The two ways to change your Windows 10 username

Windows 10 gives you two separate places to change your name, and they do different things. The account name is what appears on the sign-in screen and in File Explorer — this is what most people mean when they say "username". The display name is what shows in the Start menu and Settings. You can change one, both, or neither depending on what bothers you.

If you just want to fix a typo or change how your name looks when you open your computer, the display name is faster and requires no restart. If you want to change the actual folder name on your hard drive (C:\Users\YourName), you need the account name route, which is more involved.

Key Takeaways

  • Changing your display name takes two minutes and requires no restart — go to Settings > Accounts > Your info and type a new name in the "Your name" field.
  • Changing your account name (the folder name in C:\Users) requires you to create a new administrator account first, then delete the old one, and takes 15 to 30 minutes.
  • If you use a Microsoft account to sign in, changing your display name in Settings changes what appears on your computer but not your actual Microsoft account email.
  • You cannot change the account name while you are signed in to that account — you must sign in as a different administrator to make the change.
  • Changing your account name does not affect your files or programs, but it does change the path to your user folder from C:\Users\OldName to C:\Users\NewName.

Changing your display name (the fast way)

Open Settings by pressing Windows key + I. Click Accounts on the left side, then click Your info at the top. You will see a field labeled "Your name" with your current name in it. Click that field, delete the old text, type your new name, and press Enter. The change takes effect when ready — you will see the new name in the Start menu the next time you open it.

This method works whether you use a Microsoft account or a local account. If you use a Microsoft account, this changes only what Windows displays on your computer, not your actual Microsoft email address or account. Your Microsoft account email stays the same for sign-in purposes.

Changing your account name (the thorough way)

Changing the actual account name — the folder that appears in C:\Users — is more complex because Windows will not let you rename the folder while you are using it. You need a second administrator account to do the renaming. If you already have a second administrator account on your computer, skip to the next section. If not, create one first.

Open Settings, go to Accounts, then click Other people on the left. Click Add account. Choose I don't have this person's sign-in information, then Add a user without a Microsoft account. Type a temporary name (something like "Temp Admin"), leave the password blank, and click Next. Once the account is created, go back to Other people, click the temporary account, and click Change account type. Set it to Administrator and click OK.

Renaming the account folder

Sign out of your main account and sign in to the temporary administrator account you just created. Once you are signed in, open File Explorer and navigate to C:\Users. You will see a folder with your old account name. Right-click it, select Rename, type the new name, and press Enter. Windows will ask you to confirm — click Yes.

Now go back to Settings on the temporary account. Click Accounts, then Other people, click your main account, and click Change account name. Type the same new name you just used for the folder and click Next. Sign out of the temporary account.

Updating your account and cleaning up

Sign back in to your main account using the new account name. Your files, programs, and settings are all still there — only the folder name and the sign-in name have changed. Open Settings one more time to verify the change took: go to Accounts > Your info and confirm the new name appears.

Once you have confirmed everything works, delete the temporary administrator account. Go to Settings > Accounts > Other people, click the temporary account, and click Remove. Windows will ask whether you want to delete the account data — click Delete account and data. The temporary folder in C:\Users will be removed automatically.

What changes and what stays the same

When you change your account name, your user folder path changes from C:\Users\OldName to C:\Users\NewName. Any shortcuts or batch files that pointed to the old path will break. If you have programs that store settings in your user folder by absolute path, they may lose those settings — this is rare, but it happens with some older software.

Your files do not move or disappear. Your installed programs keep working. Your Windows product key, set up status, and license stay valid. Your Microsoft account (if you use one) remains unchanged — only the local account name on this computer changes. If you use OneDrive, it will re-sync your files to the new user folder path, which can take a few minutes to an hour depending on how much you have stored.

Troubleshooting if something goes wrong

If you renamed the folder but Settings still shows the old name, restart your computer and try again. Windows sometimes caches the old name and needs a restart to refresh. If you cannot rename the folder because Windows says it is in use, make sure you are signed in to a different administrator account — you cannot rename a folder while it is actively being used.

If you get a "You do not have permission" error when trying to rename the folder, right-click the folder, select Properties, click the Security tab, click Edit, select your temporary administrator account from the list, and check the Full Control box. Click explore and OK, then try renaming again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change my username without creating a second account?

Not for the account name (the folder in C:\Users). Windows will not let you rename a folder while you are signed in to it. You must use a second administrator account. Changing your display name does not require a second account and takes two minutes.

Will changing my username affect my Microsoft account?

No. Your Microsoft account email and password stay the same. Changing your Windows username only changes what appears on your computer. You still sign in with your Microsoft email address.

What happens to my files when I change my account name?

Your files stay in your user folder and move with it. When you rename the folder from C:\Users\OldName to C:\Users\NewName, all your documents, downloads, and desktop files come along. Programs and settings also move with the folder.

Do I need to restart Windows after changing my username?

For display name changes, no restart is needed. For account name changes, restart after you sign back in to your main account so Windows can fully update all references to the new folder path.

Can I change back to my old username if I change my mind?

Yes. Follow the same process in reverse: create a temporary administrator account, sign in to it, rename your user folder back to the old name, update the account name in Settings, and delete the temporary account. You can do this as many times as you need.