How to change the username of a windows 10 computer. Change the username

Today, it is often possible to witness a situation in which there are several people on one computer at once. This is especially common in families where people simply do not want to buy a computer for each family member. The way out of this situation is quite simple - you just need to create several accounts, each of which will have individual settings, and then simply change them, depending on who works at the PC. To learn how to change user in Windows 10, just read this article to the end.

We create a new

First, let's figure out how to add another user to the system (so that there is someone to change him to). To complete this simple task, we follow a simple instruction that is relevant not only for 10-ki, but also for most previous versions of Windows:

  1. Press Win + X and select "Computer Management";
  2. Go to the section "Local users and groups";
  3. Open the "Users" folder;
  1. Right-click on an empty space in the list and select "New" to add;
  2. Fill in the required fields: "User", "Password" and "Confirmation";

  1. Uncheck the "Require password change ..." checkbox and click OK.

That's all, a new user has appeared on your system. We figured out how to create, now it's time to understand how you can start working with his account ...

Switching accounts

The instructions for changing the account have not changed since the days of Windows XP. As in that operating system, in the top ten you just need to press Win + L to lock the current user and get into the account selection window.

However, there is one problem - programs launched on behalf of the account you are leaving are still running. Accordingly, it is better to proceed as follows:

  1. Open the Start menu;
  2. Click on your name at the top of the menu;

  1. Select "Exit".

All running Windows programs will stop working, and you can change the current account to the account that you need at the moment.

Editing the account

So, you know how to create users, how to switch between them, it remains to figure out how to edit them. Let's figure out how to change the username:

  1. Follow the first three steps from the instructions for creating accounts;
  2. Double click on the account you want to change;
  3. Correct the fields you want to change;

  1. Click OK.

That's all, next time we will look at other aspects of creating accounts, for example, we will try to add a Microsoft account for logging into Windows.

The Windows operating system from Microsoft is designed in such a way that it allows several users to work on one computer at once. The account system was created with the aim of protecting personal data, and also so that different users do not interfere with each other. Each account has its own unique name, as well as a personal folder with all personal information. If for some reason you want to change your username, there are several simple ways to do this.

Three easy ways to change your account username in Windows 10

There is currently no way to edit usernames in the Settings app. However, there are several ways to work around this limitation.

When you're setting up a new Windows 10 PC, the part where you choose your username can take you by surprise. For example, you don't want to give your real username, but want to come up with some original nickname (pseudonym), but nothing good comes to mind. If so, then you can choose the first thing that comes to your mind or something random and temporary that you want to change in the future. Or maybe you chose to spell your username a little differently. It may also happen that by mistake Windows has assigned the wrong username for you.

If you want to change your username, it's not difficult at all. Below are 3 easy ways to change the permanent username for an account in Windows 10.

Method 1. Windows Settings

  1. Find and open the classic control panel. To do this, click "Start / Settings".

  2. After opening the options, go to "Accounts" (as in the example below).

  3. In the window that appears, you will see a blue link "Manage my Microsoft account". Click it to open the Microsoft account home page at account.microsoft.com. You may be asked to sign in again.

  4. The Microsoft Edge browser will open and load the tab with your account page itself.

  5. Here, on the left, in the "Hello!" you will see a link "Change name" (under your name). Click on it, and on the page that opens, write the name you want. Then click "Save". This is the same name that will be used when sending emails using the email ID.

  6. You can also change the avatar. To do this, click "Upload Avatar".

When you restart your computer, you will see that the display name of the account user has changed.

On a note! Your username will not only change during login (at the login screen), but also in the Start menu, in the Settings app, in the Control Panel, and elsewhere.

This is a safe method and will not affect your custom files and folders.

Method 2. Classic "Control Panel"

  1. Find and open the classic "Control Panel". One way to do this is to press Windows + R and then type Control and press Enter. An easier way to do this is to find "Control Panel" through the built-in Windows search.

  2. In the "Control Panel" window you need to click on "User Accounts" (you will need to do this 2 times).

  3. Then go to "Manage Another Account".

  4. Click on the avatar of your account that you want to change.

  5. Click Change Account Name.

  6. Enter your desired username and rename your account (as in the example below).

Your Windows 10 username will be changed.

Method 3. User accounts. Advanced control panel


How about your user folder name?

Video - How to Change Windows 10 Username

How to change user folder name in Windows 10

Changing the username is fairly straightforward, but the change is not reflected in the user folder on drive C. However, changing the name of a user folder can be quite risky. Sometimes, leaving the custom folder name or simply creating a new Microsoft profile, you choose the best option.

