How to Rename the User Folder in Windows 8?

Windows 8 supports two types of account – one is the regular local account and the other is the Microsoft account. When you login to Windows 8 for the first time using your Microsoft account, which is the same as your Microsoft Live ID or Hotmail account, Windows automatically creates a user folder under C:Users. The user folder is named as “username_000”. If the “username” is long it may be truncated to keep the length of the folder’s name to under ten characters. Furthermore, the “username” that Windows assigns to you depends on your Microsoft account’s sign-in name and not your actual name. If you have a Live ID or Hotmail address that doesn’t reflect your real name, like an anonymous handle, the user folder will bear the handle name. Understandably, you may want to rename this user folder. But you cannot rename it like you do to a regular folder, because obviously, doing so will break your account. There is a proper way to do it.

rename-user-folder

Note: The following steps are applicable for renaming user folder of both Microsoft account and local account.

Step 1: Enable Administrator Account

The first step is to create a new local user account with administrative privilege if you don’t have one already. Alternatively, enable the hidden administrator account. If you know how to do this, you can skip this section and go directly to Step 2. Otherwise, continue following.

Go to the desktop and right-click on the lower-left corner to reveal the WinX menu. Alternatively, you can press the Win+X keyboard shortcut. Then click on “Computer management”. Yet another way to open “Computer management” is to right-click on the “Computer” icon on the desktop and from the context menu click on “Manage”.

winx-menu

In Computer management, go to System Tools > Local Users and Groups > Users. On the right pane, right-click on “Administrator” and click on “Properties”.

admin-properties

In the Properties window, uncheck the “Account is disabled” option.

account-disabled

Sign-out from your account.

Step 2: Rename User Folder

Sign-in to Windows using the Administrator account (previously hidden – see step 1). If this is the first login, Windows will take some time to setup your account.

Go to the desktop and right-click on the lower-left corner to reveal the WinX menu. Then click on “Computer management”.

winx-menu

In Computer management, go to System Tools > Local Users and Groups > Users. On the right pane, right-click on the Microsoft user account you want to rename and then click “Rename”. Rename your account.

rename

Go to the desktop again, right-click on the lower-left corner to reveal the WinX menu and then click on “Command Prompt (Admin)”.

cmd-admin

Use the “ren” command to rename the user folder. For example, to rename “kaush_000” to “kaushik”, issue:

ren C:Userskaush_000 kaushik

rename-user

Press Win+R to open the run dialog box, type “regedit” and press Enter. This will open the Registry Editor.

Navigate to the following key, and expand it. 
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionProfileList

Under ProfileList you will find several folders bearing names such as “S-1-5-21-4085978632-578…….”. Locate the one that corresponds to your Microsoft user account. You can simply open each folder and check the ProfileImagePath for the correct one.

profilelist

Rename the ProfileImagePath value to your desired name, like C:Userskaushik

profilelist-edit

Logout of the Administrator account and log in with your Microsoft account. Everything should work fine – all your apps and files should be intact and your user folder should have been renamed.

This Article Has 11 Comments
  1. Unknown Reply

    In the Step 2, I cannot find the Microsoft account I want to change? I'm already in my Administrator account. Any help?

  2. Kaushik Patowary Reply

    Are you sure? Group Policy Editor shows ALL user accounts created on Windows. Make sure the user account exist. Can you log into the account?

  3. Anonymous Reply

    Hi, thanks for the help. However after going to Computer management and then System Tools I don't see an option for "Local Users and Groups".

  4. Anonymous Reply

    hi, thanks for the help too, but i cant see the option local users and groups either

  5. Anonymous Reply

    Thanks but i wonder how can Microsoft insult to every body by making all of these simple tasks so complex and impossible?
    We buy it's OS in a glimpse of an eye and then waste several hours measurably scrawling in every corner of internet to find out how can we do the most simplest tasks on that system.

  6. Strutte2 Reply

    How do you rename a user file with a space in the name? I.E. John Williams to Jon Williams?

  7. Unknown Reply

    You sir, are a genius.

  8. Anonymous Reply

    You forgot 1 thing: you have to close almost all processes in task manager otherwise any program that use the user folder will prevent you to rename the folder and will get you a nice access denied in command prompt:administrator.

  9. Anonymous Reply

    I do not have the local users and groups folder in system tools (as mentioned in step 1.)

  10. andrezrl Reply

    When I was at the second part using the command prompt, I got an access denied, so I restarted my PC on safe mode with command prompt and then it worked. So if you have this 'access denied', I recommend to do that.

  11. Unknown Reply

    in step2: in the command prompt in could'nt rename my user folder and think it is because i have a white space in my old username.as "C:UsersMirza Abdullah" and when i try to rename it as "ren C:UsersMirza Abdullah AMINA" it gives me "the syntex of command is incorrect"…please help me to resolve it..

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