Want to make your PC more recognizable on your network? Follow these steps to rename it. There are plenty of reasons to change your laptop name especially if you bought it directly from a manufacturer and it’s named something generic like “windows-user-pc”.
If you want to connect computers through a home group, or just be able to recognize which computers are on your network, changing your laptop name to something more descriptive is definitely helpful.
Or maybe you just want to name your computer something cool — add a personal touch. I name all my computers after figures from Greek mythology. I also name my cars.
Before Windows 10, changing your laptop name was complicated. Well, not so much complicated as hidden inside the Control Panel in the System Properties windows.
While you can still change your computer’s name in System Properties (we’ll show you how), Windows 10 has made it much simpler by putting it in the new Settings menu.
Here’s the easy way to change your computer’s name
- Open Settings and go to System > about.
- In the about menu, you should see the name of your computer next to PC name and a button that says Rename PC. Click this button.
- Type the new name for your computer. You can use letters, numbers and hyphens — no spaces. Then click next.
- A window will pop up asking if you want to restart your computer now or later. If you want to change to the new name immediately, click Restart now to restart your computer. If you don’t want to restart your computer right this second, click Restart later. Your computer’s name will be updated the next time you restart it.
If you’d rather change your computer’s name in the Control Panel, or if you’re running an older version of Windows, here’s how to do that:
- Right-click on the Start button and click Control Panel.
- Navigate to System and either click Advanced system settings in the left-hand menu or click Change settings under laptop name, domain, and workgroup settings. This will open the System Properties window.
- In the System Properties window, click the laptop Name tab. You’ll see the message, “To rename this computer, click Change.” Click Change
- Type the new name for your computer and click OK. A window will pop up telling you that you must restart your computer before the changes can be applied. Click OK. This will not restart your computer.
- A new window will pop up asking if you would like to restart your computer now or later. Click Restart Now to restart your computer immediately. If you’re not ready to restart, click Restart Later to do it later, at your leisure.
How to Change Your Administrator Laptop Name on Windows 10
Whether you got a computer from work, bought it second-hand, or you just entered the wrong name while setting up your PC, the administrator’s name can always be changed later on your Windows computer.
If the administrator account you want to change is linked to a Microsoft account, you can change an admin’s name by going to settings > Accounts > Your Info, and then clicking on the Manage my Microsoft Account option. This will take you to Microsoft’s website, where you can edit your profile. Make sure to restart your device after you’re done. Here’s how to change an administrator name on Windows 10:
Once you restart, you will see your new username on the sign-in screen.
- Open the Windows Start menu. You can do this by clicking the button in the lower-left corner of your screen shaped like the Windows logo.
- Then select Settings. This is the gear-shaped icon just above the power button.
- Then click on Accounts.
- Next, click on your info. You can find this option in the left sidebar.
- Click on Manage my Microsoft Account. This will take you to your Microsoft account webpage.
- Then click more actions. You can find this drop-down menu next to your user account name in the top left corner.
- Next, click Edit profile from the drop-down menu.
- Then click Edit name under your current account name.
- Enter the new first and last name that you want.
- Enter the Captcha code.
- Then click Save.
Restart your computer for the changes to go into effect.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you change the name that appears when I turn on my laptop?
You can do this by clicking the Start button or pressing the Windows key, typing “Control Panel” into the search box in the Start menu, and then clicking on the Control Panel app. Next, click “User accounts.” Click “User accounts” one more time. Now, select “Change your account name” to change your display name.
How do I rename a computer?
On the Computers page, click Properties > General Settings for the computer you want to rename. Note: In the Detail view, click the wrench icon. Enter a new computer name in the Computer description box. Click Change to save the new name.
Is it OK to rename your PC?
Is changing the Windows laptop name dangerous? No, changing the name of a Windows machine is harmless. Nothing within Windows itself is going to care about the computer’s name. The only case where it may matter is in custom scripting (or alike) that checks the computer’s name to make decision about what to do.
Is PC name important?
The name or number of a computer. The laptop name is used to help identify or locate a computer on a network. If your computer shares the same computer name as another computer, you are going to have difficulties logging onto the network.
How do I create another guest account?
Go to Settings and click on Accounts. Navigate to Family and Other Users. Click on Add Someone else to this PC. Click on The person I want to add doesn’t have an email address.
What is guest user account?
The guest account lets other people use your computer without being able to change PC settings, install apps, or access your private files. Do note however that Windows 10 no longer offers a Guest account to share your PC, but you can create a restricted account to emulate that kind of functionality.