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How to change user folder name windows 10

Windows 10 is not so different from previous versions of the OS from Microsoft, but performing some actions causes difficulties for users. For example, do you know how to change your username in Windows 10? If not yet, then this instruction will help fill the gap in knowledge of the system’s capabilities.

Local profile

If you use a regular local account, then you can change its name in the same way as in previous versions Windows - through the control panel. You should already know in Windows 10.

Your local profile window will open. You can change the name and type of account. There is nothing complicated: click on the “Change name” link and enter a new name in the line that appears.

Then click “Rename” to save the changes. For the configuration to take effect, you must restart the computer. When you log in again, the profile name will be different. There is another, more quick way change name.

There is no fundamental difference between the described methods: in fact, you perform the same actions using different system tools.

Microsoft Account

If you use a Microsoft profile for authorization in the system, you will not be able to change its name through the control panel. Name account Microsoft can only be changed on the official website of the corporation using a special form. Let's see how to get there:

After clicking on the link, the browser will automatically launch. You will be directed to the Microsoft profile management site, where you must enter your username and password for authorization. After successful login, click on the “Change name” link.

A special form will appear in which you need to specify personal data that will be used to log in to your Microsoft account. To apply the new configuration, click Save.

The need to change your username may arise for various reasons. Most often this has to be done due to programs that save their information in the user’s folder and are sensitive to the presence of Russian letters in the account. But there are cases when people simply don’t like the name of the account. Be that as it may, there is a way to change the name of the user folder and the entire profile. Today we will tell you exactly how to do this on Windows 10.

Please note that all actions that will be described below are performed on the system drive. Therefore, we strongly recommend creating a restore point to be on the safe side. In case of any error, you can always return the system to its original state.

First, we'll look at the correct procedure to rename a user's folder, and then we'll talk about how to avoid negative consequences, which may be caused by changing the account name.

How to change your account name

All the described actions must be performed together, otherwise problems with the operation of some applications and the OS as a whole may occur in the future.

First click right click mice on "Start" in the lower left corner of the screen. Then in context menu select the stitch that is marked in the image below.

A command line will open in which you must enter the following value:
net user Administrator /active:yes

If you use English Windows version 10, then the command will look a little different:

net user Administrator /active:yes

After entering, press on the keyboard "Enter".

These steps will enable you to activate the built-in administrator profile. It is present by default in all Windows systems 10. Now you need to switch to activated account. To do this, you need to change the user in any way convenient for you. Alternatively, press the keys together "Alt+F4" and select the item from the drop-down menu "Change user". You can learn about other methods in a separate article.

In the start window, click on new profile "Administrator" and press the button "Login" in the center of the screen.

If this is your first time logging in with the specified account, you will need to wait some time until Windows completes the initial settings. This usually lasts only a few minutes. After the OS boots, you need to click on the button again "Start" RMB and select "Control Panel".

In some editions of Windows 10, this line may not be present, so you can use any other similar method to open the “Panel”.
For convenience, switch the display of shortcuts to "Small Icons". This can be done in the drop-down menu in the upper right area of the window. Then go to the section "User Accounts".

In the next window, click on the line "Manage another account".

Next, you need to select the profile for which the name will be changed. Click on the corresponding area with LMB.

As a result, a window for managing the selected profile will appear. At the top you will see a line "Change account name". Click on it.

In the field that will be located in the center of the next window, enter a new name. Then press the button "Rename".

Now go to disk "C" and open the directory in its root "Users" or "Users".

On the directory that matches the username, right-click. Then select the line from the menu that appears "Rename".

Please note that sometimes you may get an error like this.

This means that some processes in the background are still using files from the user's folder on another account. In such situations, you just need to restart your computer/laptop in any way and repeat the previous point.
After the folder is on the disk "WITH" will be renamed, you need to open the registry. To do this, press the keys simultaneously "Win" And "R", then enter the regedit parameter in the field of the window that opens. Then click "OK" in the same window or "Enter" on the keyboard.

The Registry Editor window will appear on the screen. On the left you will see a folder tree. You need to use it to open the following directory:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList
In a folder "ProfileList" there will be several directories. You need to look at each of them. The folder you are looking for is the one that has the old username in one of the parameters. It roughly looks like the screenshot below.

Once you have found such a folder, open the file in it "ProfileImagePath" by double-clicking LMB. It is necessary to replace the old account name with a new one. Then click "OK" in the same window.

Now you can close all previously open windows.

