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How to rename the documents folder in windows 10. Preventing possible errors after changing the name

The question of how you can rename the user's Windows 10 folder (meaning the folder usually corresponding to your username, located in C: \ Users(which is displayed in Explorer as C: \ Users, but the actual path to the folder is exactly the one that was specified) is set quite often. This tutorial shows you how to do this and change the user's folder name to what you want.

What is it for? There are different situations here: one of the most common - if there are Cyrillic characters in the folder name, some programs that place the components necessary for work in this folder may not work correctly; the second most common reason is simply that I don't like the current name (besides, when using an account Microsoft records, it is shortened and not always conveniently).

Warning: potentially, such actions, especially when performed with errors, can lead to wrong work system, a message that or the inability to enter the OS. Also, do not try to simply rename the folder in any way without performing the rest of the procedures.

Rename user folder in Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise.

The described method, when checked, successfully worked for both a local Windows 10 account and a Microsoft account. The first step is to add a new administrator account (not the one for which the folder name will change) to the system.

The easiest way for our purposes to do this is not to create a new account, but to enable the built-in hidden account. To do this, run command line on behalf of the Administrator (through the context menu invoked by right-clicking on Start) and enter the command net user Administrator / active: yes and press Enter (in case you have a non-Russian-speaking Windows 10 or it was russified by installing language pack, enter the name of the account in Latin - Administrator).

The next step is to log out (in the Start menu, click on the username - log out), and then on the lock screen, select the new Administrator account and log in under it (if it does not appear for selection, restart the computer). The first time you log in, it will take some time to prepare the system.

After logging into your account, follow these steps in order:

Close the registry editor, log out of the Administrator account and go to your regular account - the renamed user folder should work fine. In order to disable a previously activated administrator account, run the command net user Administrator / active: no at the command line.

How to change user folder name in Windows 10 Home?

The method described above will not work for the home version of Windows 10, however, there is also a way to rename the user's folder.

Note: this way has been 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 the user folder in Windows 10 Home follow these steps:

  1. Create an administrator account or activate the built-in one as described above. Log out of your current account and log in with a new administrator account.
  2. Rename the user folder (via explorer or command line).
  3. Also, as described above, change the parameter value ProfileImagePath in the registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows NT \ CurrentVersion \ ProfileList to a new one (in the subsection corresponding to your account).
  4. In Registry Editor, highlight root folder(Computer, top left) then from the menu select Edit - Search 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 flawlessly (but in this case there may be exceptions).

We hope you find this material useful. If you have any questions, or if there are additions, write in the comments.

Wondering how to rename a user folder in Windows 10? This refers to the directory located in C: \ Users, which is named the same as the account from which the user logs into Windows 10. This article will help with this.

Below are three methods to change the name of the directory where the current user settings are stored to the required one.

Instead of introducing

What is it for? Some applications do not always get access to the stored settings and other files located in the user's directory if the path to it contains Cyrillic characters. In order to force such a program to function normally, you have to change the path to its settings by replacing the name of the user's folder with one that does not contain Cyrillic characters.

The second reason may be a simple reluctance to continue to work with such an account name or an error when entering its name.

A third factor in replacing the directory name is using a Microsoft account. In this case, long names are truncated, and not always in a successful way.

Never use another account with administrator privileges and programs like Unlocker to rename the user's directory. This will lead to the inability to log into the account, the path to the settings of which was changed in this way.

Create a new account with the required name

If the account has been used very recently and its deletion is not critical for the user, you can create a new account with the required name and corresponding privileges. After authorization under a new name, the old account can be deleted.

Remember that this will delete all settings and files stored in user subdirectories.

Open the control panel applet called "User Accounts". Follow the link "Manage another account».


Click on the item - Add a new user in the "Computer settings" window responsible for creating a new profile.


We get into the computer settings, where on the “Family and other users” tab, click on “Add a user for this computer”.


In the next window, set the name and password of the new user and click "OK".


Then we return to the "Computer settings", go to the "Accounts" category, then to the "Family and other users" category, where we press "Change the account type" and set the administrator privileges to the newly created user.


We log out of the system, we log in to Windows environment 10 from under the new account and delete the old one, all through the same "Accounts ..." applet.

The proposed method for achieving goals is the simplest, but its use is permissible in rare cases.

We rename the user's directory on the version of the home "top ten"

The option offered below is only suitable for the Home edition of the "dozen", but its use sometimes leads to the fact that some programs will have to be configured again, since they will not be able to detect the previously created configuration files.

