The fastest way: Settings

Open the Settings app by pressing Windows key + I on your keyboard. Go to Accounts in the left sidebar, then click Your info. At the top of the page, you will see your account name displayed under a profile picture or icon. This is your Windows username.

This method works on Windows 10 and Windows 11. The username shown here is the one your computer uses to log in, and it is the same name that appears in file paths and system settings.

Key Takeaways

  • Your Windows username appears in Settings under Accounts > Your info, and this is the fastest way to find it on Windows 10 or 11.
  • You can also open Command Prompt and type whoami, then press Enter to see your username when ready.
  • File Explorer shows your username in the address bar when you navigate to your user folder — it appears after "Users\" in the path.
  • Your username is different from your display name; the username is what the system uses internally, while the display name is what appears on the login screen.

Using Command Prompt for a one-line answer

Press Windows key + R to open the Run dialog. Type cmd and press Enter. In the Command Prompt window that opens, type whoami and press Enter. Your full username will appear on the next line, usually in the format COMPUTERNAME\username.

The part after the backslash is your actual Windows username. This method is faster if you are already comfortable with Command Prompt, and it works on every version of Windows.

Finding it in File Explorer

Open File Explorer and click This PC in the left sidebar. Double-click the C: drive (or whichever drive Windows is installed on), then open the Users folder. The folders inside this directory are named after each user account on the computer. Your username is the folder that corresponds to your account.

You can also see your username in the address bar at the top of File Explorer. When you navigate to your Documents, Downloads, or Desktop folder, the path will show something like C:\Users\yourname\Documents. The part between "Users\" and the next backslash is your username.

The difference between username and display name

Windows actually stores two different names for your account. Your username is what the system uses internally — it appears in file paths, command prompts, and network connections. Your display name is what shows on the login screen and in the top-right corner of the Settings app.

These two names can be different. For example, your display name might be "Sarah Johnson" while your username is "sjohnson" or "sarah.johnson". If you need to know your username for a specific task — like connecting to a network drive or troubleshooting a permissions issue — use one of the methods above rather than relying on what you see on the login screen.

Why you might need your Windows username

Your Windows username is required for several common tasks. Network administrators need it to set up shared drives or printers. Some software installations ask for your username to set permissions correctly. If you are troubleshooting file access problems, knowing your exact username helps you understand why a file or folder is restricted.

You also need your username if you are setting up remote access to your computer or if you are configuring backup software that needs to know which user account to back up. Having the exact spelling and format prevents errors during setup.

What to do if you cannot remember your password

Knowing your username is different from knowing your password. If you cannot log in to Windows, you will need to reset your password through the login screen. Click I forgot my password on the login screen and follow the prompts — Windows will ask you to verify your identity using a security question, email, or phone number.

If you are already logged in but cannot remember your password for a specific program or website, that is a separate issue. Your Windows username will not help you recover those passwords — you will need to use the password recovery options for that specific service.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is my Windows username the same as my Microsoft account email?

Not necessarily. If you set up Windows with a Microsoft account, your username might be based on your email, but it is often shortened or modified. For example, your Microsoft account might be sarah.johnson@outlook.com, but your Windows username could be "sjohnson" or "sarah.johnson". Use one of the methods above to see what your system actually uses.

Can I change my Windows username?

Yes, but the process is different depending on whether you use a local account or a Microsoft account. For a local account, go to Settings > Accounts > Your info and click Rename your account. For a Microsoft account, you would need to change your display name in Settings, though the underlying username may remain the same in system files.

Why does my username have a backslash and a computer name in front of it?

When Command Prompt shows your username as COMPUTERNAME\username, the part before the backslash is your computer's name, and the part after is your actual username. This format tells you which computer the account belongs to. On a home computer, you can ignore the computer name and use just the username part.

What if I see multiple usernames in the Users folder?

Each folder in the Users directory represents a different account on your computer. Your username is the folder that matches the account you are currently logged into. If you are unsure which one is yours, use the Settings or Command Prompt method instead — they will show you exactly which account you are using right now.