Deleting/Creating A New Admin Account In OS X

[Mayo]

I created one administration account when I installed Panther.  Now I would like to change the account short name, which can only be done by deleting the old account and creating a new account.  The problem is, I haven't been able to find a way to change my account...The - button is grayed-out in the account preferences window.

I also want to get rid of my password, which is asked for every time I want to alter a program, etc.  Verrrrrrry annoying, seeing as how I am the sole user of this Mac!

[Bill]

Mayo,
bil207 came up with something on a thread about this I believe.
Working on memory here; preference > sharing.

I know mine was Bill-Stein-Computer and I shortened that name down by eliminating the computer. Probably could of shortened it more.

On the user pass; In Jag you just created a new account. Once you knew all was all right with the new account, delete the original.
In Panther, not really sure.
In the account, there are those little + -  in a box below left.
There you can create a new account by hitting the +.

[kps]

I wouldn't recommend doing that, I'd leave it alone and just not use that account if it bothers you that much. But to delete the "original" admin can cause problems.

If you must, you can try this:

Changing the shortname.

[Mayo]

I am having a real problem with my accounts. It appears that my password has changed, without my having done it.  I had changed it once before, but that password no longer functions.  I tried using my previous password, which turned out to have too many characters (what is the idea of limiting a password to eight or fewer characters?)

At any rate, when I ran into the problem with the too long password previously, it appeared that the password only included up to eight characters of the password.  But no variation would work until it finally appeared to accept the longer password.  Weird...

According to OS X: The Missing Manual the short name cannot be changed once the account has been created.  However, apparently I can change the adminstrator password by starting up using the OS X CD, which is my next step.

These accounts and password settings caused me grief when I originally tried OS X, and now the past is coming back to haunt me!

[Mayo]

Okaaaay... I used the OS X installer CD to change the password, and it apparently took.  But when I view the password "dots" in the accounts prefs window, there is one more "dot" than the number of letters in my password.  Oh Well, as long as it works!

And apparently you get only one shot at creating an administrator account without a password, and that is when OS X is first installed.  I wish that I had known that when I first installed Panther.

Somewhere I read something that tells how to turn off the need for the password when interacting with various apps.  Can anybody tell me how to do it?  That would go far to relieve some of the frustration I am having with the password requirements.

[kps]

The "dots" represent the encrypted password not the actual password.

QUOTE

Somewhere I read something that tells how to turn off the need for the password when interacting with various apps.

No such thing... an installer will either require authentication on your part or it will not. Now the Keychain has a habit of asking for authentication, but usually only after an OS update...now that's annoying.