security question (names)

[Ice9]

I recently did a clean install of Windows ME and I have noticed a couple of times now that Windows is getting my real name from somewhere and isn't afraid to use it.

The first time I noticed this was when I installed the .net framework - it created some sort of security folder under my name, and I also noticed that the cookies I get are under my name as opposed to under "[email protected]" like they are on the other machine.

Can someone tell me how to stop windows from doing this?

[AnnMarie]

Hi Ice9 - It is probably picking up the name you registered your software under from the Registry. You can change this. Just make sure that you back it up before making any changes.

Go to Start > Run and type:

regedit

then click OK

Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion and look in the right hand pane. You will see two values, RegisteredOrganisation and RegisteredOwner. Select the value that you wish to change and click on the Edit menu then click on Modify. Type the information that you want in the box that says Value data then click OK. If there is information in the Value Data of the RegisteredOrganisation string, just delete it and leave a blank entry if you dont want to rename that Value.

Close the registry editor and reboot.

[Styx]

1. If user profiles are setup, if not disregard this step: In the Users Control Panel (Start;Settings; Control Panel; Users) delete all users.

2. In the Passwords control panel click the User Profiles tab and verify that the 'All users of this PC use the same preferences and desktop settings' option is selected, and then click OK.

3. Click on Start; Find (or Search); Files or Folders.
4. In 'Search for files or folders named' (or Named) box: type in '*.pwl', without the quotation marks.
5. In the 'Look In' box use the drop-down arrow to ensure [C:] is selected.
6. Place a check mark by Include subfolders.
7. Click on "Find (or Search) Now'.
8. Right-click delete all the PWL files found.
9. Close the Find/Search utility and restart the computer via the Start button.
10. When you see the Windows Logon Prompt again, type in a name (preferrably Ima Nonymous) but do not type in a password and click on 'OK'.

[Rapmaster]

The names it puts in the cookies are not visible to web sites

[Ice9]

AnnMarie: I don't think that is it because the other machine is also registered to me, but that is useful to know so thanks.

Styx: I think you are on the right track - I noticed that under "start" there was a "log off myname" showing. I deleted the pwl file as you suggested (first 2 things were OK) and windows prompted me for a name on restart. It wouldn't let me proceed leaving it blank, I entered "user" and now it says "log off user...".

I know I configured my other machine to just say "log off..." but I have no clue how I did it. This is probably good enough though.