If you must change the name of your user folder, there is an advanced option. This involves using the command line to access the security identifier (SID) and then making the necessary changes to the registry. Please enable and then sign in to the built-in (hidden) administrator account before proceeding. This can be done by running the command line with the highest administrator.

For this:

  1. In the search enter "Command Prompt" and open it as administrator.

  2. In the "Command line" enter the command as in the picture below and press "Enter". If you are using non-Russian-speaking Windows, enter - Administrator (in Latin). As a precaution, create a system restore point beforehand.

  3. After that, you need to log out. Click on "Start", then on username and "Exit". You will find yourself on the lock screen.

  4. Log in with a new administrator account. In the event that it is not on the lock screen, turn off the computer and turn it on again (or reboot). Since this will be your first login, you will need to wait for the system to get ready.

Video - How to Rename a Windows 10 User Folder

Now we will see how to change the username in Windows 10 by changing the account name in the operating system to a different account name. Windows 10 operating system can have several users with their own personal settings.

For convenient and secure separation of user profiles in the operating system, accounts are used. Each computer user has an account, or there is only one account on a PC if there are no other users.

Each account has a name and a folder on the computer disk in which user data is saved. The username is displayed on the logon splash screen, in Windows settings, on the Start screen.

In some cases, it is necessary to change the Windows 10 username by changing it to a different username. Possible reasons for renaming the account name:

  • another person began to use the computer, for example, another family member switched over to the PC;
  • unfortunate, incomprehensible, or inappropriate username from the perspective of the current owner.

Be that as it may, a similar problem sometimes arises. Can I change my username? How do I change my username on my computer? Yes, it is possible to do this in the Windows operating system.

In this article, we will show you how to rename a user in Windows 10 for both types of account: for a local account and for. A local (offline) account is used only on the computer to which it was added. You can sync your Microsoft account with other devices, apps, and services in addition to your Windows computer.

When changing the account name, the following point should be taken into account: only the user profile name will change in the system, the user profile folder will remain with the same name on the computer disk. In the Windows welcome window, in the system settings, after changing the name, the new account name will be displayed. At the same time, the user profile folder created during Windows installation or when creating an additional account will remain with the same name.

Simply renaming the user account folder will lead to incorrect operation of the installed programs and the system. Renaming the user's folder is a rather complicated process that requires changes in the registry, so I do not recommend changing the folder name.

In order to avoid such situations that require changing the name of the user's folder, I recommend that when installing Windows, select the neutral name "User", or something similar, in English. The system will automatically create a user profile folder with this name.

If it is necessary to change the account name, the user's personal folder will remain with a neutral name ("User"), which will not need to be changed, since such a folder name is suitable for any computer user.

The initial account name in English is preferred because some programs may not work if the profile folder name contains Cyrillic letters. After installing the Windows operating system, you can change the username to any other or log in with a Microsoft account.

Now let's move on to two instructions, in which I will tell you how to change the username in Windows 10.

Before doing any work on changing the user account name, I highly recommend creating so that you can rollback Windows to the system state before the changes are applied with the accounts. In case of incorrect, erroneous actions, you will have the opportunity to return the operating system to a working state.

How to change your Windows 10 username on a local account

First, let's change the name in the local Windows account on the computer. To do this, you need to enter the Control Panel.

Go through the steps sequentially:

  1. Press the "Win" + "R" keys.
  2. In the Run dialog box, enter the command: "control" (without quotes), and then click on the "OK" button.
  3. Click on "User Accounts".
  4. In the next window, click on "Change account type".
  1. Select a user to change their account.

  1. In the new window, click on "Change Account Name".

  1. In the "New Account Name" field, enter the new desired name for this account, and then click on the "Rename" button.

  1. That's it, the local account has a different new name.

The new name will be displayed when Windows starts and on the Start screen.

How to change the username of a Microsoft record

Changing your Microsoft account name is different because the account settings affect more than this computer.

Follow these steps:

  1. Log into your account on the Microsoft official website page at the link: http://account.microsoft.com/profile
  2. On your account page, select the More Actions option.
  3. In the user profile, click on "Add name" (if there is no first and last name, and instead of them the mailbox address is displayed) or on "Change name".

  1. Enter your new first and last name and then click on the "Save" button. Instead of the real name and surname, you can enter any text.

The user profile name will change for all devices, applications, and services associated with that Microsoft account. Therefore, keep this in mind when you change your Microsoft account name.

If you see your email address as your primary alias when you sign in, rather than your changed account name, change the following settings:

  1. Press the "Win" + "R" keyboard keys simultaneously.
  2. In the Run window, enter: "netplwiz" (without quotes).
  3. In the "User Accounts" window, in the "Users" tab, select your Microsoft account, click on the "Properties" button.

