Overview – Change Account Username
There are a wide variety of reasons why you may want to change your account name in Windows 11. You might want to change your name as you have entered it incorrectly during the Windows onboarding or you want to assign your nickname instead of your actual name.
No Worries!
We will be covering the following ways to change account username in Windows 11:
- Rename Sub-Folders in Windows – Important To Follow.
Method #1: Using Control Panel
Step #1: Open the Control Panel from the Start menu and click the “User Accounts” option.
Step #2: Select the “Change account type” option.
Step #3: Select the Account for which you want to change the name.
Step #4: Click the “Change the account name” option.
Step #5: Enter the new username and click the “Change Name” option.
Method #2: Using Windows Settings
Step #1: Open the Windows Settings from the Start menu or by pressing the “Windows Key + I” Key Combination.
Step #2: Select the “Accounts” option from the Left Sidebar and click the “Your Info” option.
Step #3: Click the “Accounts” option under the related settings section and you’ll be redirected to Microsoft’s official website.
Step #4: Log in to your Microsoft account and click the “Your Info” option on the navigation bar.
Step #5: Click the “Edit Name” button.
Step #6: Enter the new sign-in name and hit the save button.
Method #3: Using Computer Management
Step #1: Type and open the Computer Management from the Start menu.
Step #2: Expand the “Local Users and Groups” option on the left sidebar, and click the “Users” option.
Step #3: Double-click your current device name and enter the new name that you want to assign.
Rename Sub-Folders in Windows
Note: Until now, we’ve simply changed the username, but, using this method, we’ll be reflecting the changes to the folder level. Also, this method involves the modification of registry keys, so it’s highly recommended to backup registry completely to recover it. in case of accidental misconfiguration.
Step #1: Open the command prompt from the Start menu and run it as an administrator.
Step #2: Type the command: net user Administrator /active:yes to create a new administrator account.
Step #3: Sign out of your current user account and login into the new Administrator account.
Step #4: Open the command prompt and type the command: wmic useraccount and copy the “SID” value (Security Identifier Value).
Step #5: Now, open the Registry Editor from the Start menu or type “regedit” (without quotation marks) in the Windows Run.
Step #6: In the Registry Editor, navigate to the following path:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList and select your device’s SID value. Double-click the “ProfileImagePath” option and change the old name in the Value data field to the new one.
Step #7: Press the “Windows Key + R” key combination to open the Windows Run and type: control userpasswords2, or, netplwiz and press the enter key.
Step #8: The user accounts properties panel appears in a pop-up. Double-click the current username to its properties.
Step #9: Rename the username and full name of the device and press the “Apply” button.
Step #10: Sign out of the administrative account and open the Command Prompt and type the command: net user Administrator /active:no to remove the administrator account.
Step #11: Restart your computer to make changes take effect.
Next Steps
We’ve covered how to change the sign-in account name in Windows. You can use any of the uplisted methods and then follow how to rename the sub-folders method mentioned at the end.
Remember to follow the last method explaining how to rename the sub-folder otherwise the changed sign-in name will not be reflected on the folder level.
Further, configure your computer by following the related articles below.
Related Articles
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Use the credential manager in Windows to manage the usernames and passwords stored in the Web Browsers and OS.
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Configure the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol in Windows and utilize the dynamic IP address on your computer.
Check Product Key in Windows 11
Find whether or not your version of Windows is genuine by verifying the product key.
