Sorting out my users/folders

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  1. Posts : 157
    Win10 v20H2 Build 19042.804
    Thread Starter
       #21

    mrgeek said:
    my question/proposal: Can I make Administrator 2 (Users\MyFullName) a Microsoft Account by using the same email address as I'm using for Adminstrator 1 on Microsoft.

    Yes, you can't have 2 users with the same MS acct on the same device. Let me make it easier to understand by referring to MS email user as MS and no MS email user as non-MS. AFTER you make MS Admin 1 another standard Local Acct (Sign in with a Local Acct instead w/o an email, write down password)) and with desired User name first, then make it an non-MS Admin 2 (still no email acct). Copy all the file explorer folders (Music, etc) from MS Admin 1 to same non-MS Admin 2 folders.
    In Accounts while signed in as non-MS Admin 2, delete MS Admin 1 (you'll be asked to confirm file deletion). Reboot, under Accounts go to 'Your info', select option to 'Sign in with MS acct instead', enter same email as before, to convert non-MS Admin 2 to MS Admin 2.

    Will it inherit all the privileges and settings of Administrator 1?

    After you have followed the steps, MS Admin 2 is now the only Admin so, yes. All the installed programs have no restrictions and Firefox has your profile under AppData/Roaming and your data files will be in proper folders.
    I do this process for people who setup Win 10 with MS email and un-desired name is 1st 5 characters in email address, say, George Nutsinger has gnutsinger@###.com address becomes user 'gnuts' instead desired name of 'George'. I make 'gnuts' MS Admin a standard Local Account, named 'George', make it an non-MS Admin, delete the 'gnuts' acct after transferring folders data, then convert non-MS Local Admin 'George' to MS Admin 'George' by entering email and pass. Done. Now open C;/Users and George will appear vs 'gnuts'. Good Luck
    Thanks, @mrgeek. The fact I cannot have 2 accounts as microsoft accounts using the same login, kind of blows my idea out of the water. I don't want to continue to add more emails to my Microsoft Account giving me multiple Microsoft Accounts. 1 is already more than enough, but deem the 1 a necessity. I think I have understood what you have informed me. Even if it is a bit of a brain twister for me :)

    However, I am following @Brink instructions and have edited so I can use the Administrator Account. I'm just waiting to here that I've got the right steps to complete the task at hand, and I hopefully, will be done with this thread.
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  2. Posts : 157
    Win10 v20H2 Build 19042.804
    Thread Starter
       #22

    Brink said:
    Basically, yes to follow the steps below. I would wait to make sure everything is ok before deleting the "Administrator 2" account though.
    Change Name of User Profile Folder in Windows 10 User Accounts Tutorials
    OK. That worked. And was pretty easy to actually do.

    I now have Administrator, Administrator 1 (not real name of course but related to this thread), and Administrator 2 (again not real name).

    Administrator is a Local Account without any internet access
    Administrator 1 is the Microsoft Account created when the system was installed by the hardware supplier, under the folder \Users\x and now renamed \Users\MyShortName.
    Administrator 2 is a Local Account and was the Admin A/C I created to perform the rename task \Users\MyLongName (which is no longer needed but will hold open for about a week just in case).

    So I think this was not successful before because the account I wanted to rename was not a Local Account, but a Microsoft Account. I think nowhere leading up to point #11 mentions the account which you are trying to rename the folder, needs to be a Local Account. Leading to the "in use error". And so it would have been much easier to simply use the Administrator Account, which took less than 5 minutes, rather than the troubleshooting I've done over the last day. I'm not pointing fingers at anybody for their extremely helpful advice. As a beginner, I've learned 200% more about Windows than I did before. But I would suggest that the Administrator should be used to correct this rename folder should be the highly recommended option to fix this problem. I'd suggest that maybe the help sheet created needs to be amended. (Unless I misread the instructions somehow).

    Thanks to @Brink and @mrgeek, for all their helpful advice and patience.
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  3. Posts : 68,791
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
       #23

    You're most welcome stub. I'm glad we could help. :)

    You should be able to normally change the user profile folder of any account (local or Microsoft) as long as it's signed out and you have another admin account to work in.
      My Computers


  4. Posts : 157
    Win10 v20H2 Build 19042.804
    Thread Starter
       #24

    Brink said:
    You're most welcome stub. I'm glad we could help. :)

    You should be able to normally change the user profile folder of any account (local or Microsoft) as long as it's signed out and you have another admin account to work in.
    But @mrgeek said that you can't change the folder if the account was logged into Microsoft, because it was in use by Microsoft.com. This was my experience also. (Not that I'm an expert). Is he right or wrong about that? Using the Administrator Account was a much simpler solution than what I encountered by creating another Admin Account.

    I also didn't read anywhere that you had to logout of Microsoft.com for the account you were trying to change (if it was using a Microsoft Account). But again. Perhaps I misread the instructions. I looked for but could not find in my Control Panel, how I logout of my Administrator 1, Microsoft.com Account. Going to Microsoft.com using my browser told me I was not logged in either.

    Anyway. Thanks a lot. Appreciated.
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 68,791
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
       #25

    It shouldn't matter as long as you are not signed in to the account on the PC itself. I was able to do so for Microsoft account on the PC.
      My Computers


  6. Posts : 157
    Win10 v20H2 Build 19042.804
    Thread Starter
       #26

    Ok. I think you, me, and @mrgeek are saying the same thing. We need to be logged out of our Microsoft Account for the account we wish to correct. (But not if we use the Windows 10 Administrator Account to make the correction). At least I couldn't make the correction from my Administrator 2 Account, but I was able to make the correction from the Windows 10 Administrator Account (easily without the Users\x account being in use by Microsoft.com).

    To put it another way. I don't recall logging out of my Administrator 1 Microsoft Account. EVER. How do/should I logout of my Microsoft Account, for my Administrator 1 Account? I couldn't figure out how to do that. That's probably just my newness with Windows.
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 68,791
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
       #27

    There's nothing special to do other than the usual sign out of the account in Windows 10.

    Sign out of Windows 10 General Tips Tutorials
      My Computers


  8. Posts : 157
    Win10 v20H2 Build 19042.804
    Thread Starter
       #28

    OK. I'll try this. Thanks.

    However. I seem to have another problem after renaming Users\x to Users\MyShortName. Today I notice Users\x has been automatically re-created by something. It looks like this.. \Users\x\AppData\Local\Temp\BCLTMP\ and this has 3 subdirs \chrome, \edge, \firefox, all of which are empty. How to correct this from happening? And after I've corrected this I presume it will be safe to delete this Users\x folder manually?
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 68,791
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
       #29

    It sounds like those programs may be doing it. Check their settings to make sure everything is pointed at the new location instead.
      My Computers


  10. Posts : 157
    Win10 v20H2 Build 19042.804
    Thread Starter
       #30

    So you mean I will have to check every (third party?) application to see if anything is still pointing to \Users\x?

    I checked Chrome. Chrome Downloads were still pointing to \Users\x. So I pointed it to C:\Users\MyShortName\Downloads. I presume that is the correct path for the downloads from this User - Administrator 1.

    I checked FireFox. Firefox appears to be pointing correctly to This PC\Downloads. I tried to change it to C:\Users\MyShortName\Downloads, but it remains as This PC\Downloads (Boy! I've got a whole lot of learning to do).

    I've never even opened Edge. But when I opened it. I could not find any settings for the download folder.

    I'm now going to delete this \Users\x folder again and wait to see what happens.
      My Computer


 

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