register win2K pro/change user info

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greetings from the great white north!

two questions here, if i may.

1. does anyone have any idea how i can register my new copy of win2K pro by mail? have tried to do an on-line registration, to no avail. i have completed all the screens, get to the point where registration is to be sent, and the reg wizard decides to dial out (using a toll-free number). all i get is this message: “There is no dial tone. Make sure your phone line is properly connected to the modem.” i have checked every connection that i can (new computer, so i think i have them all correct), and there are no more to check. i don’t understand why an on-line registration needs to dial out anyway. i thought the purpose of on-line was to do it on-line! i do not have the yellow card that was, once, referred to in the reg wiz. yes, i have a legal copy of the OS; i made sure of that. it came in a shrinkwrap, with the disk, the quick start guide, and the product key sticker. there’s no address anywhere that shows me where i can send the registration info. i tried sending it directly to m/s in redmond, and got the letter returned to me (after they opened it, and resealed it), with a sticker on the priority mail envelope, telling me that i had to direct it to a specific person or group. i thought that sending it to the “Product Registration Department” was pretty specific, but not to their “minds”, i guess.

2. can anyone please tell me how to change the user information? when the people that built my ‘puter installed windows, they just put “User” instead of my name. now, whenever i come across anything that refers to the ‘puter, all i see is the word “User” and a long combination of letters and numbers that are the computer’s “name”, i guess you would call it. i don’t know where to look to change it.

i’ve gone from a ‘puter that is a 1999 vintage IBM aptiva with win98 to a new custom build with win2Kpro and the changes are simply mindboggling to me. i don’t recognize anything, and don’t know where to start, either. nothing seems to be in the same place as it was with win98, so i suspect that i will be here, asking lots of questions. i already have a copy of Master Windows 2000 Professional Visually, and it’s starting to be helpful, but there are times i don’t know what to look under, or how to word something, so i am lost.

thanks for your help; i really appreciate it. looking forward to seeing your (always) helpful answers soon. until then, take care and God bless.

smiles-
ladyleadfoot!!!

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I’m not sure about registering by mail, but I can answer the question on how to change the user information that was stored when Windows was installed. You’re sure you don’t like being “User”?

Changing the username/company requires editing the registry. Winguides has the process documented here: http://www.winguides.com/registry/display.php/192/%5B/url%5D

You can change the computer name in the Control Panel, by viewing your Network settings. You can also right-click on My Network Places and select Properties. The information you seek to change is under the “Identification” tab.

Don’t panic too much….once you get used to where a few things are, you will love the stability improvements you’ve just gotten over Windows 98. I recall the first time I got a copy of 2000 to install, and once I did I sat back and thought “this is how they should have done it ten years ago.”

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no, mark, i don’t like being “User”; it makes me sound as though…. well, maybe i shouldn’t go there. thanks for the word on how to change that info. now all i have to do is get up the nerve to mess with the registry. that may take a few days.

wanted to let you know that i finally found an address to register by mail. this is good for all microsoft products, so please feel free to tuck it away in your obscure information file. here it is: Microsoft Registration; P.O. Box 72368; Roselle, IL 60172. these are the items of info that need to be included: first and last name; mailing address; phone number; e-mail address; product name and version; and product ID (which i take to mean the product key). this is to be used when you can’t register on-line and the yellow product registration card is nowhere to be found (as in my case).

i found this out by breaking down and calling microsoft customer service. fortunately, i did not have to use one of my two free allowed calls. the nice person on the other end of the phone gave me the info, and told me that it exists only on the internal knowledge base. great place to put it for those of us that need it. i hope that this helps someone else who may be in my position.

once again, thanks for your help. look for me again if i get scared of the registry. take care!

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Excellent information that you got from Microsoft. I’m not even going to wonder why that address isn’t publicly listed.

As far as the registry, don’t be afraid to make that change – it’s really a danger when you go tweaking system settings that you don’t understand, but this is a simple edit that won’t cause problems. Now, if it said something like “BitStreamDataBucket” or something arcane, I’d advise you to stay away unless you knew exactly what that meant – but in this case you’re safe.

Glad you got it worked out!

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mark…

i know that this will show that i am a real scaredy cat when it comes to things that i don’t know or understand (such as this beast that i am not using), but i finally got around to making the registry change to change the user name. i went to the site that you gave me the link to, downloaded it, and, once i figured out where to look for the tweak, did it. it worked! i also found out where the name of the ‘puter resided, and now it’s changed, too, to something a bit more fittin’ (as we’d say down home). thanks ever so much for your help. of course, i’m going to have to do this all over again in a while, as i am having other problems, as evidenced by my other posts on the boards, and am going to settle and solve them once and for all by reformatting the darned thing, and reinstalling the programs one at a time, until i identify the trouble makers and deal with them. now, if only i knew how to go alla way back to the bare board, and start all over, starting with installing windows, but that’s a whole ‘nother horse of a different color… once again for your help; it’s been invaluable. take care and God bless.

smiles-
ladyleadfoot!!!

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Scared? You did it, didn’t you?

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(Edited by DaveA on 28-May-03 11:52. )

ladyleadfoot,

It sounds like you may have solved your problem, however, I’m not sure. So, I am listing a site that has a utility that will easily change your “user” name to whatever you want. You can check it out here: http://www2.whidbey.com/djdenham/chgownorg.htm%5B/url%5D. I hope this is helpful to you.

Junkman

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