I’m divorced and changed my name back, but every time I go to log in to my computer, it still shows my married name. Yech. How can I fix that in Windows 10?
I’m never sure whether to say that I’m sorry someone is divorced or happy for them, but either way, you’re right that most computer systems and most software seems to be designed for you to enter a name and never change it again. You could change it because you’re married too, of course, but in those cases people seem less upset if they’re stuck with their so-called “maiden” name.
Since Windows uses a central account database on Live.com, believe it or not, changing your name on your local computer will most likely involve you logging in to your Live.com account and changing it there, then waiting for that change to bubble through the network and back down to your PC or laptop. I know, seems a bit crazy!
Let’s step through the process, however, because it’s pretty straightforward once you know where to look – and have assurance that it won’t instantly change but needs a nudge…
To start, search for “account”:
You’ll want to tap or click on “Manage your account”, as should be the top match for your search.
Once you do, you’ll jump into Settings on your Win10 system, as shown:
Here’s where you’d think there would be a link to “Edit” or “Update” your account info, and it’s there, it just requires you to go to Live.com and “Manage your Microsoft account“. Click or tap on that text link.
Your default Web browser will open up – probably Microsoft Edge – and you’ll go here:
Sign in and enter your password, and you’ll be shown a summary of your account setup and information.
Me? Mine shows recent purchases too (though they’re not particularly recent!)
Now we’re getting closer! Click or tap on the “Edit name” immediately under the name shown. You’ll be able to change your first and/or last name as desired:
s you can see, I’m changing my name from “Dave” to “David A” just to be a bit more formal for a bit. Easy enough, make whatever changes you desire, double check your spelling, then click on the blue “Save” button. Notice also that you can “Change picture” link to change your profile photo.
You’ll go back to the main Live.com account information view, and in my case, it confirms that the change was accepted:
That’s it. Done.
“But wait”, you say, “I don’t see it has changed on my computer!”
You’re right. Turns out you now need to restart your computer anywhere from one to even three or four times for the change to trickle down to your laptop or desktop PC. I had to restart twice before I finally saw:
And that’s all ya need. Done deal!
Tip: While you’re here, don’t forget to check out the extensive Windows help we have on the site!
I don’t have a MS account setup. I don’t see a link to MS web site. I would still like to change the name as this PC was a gift from a friend.
Try using the link that says “Sign in with a local account instead” and see if that helps you out!