change user folder name

Question

How do I safely change the user folder name?  And all the old names associated with that user?

I had to reinstall Windows from a clean install and I accidentally put the old name of G.J. Hunter, and all the folders say that name.  But I meant to have the user say "Christi Simmons".

What's the best way to make this change?  Right I can't change the name to mine.

Thanks for the help.

Answer 1

Alright, so I think we’re both trying to accomplish the same thing, but looking at it differently. Changing all the G.J Hunter to another name will get messy, and may not even let you. If it does, permissions could get messed up, etc.

So I’m proposing you make a new account, which would create:

C:\Users\NewName\Music

When you log in as that user, you’ll navigate to:

C:\Users\GJ Hunter\Music - open that folder, copy the contents, then paste it into:

C:\Users\NewName\Music (it’ll be super quick since it’s staying on the same drive)

Once you’ve moved all the data from GJ Hunter Desktop, Documents, Music, etc. over to NewName Desktop, Documents, Music, we’ll remove the GJ account all together.

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Click start - type control panel - then go into user accounts - then manage another account - then remove GJ Hunter

Then, right click on This PC, and go to properties. Click on "Advanced system settings" on the left. Then click on the "advanced" tab - click on settings under "user profiles" and make sure it's gone from that list as well.

Then, go into This PC - C:\Users and right click on GJ Hunter (if it’s still there) right click and delete.

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I feel like this is best/cleanest way to go about this. Let me know if this makes and sense and you want to give it a shot!

• C

Answer 2

Hi Christi,

I’d make a new user!

Select the Start button, then select Settings > Accounts > Family & other people > Add someone else to this PC. (Make an admin account)

Type a user name, password, and then select Next.

Move all your data from those GJ folders to your news one with the correct name. Then remove the GJ account.

Start - control panel - user accounts - manage other users - then remove GJ

let me know if this helps!

• C

Answer 3

I just sent a message and I meant to add:

I'm trying to remove the references:

Current: 

C:\Users\G.J. Hunter\Music

I want to have:

C:\Users\New Name\Music

If that makes sense.  I can get a new user listed, but it's the folder paths I'm trying change.  Can you advise on how to get all these references to my old name?

Answer 4

Cool.  But what about the registry key references?  Does this method adjust those as well?

Answer 5

Hi Christi, Windows 10 is different from all previous versions of Windows. When you rename a user profile, the underlying folder name in C:\Users will never change and there is no successful way to change that folder name

Then only way o do this is create a new user profile, copy your files over into that new profile and then delete the old profile

Open the Settings App

Go to Accounts - Family and other People

Click 'Add someone else to this PC'

Follow the prompts to create a new account

Close the settings app

Log out of that user account

Log into your new account

Copy your files over into this profile

Click the Start Button, type netplwiz and hit Enter

In the resulting dialog, select the old account and click 'Remove'

That's It, your new Admin Account will replace the old account