all references to OneDrive have been removed from the paths Windows uses for your user folders.
To kick things off, once you have removed OneDrive, run this command by right-clicking on the Start button then selecting Windows PowerShell then copying & pasting in this command
REG QUERY "HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders"
then running your cursor all over the text to select it then pressing Ctrl-C and posting the whole lot here
- The response will look a mess [that I will tidy up for you] but it is essentially three columns separated by spaces
All the best,
Denis
Pam's new HP Laptop a HP 15-dy2132wm (Walmart bought) is so new there are not many items in her "new" laptop right now. I think there are some Excel and Word files that do reside out there on the clout, and will check.
My thought is to save the "cloud" files to the computer locally, then reset the computer back to original factory setting and start over and DISCONNECT from the internet so I don't end up "forced" into signing in with a Microsoft Account and just set it up with local user account.
I "used" to be able to get a choice when setting up a computer, but perhaps in later installed versions of Windows 10, they changed that option to sort of force you into signing in or creating a Microsoft Account. My focus initially was to get it out of S mode, It came pre-installed with Windows 10 in S-Mode. I wanted to get it up and running to be able to turn off S mode. It was a surprise to see a picture of our Grand Daughter on the desktop when it initially got set up, because usually I see this all blue screen or such and "then" choose a desktop background image and others.
This new HP Laptop only has 256GB SSD and 8 GB of RAM, so not the storage capacity of her older HP computer, but for doing business, packing it along to work, etc, It seemed to be able to do the job.
I bought her a 128GB USB 3.0 stick for doing files transfers, and it's half the size of her current hard drive. It could store all those files/folders on it have lots of room to spare.
Vern,
If you don't mind reinstalling Windows 10 then fine, set up only a local account during installation. That's what I do as well.
Clean Install - TenForumsTutorials
I do also create an additional [spare] local, password-protected Admin account as a precaution for the day-to-day account becoming corrupt in the future. Actually, I create two spare ones but you might regard that as going too far.
Create two spare local, password-protected Admin accounts [post #2] - TenForums
Best of luck,
Denis
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