We activate the integrated account or log into the system from an account with administrator privileges. Through the command line, classic explorer, file manager (Total commander) rename the directory of the required user (renamed to "site"). We call the utility registry editor by running the command "regedit" in search bar or a command interpreter window (Win + R).


Go to the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows NT \ CurrentVersion section. In the subsection "ProfileList" we find the directory that bears the name of your user. Often, subsections here are called free names, where dashes and numbers are used. We check each of them until we see the name of the required account. We perform a double click on the “ProfileImagePath” parameter, in the window that opens, enter a new path to the user's directory.


Click "OK".

We log out of the system and log into our account, the path to the folder with the settings of which was changed. In order to turn off the account with administrator rights used to log in, enter a command of the form: "net user Administrator / active: no" into the command line, press "Enter".


Renaming directories in Pro and Enterprise editions

As before, create a new profile with system administrator privileges through the "Accounts ..." applet or activate a disabled account.

To activate an unused Administrator account, run the command line on his behalf (via the Win + X menu).


Enter and execute the command: "net user Administrator / active: yes".


We end the current session, or as it is also called, we exit the system using the shutdown button in the Start menu. On the lock screen, click on the "Administrator" inscription to enter the Windows 10 environment with elevated privileges.

Doesn't the Administrator profile appear in the list? We restart the computer. We go to the Administrator account. We call the Start context menu and select "Computer Management".


Expand "Local Users" → "Users".


Using the context menu of the username whose directory you want to rename, we call the "Rename" command.


Enter a new name and click on the free area.

Using Explorer, rename the user directory located in "C: \ Users".


We call the registry editor, as in the variant with the home version. We follow the path HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows NT \ CurrentVersion. In the subsection "ProfileList" we find the directory corresponding to your account.

There will be several folders with incomprehensible names. We find the right one empirically. This can be understood by looking at the "ProfileImagePath" value.


After double-clicking on the above key, set a new path for the location of the user's directory. We close the registry editor window and log out of the Administrator account through the Shutdown item located in Start. We go to your account, if everything was done correctly, Windows 10 should boot without failures and errors.

We deactivate the account used to change the path to the user's directory by executing the command "net user Administrator / active: no".


On this topic, how to rename a user folder in Windows 10 can be considered closed and exhausted.

More and more people using personal computers are eager to learn how to change their username in Windows 10 because many of the default logins provided by the system do not meet the requirements for work. This operation simplifies the use of the system, allows you to more conveniently and accurately define work groups and devices. Exists different ways how to change the name in Microsoft Windows latest version.

How to change login on Windows 10

The easiest way to replace a username in Windows 10 is to change system parameters account. Access to this function is carried out through the "Start" menu, where you need to click on the icon with the avatar and username. You can also go to the system control panel and select "User Accounts".

In the window that opens, you can rename the profile of both your own and other users (if you are logged in as an administrator).

Enter the desired name and confirm by pressing Enter. You will now be able to observe it in the Start menu, on the boot screen, and elsewhere. Computer owners who are interested in how to change the username on Windows 10 should take into account that it is better to specify any system name in Latin letters. The use of the Cyrillic alphabet is allowed, however, this may cause conflicts with some programs that do not support the Russian language, where the name in this font will be displayed incorrectly. Think about it if you want to get a thorough understanding of how to change your username on Windows 10.

Change computer name and workgroup

To replace the computer name and working group Windows uses the same sequence of actions. Enter the "Start" menu and click on the name of the item "PC Settings". Go to the "System" tab, where you will see the current name of the computer and workgroup. Click "Change settings" to make changes and in the window that opens, rename your computer and, if desired, the account, confirming the action by clicking the OK button.

Please note that the change made will become active only after restarting the computer.

Execute this operation you can immediately, by clicking on the button that appears, or later, having previously completed the active applications. If your computer is connected to other devices in the house over a network, you must also remember to rename network connection(for example by restarting the router) so that it appears in the netgroups appropriately.

Creating a new user and deleting accounts

If you are interested in how to change the username of Windows 10, be sure to keep in mind that some applications start to work incorrectly after the standard change of the username or workgroup name. In addition, some of system folders it will no longer be possible to rename and move to other directories. If a similar phenomenon is observed on your computer, the best solution would be to create a new account and make it the main one by default (transfer administrator rights). To get started, use the standard capabilities of the system by going to the "Start" menu, clicking on the avatar and selecting "Change account name".

In the window that appears, select the function for changing the parameters. Go to the "Family and other users" tab and then select the option to add a new profile for the current computer. Many people ask questions about how to rename Windows users 10 or create new ones without online linking.

