Renaming a user folder in Enterprise and Pro editions

Under Windows 10, changing the username is not recommended. A lot of emergency situations arise that no one is able to solve. Microsoft support is very helpful, but just as easy to avoid giving a straight answer. The authors have contacted them more than once, each time indicating the license number, but it is extremely difficult to solve the problem this way. So, we don’t recommend even thinking about how to change your username in Windows 10.

Here is one of the “victims” of erroneous actions. “I can’t enter Start, I can’t roll back changes, the system gives an error, some applications don’t start.” In Windows, it is strictly not recommended to work as an administrator while exploring the Internet. In this case, any malicious software can easily cause significant damage to the shell. Below we will give recommendations on how to change the username and how to change the path to the profile.

Before work starts

We know that no one likes to do this, but before changing your account in Windows 10, it is recommended to create a system restore point. Then you can do a rollback in a simple way:

1. Win + R to enter command mode.
2. Rstrui to begin the system recovery process.

• In the Start menu, find All Apps.
• Select System Tools, go to Windows
• Control Panel → System and Security → Security Center and Maintenance.
• In the lower right corner of the window is Recovery.
• Next – Configure system recovery → Create.

Come up with a unique phrase so that later it will be easy to recognize the name among others.

Someone else's recording

This concludes our work with standard funds. We go to the Control Panel.

Control Panel

The changes will take effect immediately. Having tried all the nuances on a local Windows 10 account, you can begin adjusting the main one. We believe that everyone knows how a user change occurs, so we do not focus on this. Working as an administrator is strictly contraindicated. We were taught that everything could be done without interference. Viruses operate just as easily on a computer. In fact, you should act as an ordinary user. This correct tactic will protect you from accidentally installing malicious software and causing your entire system to crash.

Attention! The control panel can be accessed through the Run line. Win + R, type control, press Enter.

Using the Run snap-in

Windows provides a command for creating and configuring users. The advantage of it is that it gives access to a window where everything is collected together, clearly and clearly. Unlike what we saw above. It is not known exactly when Microsoft will cut this option in Windows 10, but while the feature is available, it should be actively used. Let's launch the execute line by pressing the Win + R combination and enter netplwiz in the field. As the name of the command suggests, this is a network policy wizard. A window will appear.

From the very method of presenting information, it becomes clear what exactly needs to be done next:

1. Select the desired user.
2. Click properties.
3. We get a window where you can change not only the user’s designation in the system, but also his full name.

In addition to this, it becomes possible to set a description (hint). It is the Full name that appears in the system, if there is one, this is the login for login. If necessary, other fields are also available for modification. A secondary bonus of this approach is the ability to determine whether an account has been renamed or not. Most users, of course, do not know about this feature. Consequently, he will not even think about the possibility of covering his tracks.

Although this snap-in on Windows 10 is usually used to edit group membership. Thanks to this, roles are born, the number of which is very large, the rights of which differ significantly from both the administrator group and ordinary users. Here you can set the requirement to enter a password when logging in or cancel this annoying option for many. The problem can be solved by checking or unchecking the corresponding checkbox at the top of the window.

You see that this method is much better and safer because it allows you to control the full package of parameters. This is why netplwiz is not so widely known. This is a typical secret admin tool. When experimenting on another account, we will be forced to create a user. It’s easiest to remove a newbie from the same equipment.

Functionality check

After changing the name, the first thing that comes to mind is to check what has changed. To do this, go to the start menu, click on the user icon to change the account.

If the profile has started, the documents are in place, and all applications are working, then the operation was successful.

Via the registry

On the Internet you can find instructions for changing the username for accessing the registry and making changes using regedit, but there are rumors that this method is unsafe. Therefore, we will not talk about it in detail.

Microsoft account

Few people like to use a Microsoft account, but its name can also be changed. This operation is performed at http://account.microsoft.com/?refd=www.microsoft.com.

User folder

You will notice that after these operations the network path has not changed. You need to manually rename a user folder in Windows 10. This will not be possible if the account is in use. The user must log out. Then you need to rename the folder in the typical way, and register the key in the registry. This will require administrator rights in Windows 10.

Find the section as follows. In the Registry Editor, open the directory HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList. Inside there will be several folders with names of different lengths. The short ones are created by the system, but the long ones need to be looked at for the ProfileImagePath key. Where our problematic name will be, that one needs to be changed to a new one (the name that we gave to the username).

After this there will be no more problems with logging in.

Is it worth it?

We did not find any negative consequences after manipulating user records. Many applications did not work as usual, and product keys from the admin collection were missing. But you can work if you want. Nothing formally has changed. We would venture to assume that you can change the username in Windows 10 for any account, but it is not recommended to do this for the administrator account.

