Structural Re-Org. in Win Boot Partitition ?

[Seeker47]

This question is for someone who is quite well-versed in Windows. (XP, in this case, though the OS version might not make much difference.)

I purchased this computer more than a year ago, already assembled and set up. The seller set it up in a way that -- in retrospect -- I would have changed, and would still like to change, if there is a safe way to do so. He set it up as follows:

C:\Documents and Settings\"John Jones"\Application Data
{& etc.}

instead of with some random naming string, which is supposed to be much preferred for security purposes. Therefore, for each of the 100 or so apps that got installed from then until now (except for portable apps), the specific path info got hardcoded throughout the system, and most particularly in the Registry.

My question: Can I retroactively change that name portion -- using Windows Explorer, or some other tool -- in a way that will ripple throughout the system, updating and bringing all that info along with it ? So that a boatload of critical apps and I dunno what else won't become invalidated and unusable ?

[betwixt]

I can't halp with an application although it would be a relatively easy scripting task in other operating systems.
It isn't anything to do with the boot sectors or partition table though so don't follow that route. What you need is to globally rename folders and any paths associated with them in the Windows registry.

Brian.

[Nelson37]

I really don't understand the question.

The "john jones" portion you mention is NEVER a random string, it is the user's login name. Each login name will have it's own directory, containing desktop, My Documents, and other things. No security issue here. The PC guy did not set it up this way, Microsoft does. He just choose the login name. If that happens to be your real name, I don't really see this as a problem. This info is available in many, many other ways.

If progs are installed as available for All users, then it does not matter where they are located. Specific path info is ALWAYS recorded for installed programs, which, for the most part, go into the program files directory, not the user's directory.

Just create a new user and test the apps. Data can be moved, as can documents. Just point the app to the new location.

[Seeker47]

I really don't understand the question.

The "john jones" portion you mention is NEVER a random string, it is the user's login name. Each login name will have it's own directory, containing desktop, My Documents, and other things. No security issue here. The PC guy did not set it up this way, Microsoft does. He just choose the login name. If that happens to be your real name, I don't really see this as a problem. This info is available in many, many other ways.

If progs are installed as available for All users, then it does not matter where they are located. Specific path info is ALWAYS recorded for installed programs, which, for the most part, go into the program files directory, not the user's directory.

Just create a new user and test the apps. Data can be moved, as can documents. Just point the app to the new location.

Thanks for your reply.

I have to say I'm confused about this, one of many Windows things I guess I never really paid a whole lot of attention to. Looking at the structure of the laptop I'm typing this on right now (which was used and already set up at the time I bought it -- I haven't bought any computers brand new and set them up myself for several years now), I see these major divisions under Documents & Settings: Administrator, Owner, Default User, and All Users. I don't really have a login the way perhaps most others do. This comes out of my bad experiences getting locked out of NT a couple times, years ago, in a way that even the Nordahl disc could not overcome. (Maybe there are better Windows lockpick tools around now, I wouldn't know.) I said 'Screw This !' and never bothered with Logins again (which I view as an annoying slowdown when I see it as the default on other people's systems) or with passwords. No one else has access to my systems, so I don't really see the need. Maybe if I really traveled with a laptop, it would be a different situation. All my stuff just boots up directly, as quickly as I can arrange for that to happen.

This might be what I was thinking of: don't they advise you to change 'Administrator' to something else, something unique, nondescript, and non-identifying ? Or was that just the Login, which I suppose would not matter if you don't use Login ? So, there is no security issue from having your name in there ? (I was thinking more in terms of what a website or remote system could possibly see. But they should not be able to see your directory tree anyway, unless there is something like PC AnyWhere or an FTP link going on, right ?)

Anyway, much bigger problems right now. This morning, the Shuttle desktop box I was writing about started smoking while I was in the kitchen having breakfast, but I did not find that out immediately. It was dead by the time I got back to the office. I'm hoping this was just the power supply, and that it did not take anything else along with it. I actually have an "understudy" of that same model, which I bought used as a backup, or if necessary to cannibalize for parts. That was probably a good move, since I've discovered that the MB and maybe other replacement parts for it are no longer available. The quickest and easiest fix would seem to be swapping my HDDs into the 2nd. rig. However, it has a different (somewhat slower dual-core) CPU, different video card, and different optical drive. (The memory is likely the same config., but I need to confirm that.) Does that pose a problem ? I'm hesitant to start swapping parts, since I'm pretty sure the 2nd. box is currently a solid working unit, and at this point I don't know what else may have been damaged on Box #1. For that one, I think I'd rather just wait until I can get ahold of a replacement PSU.

[Nelson37]

Whether you know it or not, you ARE using a Login. It is simply automatic. If you get to the Windows desktop, you have given the PC a user name and password. You are almost certainly logged in as Owner.

Administrator is a mandatory User Name. It has total control over system operations, whereas a standard user may, or may not. You should not surf the internet as Administrator, but as a standard user with limited control. This means you would need to login as administrator to install new programs. This helps significantly in preventing viruses.

Other users can be given the power of the Administrator, but as a general rule this should not be done. A user with the power of Administrator is NOT the same thing as THE Administrator.

As for the broken PC, with the same mobo you should be ok with a drive swap but you will need to install the video drivers and the different card could trigger a requirement to authorize Windows again. Replace the power supply on the broken one is probably a good idea, and if you don't have an APC surge protector/battery backup then go and get one, or two.