  1. In the "Account Properties" window, enter the new modified profile name in the "User" and "Full Name" fields, click "OK".

  1. In the "User Accounts" window, click on the "OK" button. After applying the settings, you will log into Windows with a new name.

If you need to remove the password from entering Windows 10, read the article.

Conclusions of the article

The user can change the name of the account in the Windows 10 operating system on the computer. If necessary, it is possible to change the name of the local account or the name of the Microsoft account by assigning a new name to the profile.

Computer owners are often interested in how you can change the account in Windows 10. This is usually required in order to make a specific user the default system administrator, or vice versa. If you wish, you can completely delete an unnecessary profile or simply change its name. To perform these operations, the user will need some operating system software, as well as Microsoft network resources.

Changing a Profile Using the Control Panel

You can change the account name through the Windows system control panel. This requires administrator rights. In Control Panel, open User Accounts and go to the Manage Another Account tab. Here you can delete the profile of any Windows 10 user (except for the administrator profile), and also change the name of each of them by choosing the appropriate function.

Please note that when changing or deleting system parameters, you can save personal files and various data of the corresponding user (for this, a folder of the same name will be created on the desktop).

The same actions with user profiles on Windows 10 can be performed by pressing the Win + R key combination and typing netplwiz in the Run line. This opens access to the Windows 10 account edit menu.

Replacing a Microsoft Windows 10 account with a local one

Often, system users experience a problem with how to change a registered Microsoft online user to a local one, that is, with data binding not to network resources, but to system resources. You can perform this action through the appropriate settings. Use the keyboard shortcut Win + I and go to the "Email and Accounts" tab. Activate the "Login with a local account" feature.

Register a local profile:

  • give his name;
  • password
  • password hint ..

Please note that your personal system settings and files will then stop syncing on all devices previously connected to the Microsoft server.

In addition, a system reboot is required, so first quit all open applications and save your personal data on your computer. The next time you log into Windows, the system will be managed locally.

Delete unnecessary recording on Windows 10

Many people are interested in another important question: how can you change the user in Windows 10, removing all unnecessary local or network users? If you are actively using only a local profile, you should start by removing the network registration with Microsoft. Log in as an administrator. From the start menu, open the "Options" window, go to the "Accounts" tab and click on the "Family and other users" icon.

In the list that appears, open the "Other" menu, select all unnecessary marks and delete them using the appropriate function. If you are using the pro version of the system, you can accomplish the same task through the Computer Management service in Control Panel and the net users command by entering it at the command prompt.

Do not forget that by deleting a profile, you also delete all personal data of a person, which are located in the C: \\ Users \\ Username.

Click on the “Delete account and data” button only after the necessary information has been saved on the hard disk or removable media. All local profiles are deleted instantly, and registered with Microsoft - after a while, so that a person has the opportunity to restore them in case of deletion by mistake.

Sometimes there is such a problem on Windows 10: how to change or delete a certain profile if a restriction of rights is set (for example, the person is not a computer administrator), or the corresponding user simply does not remember the password to be able to interact with the profile parameters (any such operation asks for a personal password).

In this situation, you can try to restore the original state of the system with the absence of any passwords using the System Restore service in the computer settings, or boot the computer with a system LiveCD (created through the System Restore service) and configure administrative access in Windows at your own discretion.

In our time, it often happens that several people use one PC at once. In such a situation, it will be convenient to use several accounts with individual settings for each person. When using a PC, they will simply need to be changed, depending on who is currently working with the computer.

Types of accounts

In Windows 10, as in the previous version of the system, one of two types of recordings is used for logging in: local recording and Microsoft recording.

The first type of local recording is familiar to those who have used older versions of this OS. In this case, the username, the set password and all other parameters are saved on the computer. When choosing a username, authentication occurs on the computer, therefore this type of recording is called local.

In the case of a Microsoft record, all data is stored on a special server on the network. The most important advantage of such an account is the ability to use it on different computers, while all the basic user settings will be the same on different computers. In addition, in this case, it will be possible to store the most important files on a special cloud service OneDrive.

A Microsoft account, among many advantages, has one important disadvantage: if there is no Internet connection, the user will not be able to log in in any way, since authentication is carried out on the Microsoft server. This is why most of the time users use local recordings on home computers.

Change local account in Windows 10

You must log out of all running programs before changing your account, as they will continue to run. You should also keep all your data.

There are two ways to quickly change the local account on this OS version.

The first one is:

Second way to quickly change user:


After that, you can start working with your computer.

If you have any questions, leave them in the comments!