How to change your user name in Windows 8.1

Have  you ever inadvertently mistyped your user name (also called your logon or account name) during the installation of Windows 8.1? For most people this is not a big deal, since you only see your display name at the login screen (which is not the same as the user name and can easily be changed). If you’re at another network location however, you have to type in the user name to log into the machine, and this can be a bother if you can’t remember it. This happend to me during a custom installation for a client; I needed to log into the PC to transfer files and decided to change the name. Not as easy as it should be.

To view or change the user name you can wade through endless dialogs and snap-ins or simply call up a “wizard” that’s been around since Windows 2000. Here’s what you do:

  1. Press the Windows key + R for the Run command
  2. Type netplwiz and press Enter
  3. Select your user account, click Properties
  4. Change the name and press OK
  5. Confirm the dialog asking you to log off in order to save the changes

The long way around is discussed here, if you’re interested: http://www.thewindowsclub.com/user-account-name-change.

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