How do I change my windows account name? The one that you can see in the log in screen and at the bottom left of the Start menu, next to your profile icon.

Question

I've been trying to figure out how to change the name of my main windows admin account but have not found a way to do so yet. I have searched this issue multiple times and the methods I've tried have not worked. Below are the methods i have found and tried.

1. Method i found was to change my Microsoft account name by logging on to the website going to my account settings and changing it there. This did not however change my windows account name, only my profile name here and in the accounts section in the windows settings. If I click on "your information", boom the old name is still there and still on the start menu and login screen.
2. Method was to go into computer management -> local users and groups -> select users -> right click on administrator and select Rename.

However the whole "Local users and groups" menu does not exist and when I try to open it via Run command "lusrmgr.msc" it opens and only says something like "This expansion may not be used with this windows 10 version. (even though i'm using Windows 11) You may control the computer user accounts by using the control panel "user accounts" tool."

Mind you this is a translation done by me so it might not be what it actually says on there in English but it is grammar wise pretty accurately translated.

Now if I go to the control panels user settings there is no option to change the account name there either. I can only change the account type or "make changes in the computer settings"

If I click on "make changes in computer settings" it takes me to the settings accounts page where it already shows the new changed name, but it does not affect the windows admin account name. To add, the computer only has this one main admin account, and i'd like to not make another account just to have a different name for it.

I tried to add screenshots to this but the files keep failing to upload so sorry. But the account sections contain a lot of personal info so i'd have to censor a lot of it anyway.

And if you wonder why I want to change that name is because it is currently my full name and sometimes I stream or share my screen to people that I do not want to know my full name. So currently I am one miss input away from showing it at all times and have done so on accident a couple times in the past by accidentally hitting the windows key which pops up the start menu and shows my real full name on there.

Answer 1

Hello K, this is Emily.

Are you signing into your computer using your Microsoft account, or is it a local user?

If you sign in using your Microsoft account, method 1 is indeed the way to go. It is not right that it doesn't sync over. Go to Settings > Accounts > Your Info Do you see "Stop signing into Microsoft apps automatically"? If so, click on it, restart the computer and see if it works. If not, try to relink your Microsoft and see if it works. Here is how you relink:

Go to Settings > Accounts > Your info

Click on Sign in as local user instead. follow the steps and finish the rest

Restart the computer (Do Not skip)

Go to Settings > Accounts > Your info

Click on Sign in with Microsoft account instead. follow the steps and finish the rest

Restart the computer (Do Not skip)

================================

Now, if you use local user to sign into your Windows, these are the steps you do:

Hold down Windows + R keys, type in netplwiz and hit enter.

Double click on your username, then you can put your name in the Full name field.