In extreme cases, the “owner” of the computer can unlock other people’s folders and get their contents. But if the administrator falls, it will be extremely difficult to restore the system. Readers have probably noticed that in the new Windows 10 interface there is no option to change the name. This was probably done for a reason. We would venture to assume that the product was released slightly raw, and therefore various unnecessary manipulations could damage it.

The question is how can you rename the Windows 10 user folder (meaning the folder usually corresponding to your user name, located in C:\Users(which is displayed in Explorer as C:\Users, but the actual path to the folder is exactly what was specified) is set quite often. This guide shows you how to do this and change the user's folder name to what you want. If anything is not clear, there is a video below that shows all the steps for renaming.

Why might this be needed? There are different situations here: one of the common ones is that if there are Cyrillic characters in the folder name, some programs that place components necessary for work in this folder may not work correctly; the second most common reason is that you simply don’t like the current name (besides, when using a Microsoft account, it is shortened and not always in a convenient way).

The method described above will not work for the home version of Windows 10, however, there is also a way to rename the user folder. True, I don't really recommend it.

Note: this method was tested on a completely clean system. In some cases, after using it, problems may arise with the operation of programs installed by the user.

So, to rename a user folder in Windows 10 Home, follow these steps:

1. Create an administrator account or activate the built-in one as described above. Sign out of your current account and sign in with a new administrator account.
2. Rename the user folder (via Explorer or command line).
3. Also, as described above, change the value of the parameter ProfileImagePath in the registry section HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ SOFTWARE\ Microsoft\ Windows NT\ CurrentVersion\ ProfileList to a new one (in the subsection corresponding to your account).
4. In the Registry Editor, select the root folder (Computer, on the top left side) then select Edit - Search from the menu and search for C:\Users\Old_folder_name
5. When found, change it to a new one and press Edit - Find Next (or F3) to search for places in the registry where the old path remains.
6. When finished, close Registry Editor.

After completing all these steps, log out of the account you are using and go to the user account for which the folder name was changed. Everything should work without failures (but in this case there may be exceptions).

Video - how to rename a user folder

And finally, as promised, a video instruction that shows all the steps to change the name of your user’s folder in Windows 10.

These instructions show the steps by which you can rename a user folder in the Windows 10 operating system

So, let's assume that we have changed the account name and we need to rename the user folder. You will need another local administrator account on your computer. Create a new local account with administrative privileges, how to do this is described in detail in this ➱

Go to folder Users located on the system drive (usually drive C), right-click on the folder whose name you want to change (in this case the folder User) and select the item in the context menu Rename

Rename the folder (for example NewUser)

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList

Find the subsection with the characters S-1-5-21~ in its name. Find the ProfileImagePath parameter, the value of which will correspond to the name of the folder you want to rename. Double-click on the ProfileImagePath parameter and specify a new folder name, click the button OK. Close Registry Editor.

Log out and log in with the account you renamed the user folder. If you no longer need the account created specifically for these changes, you can delete it

Do not forget that many settings and parameters of programs and the operating system are stored in the user profile. The more programs you have installed on your computer, the more likely it is that the changes you make will not be enough. Most likely, there will be an entry in the Windows registry containing the full path to some file or folder that is in the user profile, and this path will be indicated with a link to the old, now defunct folder. This may cause problems with some programs.

You can try to avoid such problems. To do this, you will need to carefully examine the ENTIRE registry for links to the old, already renamed folder.

To do this, open the search window in the registry editor by pressing the key combination Ctrl + F, enter the path to the old profile folder in the search bar and press the button N go further

Carefully study all the parameters found and, if necessary, change the name of the folder to the newly renamed one. Then press the F3 key to continue the search and so on until the very end, that is, until such a window appears.

As you understand, the work ahead is painstaking and here you need to approach the issue with knowledge of the matter - that is, understand where you should change the name of the parameter to a new one, and where you can not do this or should not do it under any circumstances.

Why do you need to change the user folder name in Windows 10? This procedure is resorted to by users who, when installing the operating system, mistakenly specified the user name in Cyrillic characters and now some programs refuse to start. You may also need to rename the Windows 10 user folder if the specialist who installed the OS specified the wrong name of the PC owner.

However, it should be noted that if you are unsure of your abilities, it is not advisable to follow the methods below, since system malfunctions or a message may appear stating that the main user account has been changed to a temporary profile. Problems may also arise if at least one point of the above methods is violated.

