How to Change the Name of a User Profile Folder in Windows 10

When adding a new user business relationship in Windows ten, a profile for the business relationship is automatically created when the user signs in to the new account for the outset time.

A user contour is a collection of settings that make the computer look and piece of work the mode y'all want information technology to for a user account. It is stored in the user'southward C:\Users\<user name> contour folder, and contains the business relationship's settings for desktop backgrounds, screen savers, arrow preferences, sound settings, and other features. User profiles ensure that your personal preferences are used whenever you lot sign in to Windows.

A user's profile binder also contains their personal folders such as the 3D Objects, Contacts, Desktop, Documents, Downloads, Favorites, Links, Music, OneDrive, Pictures, Saved Games, Searches, and Videos folders.

Since a user'southward contour binder is automatically named past Windows by default, it will not e'er be named what you may have wanted its name to be.

See too: Renaming a user account doesn't automatically change the profile path | Microsoft Docs

This tutorial volition show you lot how to rename a user profile folder for any account (local account or Microsoft account) in Windows 10.

You must be signed in as an ambassador to change the name of a user profile folder.

Changing the name of an account'south user contour folder volition non change the business relationship's user proper noun.


Verify a contour folder in the C:\Users folder does non already exist with the same exact proper noun you want to utilize. If yous don't so the user profile folder you are trying to rename will get the figurer proper name added on to its name.

It is highly recommended to create a organisation paradigm before doing the steps in this tutorial to be able to quickly restore the paradigm to undo the steps if needed since renaming a user profile folder name may have unknown side furnishings. For example, some programs not referencing the new contour binder name.

How to Create and Restore a Arrangement Epitome Fill-in with Macrium Reflect

How to Create a System Image in Windows x

Here's How:

1 Sign out the user account (ex: "Brink2") y'all want to modify the name of its user profile folder (ex: "C:\Users\

Brink2.BRINK-W10PC").

ii Sign in to whatsoever ambassador account on the PC that you are non changing its user profile folder proper name.

If y'all do not have another administrator business relationship, then you can enable the congenital-in Ambassador to sign in to do these steps in.


3 Open a command prompt.

four Blazon the command beneath into the control prompt, and printing Enter. (see screenshot below)

Brand note of the SID (ex: "S-one-5-21-237214570-1361766723-3061440971-1015") for the account (ex: "Brink2") you want to change the name of its user profile binder. You volition need to know this SID in footstep 6 below.

wmic useraccount go proper name,SID

Change Name of User Profile Folder in Windows 10-sid.png


5 Printing the Win + R keys to open Run, blazon regedit into Run, and click/tap on OK to open Registry Editor.

half dozen Navigate to the registry fundamental beneath in the left pane of Registry Editor. (come across screenshot below)

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList\<SID>

Substitute <SID> in the registry primal path above with the actual SID (ex: "Southward-one-5-21-237214570-1361766723-3061440971-1015") from step 4 to a higher place for the account name (ex: "Brink2") yous want to modify the name of its user profile binder.

For case: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList\S-i-5-21-237214570-1361766723-3061440971-1015

Change Name of User Profile Folder in Windows 10-change_user_profile_folder_name-1.png


7 In the correct pane of the SID central (ex: "S-1-5-21-237214570-1361766723-3061440971-1015"), double click/tap on the ProfileImagePath expandable cord value (REG_EXPAND_SZ) to modify it. (encounter screenshot higher up)

8 Change the current proper noun of the user contour folder in its full path (ex: "C:\Users\

Brink2.BRINK-W10PC") to what you want (ex: "C:\Users\Brink2") instead, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)

Make annotation of the current full path and name (ex: "C:\Users\Brink2.BRINK-W10PC") and new name (ex: "Brink2") for this account'southward user profile folder.

You volition need to know both in footstep 10 and step 12 below.

Change Name of User Profile Folder in Windows 10-change_user_profile_folder_name-2.png


nine When finished, you can close Registry Editor and command prompt if you like. (encounter screenshot below)

Change Name of User Profile Folder in Windows 10-change_user_profile_folder_name-3.png


10 Open File Explorer (Win+E), and navigate to the original full path of the user profile binder (ex: "C:\Users\Brink2.BRINK-W10PC") from footstep eight to a higher place.

11 Correct click or press and hold on the user contour folder (ex: "Brink2.BRINK-W10PC"), and click/tap on Rename. (see screenshot below)

Change Name of User Profile Folder in Windows 10-change_user_profile_folder_name-4.jpg


12 Change the electric current name of the user profile folder (ex: "Brink2.BRINK-W10PC") to the same new proper name (ex: "Brink2") from step 8 higher up. (see screenshots beneath)
13 You tin now close File Explorer if you like.

14 Create a symbolic link using the command below in an elevated command prompt. This is then anything that still references the old user profile folder proper name volition be automatically redirected to the new user profile folder proper noun.

mklink /d " Total path of old profile binder proper name " " full path of new profile folder name "

Substitute Full path of old profile binder name in the command above with the bodily full path of the old user profile folder proper noun (ex: "C:\Users\Brink2.BRINK-W10PC").

Substitute

full path of new profile folder proper name in the command above with the full path of the new user contour folder name (ex: "C:\Users\Brink2").

For example: mklink /d " C:\Users\Brink2.BRINK-W10PC " " C:\Users\Brink2 "


xv Verify the OneDrive folder location for your account (ex: "Brink2") is correctly using the new profile binder proper name. If it'south non, then change the OneDrive binder location to correct it. (see screenshot below)

That's information technology,
Shawn Brink

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