Mac OS X: Changing the default name for file server connections

When you use the Connect to Server command in the Finder to connect to an AFP or SMB server, the login panel is pre-populated with your full user name by default. You can customize this panel.

This article has been archived and is no longer updated by Apple.

You can customize this panel to present your short name, a custom name, or no user name at all.

You can adjust your default see so that the Name field in the Connect to Server dialog is pre-populated with one of the following:

  • Current user's long name (default behavior)
  • Current user's short name
  • A custom name
  • No name

Note: If you check the "Remember password in keychain" option in the Connect to Server dialog, the name stored in the Keychain entry will over-ride the setting in this preference file.

Following each of the desired results below are the commands you would use to set them.

Important: The instructions in this article involve using the "defaults" command to edit a property list file (.plist) and are intended for experienced Mac OS X administrators. To avoid unexpected behavior, be sure to enter the commands exactly as shown below. These commands can be used in Mac OS X v10.5 and 10.6. For Mac OS X v10.4, see the Additional Information section.

Current user's short name

defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.NetworkAuthorization UseShortName -bool YES

Custom name

defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.NetworkAuthorization UseDefaultName -bool YES
defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.NetworkAuthorization DefaultName "user"

Where "user" is the desired custom name enclosed in quotation marks.

No name

defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.NetworkAuthorization UseDefaultName -bool YES
defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.NetworkAuthorization DefaultName ""

Current user's long name

(This is only necessary if you have previously made any of the changes listed above.)

defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.NetworkAuthorization UseDefaultName -bool NO
defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.NetworkAuthorization UseShortName -bool NO

Mac OS X v10.4 information

In Mac OS X v10.4 you can only customize the pre-populated name for connecting to AFP servers.

Current user's short name (Mac OS X v10.4)

defaults write -g com.apple.AppleShareClientCore -dict-add afp_use_short_name -bool YES

Custom name (Mac OS X v10.4)

defaults write -g com.apple.AppleShareClientCore -dict-add afp_use_default_name -bool YES
defaults write -g com.apple.AppleShareClientCore -dict-add afp_default_name -string "user"

Where "user" is the desired custom name enclosed in quotation marks.

No name (Mac OS X v10.4)

defaults write -g com.apple.AppleShareClientCore -dict-add afp_use_default_name -bool YES
defaults write -g com.apple.AppleShareClientCore -dict-add afp_default_name -string ""


Current user's long name (Mac OS X v10.4)

(This is only necessary if you have previously made any of the changes listed above.)

defaults write -g com.apple.AppleShareClientCore -dict-add afp_use_default_name -bool NO
defaults write -g com.apple.AppleShareClientCore -dict-add afp_use_short_name -bool NO
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