After users upgraded to Windows 10, some of them have noticed that the username being displayed, when they are signed in using a Microsoft Account is not what they wanted it to be. In some cases, the last name had got truncated whereas in other cases the email Id was being displayed. Today, we will see how you can change the displayed profile username of your Account in Windows 10.
UPDATE: Things have changed in recent versions of Windows 10, and so this post has been modified/updated.
Change Account username in Windows 10
1] Via Control Panel
Open Control Panel > All Control Panel Items > User Accounts.
Select Change your account name to open the following panel.
In the designated box, write the new name of your choice and click on Change Name.
Your account name will change, and it will now appear in the login screen, Start Menu, etc.
2] Via Settings
In earlier versions of Windows 10, if you are logged into your Microsoft Account, you can do the following.
Open Start Menu and click on Settings. Once the Settings app opens, click on Accounts and then on Your account.
Here, you will see a Manage my Microsoft account link in blue. Click on it to visit your Microsoft account homepage at account.microsoft.com. You may be asked to log in again.
Here on the left side, under Hello, you will see an Edit name link against your name.
Click on it, and on the page which opens, write the name you want to be displayed and click on Save. This is the same name which will be used when you send emails using this email ID.
When you restart your computer, you will see that the account username being displayed has been changed.
You will see the name changed while signing in at the login screen, on your Start Menu, in the Settings app, Control Panel, and all other places.
These are safe methods and will not affect your user files & folders.
Also read: How to change User Account Name in Windows using netplwiz or Registry.
I followed every step and still every time I restart my computer it goes back to the previous name once I log in….
doesn’t change anything for me T_T
Well, his advice blows anyway. He’s showing you how to change it “IF” you are logged in using a Microsoft account.
If you don’t have a Microsoft account
Step 1: Access Control Panel/User Accounts and Family Safety/User Accounts.
Step 2: Choose Change your account name.
No I know how. I’m stating that the instructions were not written for someone, such as myself, who does not use (or does not want to) use an MS account in Win10.
This doesn’t work. It doesn’t show how to change username. When I go to My Computer > C: > Users: I want to change the folder name for my user. This website does NOT say how to do that.
This doesnt change anything anyway
Most worthless post on the whole microsoft page, confusing, useless and I didn´t even get to change my damn username, waste of time…
It worked for me.
I looked up a way to change my email linked to my Microsoft account. This “advice is for the people who don’t know how to simply read the page. On the Microsoft account page, it has an “edit name” option like shown above. however, it does not give an option to edit email. So this whole page was essentially created for the illiterate. And to anyone still trying to find a way to switch your email, there is no way whatsoever to change it. If you want to change your email, you will have to make a new account.
it just shows my email as my name??
Microsoft took my email address and used the first 5 characters for my user name in explorer! How do I change this?
The name on the microsoft account is correct but it show the email for log in and not the name. Is there a way to change that preference. I’m probably just missing the right prompt right now.
Never mind apparently it was a “you need to verify the account issue” and after going to the website and checking the name and other info the name for the account is showing.
Answer is simple, just follow carefully: press windows key and R key together. This will open “run” window. Type in run window: control.exe nusrmgr.cpl and hit enter. Control panel will open with user setting options, click on “change your account name”. Window 10 does not show Control Panel anymore, it has been replaced by Settings, which is a very limited, incapable version of Control Panel.
My new email is correct everywhere except the start up screen, How do I change to the correct email with windows 10 on the start up screen??
You are correct Jack Jack
Many Thanks for this simple but useful tip. I couldn’t figure it out for the life of me. 🙂
I just simply want to change the name of the person- this s a work pc and I want to see my name on the screen not someonelse’s-
Andante, thank you so much it works like a charm
if your using a email & password to log-in to account , change to a local account and changing a family member or users name is pretty simple , then go back to email & password account if you choose
Okay everyone, here’s how you do it. Step 1: Go to control panel. Step 2: Click on user accounts. Step 3: Click on user accounts again… (because for whatever reason you have to). Step 4: Click “change your account name.” Step 5: Type in new name. Step 6: Stand up and do a two-step (this means dance for those of you techy-types).
Otherwise, follow his steps to change the Microsoft account, if you have one.
change user account name is NOT an option
I can confirm this – change user name does not show up for me. there’s a blank space where it looks like it should be, but no change user name.
How Can we get this user info from command line?
How do I change the administration account? I have locked myself out of my old email and I re-created a new account. However it wont let me change it until I verify my old account?!?!?!?! Please help… thanks
Same issue. Change account name is not an option. This is really pissing me off.
This was absolutely no help at all. My computer is using my Xbox username which normally I wouldn’t mind but considering my username isn’t exactly “appropriate”, I would like to change it. I had my whole family asking what “mota” is and that’s definitely not cool.
Finally someone who knew how to do this AND give instructions on how to do it. Thank you!
Thank you the guy from a year ago.
Fantastic – works! Cheers: windows key and R key together. This will open “run” window. Type in run window: control.exe nusrmgr.cpl and hit enter.
It worked. Thanks Andante! You’re the man