Mac Basics: User Accounts

Each person using a Mac should have their own user account. This allows everyone to have things set up the way they want, access their own iCloud Account and prevents others from accidentally deleting or changing files. Enable Fast User Switching to make it easy for more than one person to use the same Mac.

Comments: 8 Responses to “Mac Basics: User Accounts”

    Larry
    3 years ago

    Comment: create a test account and leave it alone. Don't make any changes to it. Keep it pristine. Then when mysterious things happen, use this account to isolate problems to either a specific account, e.g. Safari, or to the whole system. Apple frequently asks to do this to help troubleshoot.
    Question: is there a way to choose an account during startup, for the same reason: troubleshooting a crash during startup? I know about "Opt" to select a volume and starting in the usual special modes.

    3 years ago

    Larry: Just log out of your user account. Then restart. Then you've got to log into an account during the restart.

    Larry Jaeger
    3 years ago

    Doesn't work with auto login. Forgot to mention that. I have no reason to change that, since no one has access to the iMac other than me.

    3 years ago

    Larry: So your Mac is in some sort of ultra-secure location? Inside some sort of vault? Using auto login is a big security no-no.

    Mike Clair
    3 years ago

    Gary, I brought my Mac to be serviced at BestBuy after it had crashed. The technician reset my computer but in doing so put the user name for the Mac as "Owner1". This is the name that appears as the sender in my main email account. When I go to change the name in System Preferences by right-clicking the username, I get this warning: "Changing these settings might damage this account and prevent the user from logging in." I am understandably nervous about doing this. How can I change the name?

    3 years ago

    Mike: You shouldn't change the "short name" for the user account as it literally changes the path to all of your files. But you can change the "Full Name" easily. Neither should have anything to do with your email account, which is an online account. Check your Contacts card for that.
    What I would do, though, is to not use the "owner1" account at all. Set up your real account as a new one, get everything going there. Actually, I would have reset the whole drive myself (and the Best Buy tech should have told you do do so!)

    paul
    3 years ago

    Hello, am using same user(s) in new M1 mac mini FROM iMac 2011 High Sierra via migration from Time Machine.Transfer went fine but...one user (spouse) requires password and it's reminder is the same but the word is not working (it does on the high sierra.) Also the Guest user on mini requires a password I do not know. In your video it indicates the Admin (myself) can reset passwords...is that the solution I should use? (How does the "word" not transfer for use on the new mini anyways?) Best-Paul

    3 years ago

    Paul: Not sure why that is happening, but yes you can just use your admin powers to change the password there. Not sure what it is asking for for the guest user though. That shouldn't need a password at all.

Comments Closed.