Rename a user folder in Windows 10 Home

The methods for renaming a user folder in Windows 10 Home and Pro, Enterprise are different. Therefore, to change the name of the user folder in the home assembly, you should perform the following methods:

• Activate the hidden administrator account. To do this, you should run the command line with Administrator rights. In the console you need to enter the command: net user Administrator /active:yes. If you have a Russian-language version of the system, enter the word “Administrator” in Cyrillic.

• After executing the command, you need to click “Start”, “Username” and select “Exit”. The computer will begin to restart, and then a selection of accounts will appear on the lock screen. We select the one that has Administrator rights. Logging in will take some time.

• Now that you are logged in as an Administrator, you should right-click on the “Start” button and select “Computer Management”.

• A new window will open. Select the “Local Users” directory, then “Users” and in the right part of the window, right-click on the user name that you are going to change. Click “Rename”.

• Enter a new name. We close the window. Go to “Computer”, local drive C and right-click on the user’s folder. Select “Rename” again and set a new name, the same as in “Computer Management”.
• Now you need to activate the changes. Press “Win+R” and enter “regedit”.

• The Registry Editor will open. Go to the branch HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList. In the right part of the window, select the “ProfileImagePath” parameter. It will be located in one of the subsections. Therefore, they will all need to be reviewed. Set the parameter to a new value. More precisely, we indicate the path to the new folder.

Now open the command line again and enter: net user Administrator /active:no. Next, click on the Administrator icon and select “Log Out”. Select your account from the list provided.

Rename a user folder in Windows 10 Professional and Enterprise

If you want to rename a user directory on Pro and Enterprise operating systems, you should follow these steps:

• We create a backup copy of the system and registry.
• Log in to the system under the Administrator account, as indicated in the method above.
• We change the name of the user folder in the Computer Management utility and on drive C in the Users folder.
• Launch the registry editor and go to the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ SOFTWARE\ Microsoft\ Windows NT\ CurrentVersion\ ProfileList branch. We find a parameter that specifies the path to the user’s old folder. Double-click “ProfileImagePath” and specify the path to the renamed folder in the value.
• Log out of the Administrator account and log in to your account.

The difference between these methods is that in these versions the Registry Editor may have several parameters with the user name. They all need to be changed by setting a new user name.

Therefore, if you are interested in how to change the operating system username, first study the entire list of ProfileList sections so as not to miss the necessary parameter and not damage the entire assembly.

To learn how to rename a user’s folder in practice, watch the video:

During the Windows installation process, many users do not think about how important it is to choose the right username. This is not only the name that you will see when you log into the operating system, but also one of the root words in the path to any installed program. The name of the user's folder depends on the account name.

Most Russian-speaking computer users prefer a username written in Cyrillic. The Windows operating system allows you to do this, but problems may arise for this reason. The fact is that some programs and games cannot work correctly if there are Cyrillic letters in the path to the executable files. In such a situation, the solution is obvious - rename the user's folder. This is not as easy to do as it seems at first glance.

Please note: If you need to rename a user folder, under no circumstances should you do this in the standard way or using special programs, otherwise this will lead to errors that can only be corrected by reinstalling Windows.

Before you begin the instructions below, we recommend that you create a . This will come in handy if problems arise. You also need to know in advance the version of Windows 10 installed on your computer, since the methods for changing the folder name will vary for different versions of the operating system.

How to rename a user folder in Windows 10 Home

On most computers at home, regular users have the “Home” version of the Windows operating system installed. It lacks some tools that are available in more professional variations of the system. Renaming a user folder in Windows 10 Home is more difficult than in the Pro and Enterprise versions, but it can be done.

Important: If you have many programs installed on your computer, some of them may stop working after you change the account name. We advise you to assess the risks before starting the process of changing the user folder name.

To rename a user folder in Windows 10 Home you need to:

1. Create a new user or activate a hidden Windows account, which is intended to be used in emergency situations. To run a "secret account" you need. Next enter the command:

Important: Depending on the version of Windows 10 you are using, you may need to enter "Administrator" instead of "Administrator". This is necessary when the system has been localized by third-party software, which often happens with pirated versions of software.

Please note: If you enabled a hidden account, you can disable it at the end of the procedure for changing the folder name. This is done with the following command, which must be executed in a command line running as an administrator:

Net user Administrator /active:no

If all the described procedures were performed correctly, then no problems should arise with operating system programs. Some third-party applications may conflict with the new username, but the situation can be corrected by reinstalling them.

How to rename a user folder in Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise

The instructions described above are suitable for the Home version of the operating system, while in professional versions of Windows everything is much simpler. Follow the instructions described above up to point 6, after which you can restart the computer and the user folder name will be changed.