Introduction
By default, the Windows account name for most people is their first and last name. If this is a bit too personal of a touch for you and you don’t want to risk someone seeing your full name while you’re using your computer out in public, you have the power to change your Windows account name. Changing your Windows account name can be done in a few minutes, and does require a computer restart. Examples of all instructions in the steps can be seen in both the YouTube video above and the image collection located beneath the steps.
Steps to Change Your Windows Account Name
- Click the “Start” icon in the lower left corner of the Windows home screen to display the Start menu.
- Type “netplwiz.” The Start menu will disappear and be replaced by a search results menu. Click to select the “netplwiz” run command at the top of the search results menu. A User Accounts window opens.
- Make sure the Users tab is selected at the top of the User Accounts window. In the Users For This Computer section, locate the user you want to change the Windows account name for, and then double-click that user. A Properties window opens up for that specific user. By default, the General tab will be selected, and that user’s user name, full name, and a description of their account will be displayed. The Full Name field contains the user’s Windows account name.
- Change the name in the Full Name field to be what you want this user’s Windows account name to be, and then click “Apply” in the lower right corner of the window. Click “OK” to close the Properties window, and then click “OK” to close the User Accounts window. A User Accounts dialog box appears, informing you that you’ve made changes to your user account, and that you must sign out and sign back in for those changes to take effect. You can choose to either sign out immediately, or wait to sign out later. After you sign out and then sign back in, your Windows account name change will be effective.