This completes the renaming process. You can now log out of your account "Administrator" and log in under your new name. If you do not need the activated profile in the future, then open the command line and enter the following parameter:

net user Administrator /active:no

Preventing possible errors after a name change

After you log in under your new name, you need to make sure that no errors occur in the further operation of the system. They may be due to the fact that many programs save some of their files in the user's folder. Then they periodically turn to her. Since the folder has a different name, there may be problems with the operation of such software. To correct the situation you need to do the following:

Having done these manipulations, you will indicate to folders and system functions the path to the new user folder. As a result, all applications and the OS itself will continue to work without errors or failures.

This concludes our article. We hope you followed all the instructions carefully and the result was positive.

Microsoft designs its operating systems so that multiple users can work on the same PC. And so that they do not interfere with each other and have the opportunity to protect their personal data, an account system was implemented. Each of them has its own unique name and a personal folder in which all personal information. This article describes how change username and change the name your account folders in Windows 10 OS.

Precautions

Before changing your operating system configurations, it is always recommended create a restore point. This is a backup copy of all Windows 10 settings that is saved to your hard drive. If something goes wrong, you can easily run System Restore.

You should also do backup copy all data in your account folder: documents, photos, desktop contents. Just copy them to a separate directory on your disk.

How to change your Microsoft account name

In Windows 10, as in 8.1, users can create either a local (regular) account or connect the system to their general account Microsoft. All parameters of this account can be changed on a special website. To rename such an account, follow the instructions provided:

Please note that you cannot rename the name of your folder this way.

Local account

If you use to log in to Windows 10 regular account, you can easily change its settings in the system settings:

Here you can change password to login (or create one if you don't already have one).

How to rename a personal folder

Windows 10 does not have a special interface for changing the name of your personal folder. If you need to do this, the easiest way is create a new account with the required name and transfer all your information to him:

After this it will be realized new account and new personal folder. You can use them as main ones by copying everything necessary.

Remember that if you simply rename the directory to Windows Explorer- nothing will work correctly.

To change its name, you need to edit system registry. And this can damage your operating system.

Video on the topic

At primary Windows setup the user always needs to create a profile in operating system. A separate profile is created for each individual user, the files of which are stored on the system partition C:\Users. Sometimes it happens that a user has to change the name of an already created folder for a number of specific reasons. Most often, this need arises when a system or application is not working correctly. Very often, the cause of such anomalies is the fact that the user’s folder is named using Cyrillic characters. For example, “Taras”, not “Taras”. Another, more commonplace reason may be the usual desire to use a new name.

There are a few things to consider here:

If you create a profile using a Microsoft account, Windows 10 will likely create a folder whose name is shortened from your address. email. It is because of this that many users want to rename their profile folder. The awkward name is especially annoying when the user needs to deal with the command line and usernames.
The name of the account itself can be changed at any time, but renaming does not change the name of the profile folder. That is why problems associated with Cyrillic characters in the name of the profile folder cannot be solved by simply renaming the account.
Renaming the associated folder may cause some applications or services to stop working. That's why, the best solution will create a new local profile and then connect a Microsoft account to it.

The easiest way to rename a user folder in Windows 10

This method can be called the simplest, with reservations. For some, on the contrary, it will seem too complicated due to the need to transfer data and reinstall applications. But we can say for sure that this method will the safest and a win-win option. You definitely won’t run into problems or problems caused by renaming your account. For those who do not have too much information and reinstalling programs is not difficult, it is best to use this method. It is also recommended after a clean installation if you named the user incorrectly and want to rename their profile folder. In short, the essence of this whole idea is to simply create a new user and delete the old one.

How to change user folder name in Windows 10 Professional

When the need arises to rename a user’s folder, and creating a new one is not an option, the first thing that comes to the user’s mind is the idea of simply renaming the folder by analogy with any other file or directory. The trouble is that this method does not work with the profile folder. Windows simply won't let you do this.

Note: This method is not valid for Windows 10 Home. Instead, use the method described a little below.

First, you need to create a new computer Administrator account. You must have two profiles: the one that needs to be renamed and another profile that has Administrator rights.

If you do not want to create a new account, you can activate the hidden Administrator profile, which is installed by default with the operating system. To do this you need to do the following:

Now you need to log in to the newly created local account with Administrator rights or to the profile activated via the command line. Keep in mind that you need get out from the system, and not just change the user, so save all files and close all applications so as not to lose important information.

The matter doesn't end there. The user folder is a very important section of the operating system structure, so its name must be changed not only in the explorer itself, but also in the system registry.

