How can I put my name on a used computer

M

mauve

Registered
The computer I just got is registered under the previous owner's name.
How can I rename/register it?
Thank you.
 
First, you could simply add another Administrator account under your name and use that instead of the pre-installed user account. (You can actually delete it after setting up yours.) Just make sure that you have backed up any data files you might still need, so you can access those files from within your _new_ user account.

Other than that, you can, of course, re-install Mac OS X completely using the original installation disks that came with the computer. (Thy did, didn't they?) This way, you'll end up with a clean system where you decide what's installed, what's not etc. However: By doing that, you'll lose any information that previously was on the Mac.
 
Here is a paranoid thought.
Can the person who sold the me the computer have a remote access to it?
 
Not if you change the access passwords to the computer. Id change the master password and then any user account passwords. Actually, if im being honest, on buying the computer i would do a fresh re-install of the OS anyway and set the computer how i would like it with my own loin details.
 
I'm not certain about the proper terminology, but the OP may be asking about the local machine name (domain name, host name?). My iMac defaulted to "firstname lastname's iMac G5" (firstname-lastname-imac-g5.local). If you can figure out what I mean, how would one go about changing that?
 
Go into the System Preferences and click on the Sharing pane. There, you'll see where you can change the hostname of the Mac. If you click on the Edit button right below, you can also change the local hostname of the Mac. Close out of System Preference and you're done.
 
Thank you. I menaged to change the name. But the "Short Name" in the Accounts (System Preferences) is still of the previous owner and I can't change it.
 
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