Computer newbies: How do I remove my name from the locations?
How do I remove my name from the locations?
by mike62 - 6/15/08 5:34 PMWhen I send a file or picture to someone via email I notice when I browse for it that it is located for instance C:/Documents and Settings/John Doe/Desktop for example. How or where do I remove the "John Doe" and replace it with something generic. I don't think my real name is attached but would feel better if I could remove it.
Thanks for any help.
Two Things..
by Grif Thomas
- 6/15/08 8:08 PM
In reply to: How do I remove my name from the locations? by mike62
First, once the file is attached to a message, the path you originally found it at is not attached to the picture.. No worries there..
Second, in order to change the "John Doe" in the path name, you need to change the username setup on the computer.. Unfortunately, although you can try by opening the Control Panel, then the "User Accounts" icon, then open the "John Doe" username and changing it, generally, it doesn't actually change the original username in the profile in the file structure.. To do so, you would need to set up an entirely new username/profile and create a new "generic" username.
Hope this helps.
Grif
my computer calls me "owner" :-P
by squirtlewa - 6/19/08 7:05 AM In reply to: Two Things.. by Grif Thomas
I'll re-emphasize what Grif said that the file location on attached files isn't forwarded with the email. What your user name on the computer is won't matter.
But if you email files to someone, expect that your identity or at least clues about it are included. Just for example I opened properties from a photo I rec'd over the internet (pr0n). It shows the camera, date of the photo, camera settings, program name used to process, etc. In my line of work it's not uncommon to share Word, Excel, or other kinds of files, and I've stumbled across 'interesting' info inside.
More and more, software devs are using the empty space in files to put handy info, generally for greater performance/info for the user.
I've seen cases where that can come back to bite you. For example there was a guy who plagiarized others' musical work, and even though he re-engineered it with different timing and recording parameters, the original artists' info was still in the data stream. BUSTED!
So bottom line, given this is the "newbies" forum --
If you're concerned about identity or other info on things you might transmit or share on your computer, don't share it. It's not always the case, but you'll be safer if you assume that info is available. At the very least, people can easily tell your "recent picture" was taken in 2002.
thanks
by mike62 - 6/19/08 7:29 PM In reply to: Two Things.. by Grif Thomas
Thanks Grif. Let me ask this. If the name does not change under user accounts as you suspect and I have to set up a new user........will all the files I already have set up be linked to the original name, "John Doe"? Or, because the new user has access to those same files does it automatically rename them to the new user account name?
Well, That Depends...
by Grif Thomas - 6/20/08 10:55 AM
In reply to: thanks by mike62
Basically, when you create a completely new user profile and IF you copy all the files to the new user, then paths to those files will follow only to the new user name...except... the actual properties of the file.. For example, if document is created by a particular username, even if it's on a different computer, if you RIGHT click on the file, choose "Properties", then the "Summary" tab, you should see the original "author" listed..
On the other hand, if you leave all the files in the "John Doe" user profile and simply access them from a different username, then "John Doe" will still show in the path for that file..
Still, I'm not sure that it's worth worrying about.. As stated earlier, if you send a file as an attachment in an email, the file path is not displayed.. The file "Properties" with the "Author" information will be included with the file but not the actual file path on your computer.
Hope this helps.
Grif
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