The fact is that by default, when creating a new profile, the computer under Windows control 10 automatically binds it to the Microsoft server, connecting to the site of the system manufacturer. This is not convenient for all users, because to access various data, you will need to constantly active connection to the Internet, so the corresponding option can be disabled.

To avoid syncing with Microsoft servers, create a new profile without specifying an existing address Email and also check the "Add without a Microsoft account" checkbox.

Now you can specify the desired name and, if necessary, set a password, supplementing it with a hint for recovery in case of loss. Give the created profile administrator rights by selecting the "Change account type" option and selecting "Administrator" here. Restart your computer to log on with the new settings.

After creating a new profile, you will most likely no longer need the old one, so you can delete an unused account in Windows 10. Use the account settings window you already know from the Start menu or Control Panel. Here you can go to the options of any profile that is not a computer administrator, and select the "Delete" item.

Do not forget to pre-save in a separate folder or removable media all unnecessary profile data from the Users directory on your hard disk, since they will be deleted from the default folder immediately after the current user record is eliminated.

Renaming the name of an account in an operating system of the Windows family does not change the name of the user's folder. This state of affairs was typical for XP, "seven", "eight", it was also preserved in the new "ten". Let's take a look at two surefire ways to rename a user folder in Windows 10.

The first way. Create a new user with the desired name

Changing the name of the user's folder in Windows 10 can be done by creating a new user profile. This method cannot be called a direct way to achieve the result of the task. It involves creating a new profile with the desired name.

The new profile will have its own directory, which will be named exactly like the account name. By logging into the system with a new name, the user can delete the old account. This will ensure the correct change of the user's folder name, but we will not be able to import the settings of the old account.

Important! remember, that new account works with new settings - you do not import the settings of the old account. For example, if you applied any settings to the desktop of the old account, then they will have to be configured again in the new user profile.

So, let's present the algorithm of actions for the considered method of renaming a user folder in Windows 10:

Second way. Rename a folder from a different profile

V this method a mountain of dangers lurks, so it can be recommended to advanced "users". It assumes the presence of a second profile with administrator rights, as well as the ability to edit the registry.

Logging into Windows 10 under a different profile, the "user" must rename the user's folder of the other account, and then rename the registry entries in which the old directory name is found. After successfully editing the registry, you will also need to run the netplwiz utility.

Important! We warn you that making any changes to the register is carried out by the user at his own peril and risk. It is recommended to make a backup of the registry before editing.

Let's propose the following algorithm of actions that will help to change the name of the user's folder in Windows 10:

  1. Log in to the system under a different account that has administrator rights.
  2. Go to the "Users" directory located on system disk WITH.
  3. Rename the required folder. If the system warns that renaming is possible only by the administrator, then click the "Continue" button.
  4. Open the registry editor and go to the path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows NT \ CurrentVersion \ ProfileList, where to find the ProfileImagePath parameter, which is equal to the path to the user's folder with the old name. It is necessary to change this parameter to a new path to the directory.
  5. Press the Win + R combination to call the Run dialog. In its text line, enter netplwiz.exe to invoke the UAC utility.
  6. Select the user whose directory has been renamed and change the name of this "user" in the properties parameters.
  7. Restart your PC.

Video

You can watch the video for step-by-step instructions on renaming a folder and user account.

Brief summary

To answer the question of how to change the user's folder in Windows 10, we suggest using the two methods presented in the article. The first method cannot be called in the strict sense renaming. custom directory... This is the creation of a full-fledged new account with completely new settings, but with the desired catalog name.

The second method allows you to achieve the set goal, but fraught with the danger of disrupting the operation of the system. Therefore, it can be recommended only for advanced "users".

This manual shows the steps that you can use to rename the user folder in the operating room. Windows system 10


So, let's say we changed the account name and we need to rename the user's 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 the 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 in context menu select item Rename

Rename the folder (for example NewUser)

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

Find the subsection that has the characters S-1-5-21 ~ in the name. Find the ProfileImagePath parameter that matches the name of the folder you want to rename. Double-click the left mouse button 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 there are a lot of settings and parameters of programs and operating system are stored in the user's profile. How more programs installed on your computer, the more likely it is that the changes you made will not be sufficient. Most likely in Windows registry there will be an entry containing the full path to some file or folder that is in the user profile and this path will be specified with a link to the old, now no longer existing folder. This can lead to 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, in the registry editor, call the search box by pressing the combination Ctrl keys+ F, in the search bar, enter the path to the old profile folder and press the button H 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 has to be painstaking and here you need to approach the issue competently - that is, to understand where it is worth changing the name of the parameter to a new one, and where you can not do it or do not need to do it in any case.