Activate Root User

• 1). Click the "Apple" icon in the upper left corner of the desktop, then select "System Preferences" from the drop-down list. The system Preferences window opens.
  
  
• 2). Select "Accounts" in the System section at the bottom of the window, then click the lock at the bottom left corner of the new window. Enter your administrator account name and password, then click "Login Options."
  
  
• 3). Click the "Edit" button, then click the "Open Directory Utility" button. Click the lock at the bottom left corner of the window, then enter your administrator login information and click "OK."
  
  
• 4). Click "Edit" from the menu bar, then select "Enable Root User" from the drop-down list. Type a new password in the "Password" box, then re-enter it in the "Verify" box.
  
  
• 5). Click the "Apple" icon again in the upper left corner of the desktop, then select "Log Out." Click the "Log Out" button to confirm that you want to log out. The systems logs out and the Login screen appears.
  
  
• 6). Type "Root" in the "Name" box. Enter the root password you created in the "Password" box, then click "Log In."
  
  

Change Short Username

• 1). Click the "Finder" icon in your dock at the bottom of the desktop. The Finder icon looks like a blue face. A new Finder window opens. Scroll through the list of folders, then double-click the "Users" folder.
  
  
• 2). Click on the name of the Home folder that has the short username that you want to rename. If the name does not highlight when you click on it, press the "Return" key. Type the new short username in the highlighted field. The name can only contain lowercase letters. The name also cannot have any spaces.
  
  
• 3). Navigate to the "Accounts" utility, then click the "+" button to create a new user account. Type the name of the new short username that you created in the previous step, then select any preferences that you want the new account to have. Click "Create Account."
  
  
• 4). Click "OK" on the pop-up window to confirm that you want to use the renamed folder as the Home folder for the new user account. Click the "Apple" icon, then select "Log Out" to log out of the account.
  
  
• 5). Log into your computer using the new short username. Verify that all of your original files are present.
  
  
• 6). Navigate to the "Accounts" section again from the "System Preferences" window. Click the "Lock" icon, then enter your user account information. Select the old user account in the "Accounts" box, then click the "-" button to delete the account.
  
  

Disable the Root User

• 1). Select "System Preferences" from the "Apple" menu, then select "Accounts" under "System."
  
  
• 2). Click the "Lock" icon, then enter your account login information and click "Login Options."
  
  
• 3). Click "Edit," then click "Open Directory Utility." Click the lock in the new window, then enter your administrator account login information.
  
  
• 4). Click "OK," then click "Edit" from the menu bar. Select "Disable Root User."