The Two Ways to Change Your Username

Windows gives you two paths to change your username, and which one you use depends on what kind of account you have. If you sign in with a Microsoft account (the kind tied to an email address and a password you use across Microsoft services), you change the username through the Microsoft website, not through Windows itself. If you have a local account (one that exists only on your computer), you change it directly in Windows Settings.

The reason matters: a Microsoft account username is your email address or the display name linked to it, and changing it affects how you sign in everywhere Microsoft services are involved. A local account username is just what appears on your Windows login screen and in file folders — it only affects that one computer.

Before you start, know that changing your username does not affect your files, installed programs, or settings. Windows keeps everything tied to your account behind the scenes, so a name change is purely cosmetic from the computer's perspective.

Key Takeaways

  • Microsoft account usernames are changed on the Microsoft website, while local account usernames are changed in Windows Settings.
  • Changing your username does not move or delete your files, programs, or account settings.
  • For a Microsoft account, you sign in at account.microsoft.com and change your display name or email address depending on what you want to update.
  • For a local account, you go to Settings > Accounts > Your info and select "Rename your PC" or edit the account name directly.
  • After changing a local account username, you may need to restart your computer for the change to take full effect.

Changing a Microsoft Account Username

Open a web browser and go to account.microsoft.com. Sign in with the email address and password you use to sign into Windows. Once you are logged in, look for "Your info" or "Account" in the left menu and click it.

You will see your current display name at the top of the page. Click "Manage your Microsoft account" or the edit button next to your name. From here you can change your display name (what appears in Windows and in Microsoft apps) or change your email address (what you use to sign in). If you only want to change how your name appears, edit the display name field. If you want to change the email address you sign in with, that process is more involved and Microsoft will ask you to verify your identity first.

After you make changes on the Microsoft website, sign out of Windows completely and sign back in. The new name should appear on your lock screen and in Settings within a few minutes, though it may take longer to update everywhere Windows displays it.

Changing a Local Account Username in Windows Settings

Press the Windows key on your keyboard and type Settings. Open the Settings app. On the left side, click Accounts, then click Your info at the top of the list.

You will see your current account name displayed. Look for a button or link that says Rename your account or Edit next to your name. Click it. A text field will appear with your current username highlighted. Delete the old name and type the new one. Click Next, then Finish.

Windows will ask you to restart your computer to explore the change fully. Save any open work, close your programs, and restart. When you log back in, your new username will appear on the login screen and throughout Windows.

What Changes and What Stays the Same

Your username change affects only how your account is displayed. Your user folder (the one in C:\Users\ that holds your Documents, Downloads, and Desktop) keeps its old name — Windows does not rename that folder when you change your username. This is intentional, because renaming that folder can break program shortcuts and file paths.

All your files remain exactly where they are. Your installed programs still work. Your desktop background, browser bookmarks, email accounts, and every other setting stays put. The change is purely visual: it updates your account name in Settings, on the login screen, and in the Start menu.

If you are on a work or school network, your IT department may have locked down the ability to change your username. If you try to rename your account and get an error message, contact your IT support — they may need to make the change for you.

If You Forgot Which Type of Account You Have

Open Settings and go to Accounts > Your info. Look at the top of the page where it says "Your info". If you see an email address (something@outlook.com, something@gmail.com, or another email), you have a Microsoft account. If you see just a name with no email, you have a local account.

You can also check by looking at your login screen. If you see an email address where you type your password, it is a Microsoft account. If you see a username (just a name, no @), it is a local account.

Troubleshooting Common Problems

The change did not take effect after restart. Sign out completely (not just lock the screen — actually sign out). Go to the login screen, wait 10 seconds, then sign back in. Sometimes Windows needs a full sign-out cycle to register the change everywhere.

You get an error saying the name is already in use. Windows does not allow two accounts on the same computer to have the same username. If you are trying to rename a local account and get this error, the name you chose matches another account on the computer. Pick a different name.

You changed your Microsoft account display name but it is not showing in Windows. Sign out of Windows completely. Restart your computer. Sign back in. Microsoft account changes can take up to 24 hours to sync across all devices, but restarting usually speeds it up.

You cannot find the rename option in Settings. If you are on a work or school computer, your administrator may have disabled the ability to change your username. Contact your IT department. If it is your personal computer, make sure you are signed in as an administrator — you cannot rename an account unless you have admin rights.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will changing my username affect my password?

No. Your password stays the same. You sign in with the same password you always have — only the name displayed changes. For Microsoft accounts, your sign-in email address may change if you change that specifically, but your password itself does not.

Can I change my username back to the old one?

Yes. Follow the same steps you used to change it the first time. There is no limit to how many times you can rename your account, though doing it very frequently is unusual.

What happens to my user folder if I change my username?

Your user folder (in C:\Users\) keeps its original name. Windows does this intentionally to avoid breaking program shortcuts and file paths. You can see your old folder name if you open File Explorer and navigate to C:\Users\, but your files are still there and still belong to your account.

Do I need to change my username on other devices?

If you have a Microsoft account, changing your display name on the Microsoft website updates it across all your devices that use that account. If you have local accounts on multiple computers, you need to change each one separately — they are not connected to each other.

What if I share my computer with other people?

Each person should have their own account. Changing your username only affects your account, not anyone else's. Other people will still see their own usernames on the login screen and in their own Settings.