Account Rebuilding Question

hello! i'm new mac technician , have been working @ apple authorized repair center less 3 months; got acmt , actc certs well.

first post here don't know else ask. guys work aren't helpful , take "difficult" work me without bothering give me clue doing fix machine.

anyway.... there issue stumped me other day , want know how fix it:

customer brought in power mac g4 running 10.4.11. mentioned had bought computer else and, after buying it, changed short name on admin account has name. told them short name should never changed, what's done done...

brought because forgot admin password , wanted me reset it. used tiger installation disc admin password reset (and no, didn't reset root account.) after reset, rebooted computer , admin account gone log-in screen. automatically logged in daughter's managed account. went system preferences user section , sys pref sceen acted strangely. said "loading accounts..." @ top of window. when clicked again, went blank. in finder window checked make sure admin , managed account home folders @ least still on system , were. beginning of troubles...

after calling customer explain happened, wanted me add admin account computer. since couldn't add using system preferences, asked manager do. said archive & install tiger disc. after doing that, no accounts log-in computer. got log-in screen asking type in user name , password. did few things while @ lunch , managed create new admin account, problem isn't linked both of old accounts (other admin , managed) still on system. newly created admin account can logged now. mentioned having rebuild accounts , gave other guy work on.

happened here? , "rebuilding accounts" entail?

help!

j

 

there 2 issues here:
1.) notion cannot change short username false, have correctly
2.) (no offense) way tried fixing issue wrong

proper technique change short user name see:
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1428

best approach first moment
best bet in situation be: (assuming knew daughters account worked)
1.) boot single user mode
2.) elevate daughters permissions admin changing group via dscl
3.) login daughters account
4.) follow link instructions
6.) remove elevated permissions daughters account unchecking allow admin.

(i may have missed step been while since have done such things 10.4.)

why crucial have backup admin.

have had best chance of success.

rebuild @ point:
current situation best bet rebuild use new admin create new accounts both users, , use terminal transfer, , change permissions on data files. clone data off second drive. clean install , move data manually, unless had lot of apps photoshop distribute stuff on hd.

cheers

 

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