How to Change C/Users/Username in Windows 10
If you’re looking to change your user folder name on Windows 10, you conventionally have one option:
- Go to the C drive
- Right-click on the target user folder
- Click Rename from the context menu
However, you may find out that there’s no rename option from the options, making it seemingly impossible to change your username. If you find yourself in this situation, don’t fret.
You can employ some workarounds to change your C-drive username on Windows PC, and you’ll find a step-by-step guide to do that here.
Read on below to find out.
How to Change User Folder Name on Windows 10
When changing the user folder name on Windows, I like to broaden my options by executing the change in File Explorer or via the Registry Editor. The first method, which is File Explorer, should do the trick for anyone. But, if you like to ransack the system settings even deeper and get more options, you’ll have a fun time employing the second method, which is the Registry Editor.
Method 1
You’ll eventually get the option to rename the user folder on your device by following the steps below:
- Open C Drive in Windows Explorer
- Click on the search bar in the upper-right corner of the File Explorer window
- Type in the user folder name you intend to rename and click enter on your keyboard
- From the search, look for the relevant result and right-click on it to find the Rename option
- Enter the name you intend to change to and click Ok to save the changes.
You’ll find out that the user folder name has been changed. However, your user account name will not be altered and will retain the old name. If you want to change your user account name along with the user folder name, you should try method 2 instead.
Method 2
This method involves the Registry Editor and is a little bit tricky; thus, ensure to follow the steps that I’ll demonstrate diligently to prevent any hiccups. Better still, you can create a restore point for your PC so that you can go back to it should anything go wrong while or after attempting this method.
To use the Registry Editor,
- Press the Windows key to open the start menu
- Enter CMD in the provided search box
- Right-click on the Command Prompt result and select Run as an administrator from the options
- Once in Command Prompt, type wmic useraccount list full and press enter key
- A list of results will return. Search for your current account there and note the SID number
- Run this command and press enter: CD c:\users, rename [YourOldAccountName] [NewAccountName]. For example CD C:\users, rename Windows8 Windows 10
- Next, run Command Prompt again by pressing the Windows key + R
- Type Regedit in the text box and hit Enter on your keyboard
- In Registry Editor, navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList
- Look for the profile you intend to change to by using the SID number from earlier and click on it
- From the options on the right pane, click on ProfileImagePath value
- A mini window will spring up. In the Value box, enter the exact new username you changed to
- Click Ok to save all changes and restart your PC
Final Notes
Changing your C drive username shouldn’t require more than a few clicks in Windows Explorer. However, if you need more robust options that extend to your account username, use the method with the Registry Editor, but be sure to have a restored state on your Windows before attempting it.