Login to your previous profile and check if the name has changed. If yes, then temporary profiles can be deleted or disabled.

If you created a new local account, click Win+I and go to the section Accounts - Family and Others.
Click on the profile in the section Other people and select Delete.
Confirm account deletion.
To disable the standard Administrator account, open a command prompt as Administrator (Start - CMD command - right click - run as administrator) and enter the following command: netuserAdministrator/active:no.

How to change user folder in Windows 10 Home

The first method will not work on Windows 10 Home, so you need to use another method. Please note that in the first case, no unpleasant consequences were found from renaming the user folder. In the case of Windows 10 Home, programs may malfunction. For example, the program can tell you about errors in addresses and links. This method too must work on Windows 10 Professional, but we do not recommend using it, since this edition of Windows 10 has its own instructions that do not lead to crashes or malfunctions in applications. Remember that for Windows 10 Home the most the best way renaming a profile folder will create a new one. If something goes wrong and applications stop working after renaming, you will still have to create a new user.

As in the previous case, start by creating a new local account with Administrator rights:

Click Win+I and open Accounts – Family and other people – Add a user for this computer.
Click I don't have this person's login information.
Click Add a user without an account Microsoft. Any name will do, but you don’t have to set a password at all.
In the section Other people click on new profile and select Change account type.
From the drop down list select Administrator. Click OK.
Alternatively, you can simply activate the standard, but hidden and by default deactivated Administrator account. run Command line as Administrator, and then enter the following command: netuseradministrator/active:yes.
Now log into the account you created and open Registry Editor. To do this, click Win+ R and enter regedit.
Go to: Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList.
Select your account section from the list and change the setting ProfileImagePath. Enter the name you want to set.
Now on the left side of the Registry Editor at the very top, click on Computer and then click Ctrl+F. Enter in search C:\Users\Old user folder name. Press Enter and change the folder name to everyone found parameter. This process can be quite lengthy, so be patient. After each rename, press F3 to move to the next option.

When you're done, log out of the account and return to the one you renamed. Check if the profile name has changed successfully.

Renaming an account name in a Windows operating system does not change the name of the user folder. This state of affairs was typical for XP, “seven”, “eight”, and it was also preserved in the new “ten”. Let's look at two surefire ways to rename a user folder in Windows 10.

First way. Creating a new user with the desired name

Changing the user folder name in Windows 10 can be done by creating a new user profile. This method cannot be called a direct way to achieve the result of the task. It involves creating a new profile with the desired name.

The new profile will receive its own directory, which will be named exactly the same as the account name. By logging in with a new name, the user can delete the old account. This way we will achieve the correct change of the user folder name, but we will not be able to import the settings of the old account.

Important! Remember that the new account works with the new settings - you do not import the settings of the old account. For example, if you applied any settings to the desktop of the old account, then in the new user profile they will have to be configured again.

So, let’s present the algorithm of actions for the considered method of renaming a user folder in Windows 10:

Second way. Renaming a folder from another profile

There are a lot of dangers hidden in this method, so it can be recommended to advanced “users”. It requires a second profile with administrator rights, as well as the ability to edit the registry.

Having logged into Windows 10 under a different profile, the “user” must rename the user folder of another account, and then rename the registry entries in which the old directory name appears. After successfully editing the registry, you will also need to run the netplwiz utility.

Important! We warn you that any changes to the registry are made by the user at his own peril and risk. Before editing, it is recommended to make a backup of the registry.

We suggest the following algorithm of actions that will help change the user folder name in Windows 10:

Log in with a different account that has administrator rights.
Go to the “Users” directory located on the system drive C.
Rename the desired folder. If the system warns that renaming is possible only by the administrator, then click the “Continue” button.
Open the registry editor and go to the path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList, where you find the ProfileImagePath parameter, which is equal to the path to the user folder with the old name. You need to change this parameter to a new directory path.
Press the Win+R combination to open the “Run” dialog. Enter netplwiz.exe into its text line to launch the account management utility.
Select the user whose directory has been renamed and change the name of this “user” in the property settings.
Restart your PC.

Video

Step-by-step instructions for renaming a folder and user account can be seen in the video.

Brief summary

To answer the question of how to change the user folder in Windows 10, we suggest using the two methods presented in the article. The first method cannot be called in the strict sense renaming the user directory. This is the creation of a full-fledged new account with completely new settings, but with the desired directory name.

The second method allows you to achieve your goal, but is fraught with the danger of disrupting the operation of the system. Therefore, it can only be recommended for advanced users.

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