Username or login name allows you to access your Windows 10 computer using your Microsoft or local account.
It’s highly unlikely that you will ever need to change your Windows 10 username unless you are in an organization, and without creating a new user account for the new/transferred recruit, want an employee to use a PC that was earlier used by someone else.
Since you can use either Microsoft or local account to sign in to Windows 10, here’s how you can rename both of them in the OS:
Method 01: Renaming a Microsoft Account
Step 1
Get to the Accounts window
Click Start, click the Settings icon, and click the Accounts tile from the Windows Settings window. This opens the Accounts window with the Your info category selected in the left pane. The Accounts window lets you manage all your Windows’ accounts-related settings like configuring different sign-in options, synchronizing your account with other devices using the same Microsoft ID, etc.
Step 2
Get to your Microsoft account web page
Click Manage my Microsoft account from the Your info window in the right. This launches your default web browser, and opens your Microsoft account’s profile page. If you have not already signed-in, you will be prompted to provide your account’s credentials before you can proceed.
Step 3
Change your username
Click More actions from under your name web page that opens up, click Edit profile, click Edit name from under your name on the Your info page, enter a new name in the First name and Last name fields, type the captcha code in its field, and click Save. This replaces your current name with the new one. You can now safely close the web page, sign out of your account, and sign back in using the new username. To verify if everything is in place, try signing in with the previous name. You can notice that Windows doesn’t let you in.
Method 02: Renaming a Local Account
Step 1
Get to the User Accounts box
Type NETPLWIZ in the Cortana search box and press Enter. This opens the User Accounts box. From here you can manage most of your account settings like creating a new Microsoft or local user, allowing the users to automatically sign-in without entering their password, etc.
Step 2
Get to the user’s properties box
Select the username you want to rename from the Users for this computer list (GuestUser for this example), and click Properties. This opens the selected user’s properties box with the General tab selected by default. From this box you can manage the account’s settings such as specifying the user’s full name, changing group membership, etc.
Step 3
Rename the account
Ensure that you’re on the General tab of the user’s properties box, enter a new login name in the User name field, type the full name of the user in the Full name field, type a description in the Description field (optional), and click OK. This changes both login name and display name for the selected user. Where the login name is required to sign-in to Windows, the name you entered in the Full name field is displayed on the login screen, and helps you identify your account among many.
Note: It is recommended not to use any spaces while specifying a username, whereas a name the Full name field can have a space.
It’s highly unlikely that you will ever need to change your Windows 10 username unless you are in an organization, and without creating a new user account for the new/transferred recruit, want an employee to use a PC that was earlier used by someone else.
Since you can use either Microsoft or local account to sign in to Windows 10, here’s how you can rename both of them in the OS:
Method 01: Renaming a Microsoft Account
Step 1
Get to the Accounts window
Click Start, click the Settings icon, and click the Accounts tile from the Windows Settings window. This opens the Accounts window with the Your info category selected in the left pane. The Accounts window lets you manage all your Windows’ accounts-related settings like configuring different sign-in options, synchronizing your account with other devices using the same Microsoft ID, etc.
Step 2
Get to your Microsoft account web page
Click Manage my Microsoft account from the Your info window in the right. This launches your default web browser, and opens your Microsoft account’s profile page. If you have not already signed-in, you will be prompted to provide your account’s credentials before you can proceed.
Step 3
Change your username
Click More actions from under your name web page that opens up, click Edit profile, click Edit name from under your name on the Your info page, enter a new name in the First name and Last name fields, type the captcha code in its field, and click Save. This replaces your current name with the new one. You can now safely close the web page, sign out of your account, and sign back in using the new username. To verify if everything is in place, try signing in with the previous name. You can notice that Windows doesn’t let you in.
Method 02: Renaming a Local Account
Step 1
Get to the User Accounts box
Type NETPLWIZ in the Cortana search box and press Enter. This opens the User Accounts box. From here you can manage most of your account settings like creating a new Microsoft or local user, allowing the users to automatically sign-in without entering their password, etc.
Step 2
Get to the user’s properties box
Select the username you want to rename from the Users for this computer list (GuestUser for this example), and click Properties. This opens the selected user’s properties box with the General tab selected by default. From this box you can manage the account’s settings such as specifying the user’s full name, changing group membership, etc.
Step 3
Rename the account
Ensure that you’re on the General tab of the user’s properties box, enter a new login name in the User name field, type the full name of the user in the Full name field, type a description in the Description field (optional), and click OK. This changes both login name and display name for the selected user. Where the login name is required to sign-in to Windows, the name you entered in the Full name field is displayed on the login screen, and helps you identify your account among many.
Note: It is recommended not to use any spaces while specifying a username, whereas a name the Full name field can have a space.