“Changing your name” in Windows 10 can mean changing a Microsoft account display name or the name shown for a local Windows account. It does not normally rename the existing user-profile folder under C:\Users, and forcing that folder to change can break application paths.
Change a Microsoft account display name
- Open your Microsoft account through the supported account-management page from Windows or a browser.
- Sign in and complete any required identity verification.
- Open your profile/personal information.
- Edit the display name and save it.
- Allow time for the updated name to synchronize to Windows and other Microsoft services.
Change a local account name
For a local Windows account, use the supported local account-management interface available on your Windows 10 edition, such as Control Panel’s User Accounts options. Administrator permission may be required to change another local account.
The profile-folder name usually stays the same
Changing the display/account name does not automatically rename C:\Users\oldname. Avoid Registry edits and manual profile-folder renames simply for cosmetic consistency. If a correctly named profile folder is essential, creating a new account/profile and migrating data is safer.
Work and school names may be managed centrally
Organization-managed accounts can take their display information from Microsoft Entra ID, Active Directory, or another directory. Contact the administrator instead of trying to override centrally managed identity data locally.
Windows 10 is past standard support, so eligible PCs should also be migrated to a supported release.
Changing an account’s display name also does not automatically change email addresses, Microsoft 365 identities, or application usernames. Update those separately only through the service that owns them.
Know which name other people will see
The Windows sign-in display name, Microsoft account profile name, device name, and email address are separate values. Changing one does not necessarily change the others. Before editing anything, identify where the unwanted name appears—sign-in screen, email, file sharing, or Microsoft services—so you change the correct identity field.
The profile-folder name is a different identifier
Changing the visible account name normally does not rename a folder such as C:\Users\OldName. Manually renaming that folder can break profile references and applications. If the folder name itself must change, creating a correctly named replacement profile and migrating data is usually safer.
Check which identity source controls the name
Microsoft-account names are managed through the online account, local-account names are changed locally, and work or school identities may come from Active Directory or Microsoft Entra ID. Change the authoritative source rather than repeatedly editing labels on the PC.
To change the folder name too, read how to rename the user folder in Windows 11.
Related: finding your Windows username.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.