C:\Users account name question after clean install


  1. Posts : 188
    Win 10 Pro x64
       #1

    C:\Users account name question after clean install


    Due to problems, I just did a clean install of Win 10. Got a surprise in that under C:\Users it created three defaultuser folders and a main named one in the style of "robertj" (not the real one). So I changed the latter under user profile to what I expected, i.e., just my first name, as in "Bob," but still got some unexpected results: 1) on reboot, the Windows login page had both my full name and first name down in the left corner, as if I now had two separate accounts, and 2) the C:\Users entry still is in the style of "robertj." Two questions:

    - What should I make of the first? My full name still shows as the Adminstrator account in the User Accounts dialogue, while in the User Profiles box there are two entries, a) NAME\defaultuser0 and NAME\Name, and both seem to be local. My goal was only to change what was showing under C:\Users, not anything else. Do I need to walk something backward?

    - Is there a way to change that folder name the next level down from C:\Users to my preferred name?

    I hope that's clear. Thanks,
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 42,737
    Win 10 Pro (22H2) (2nd PC is 22H2)
       #2

    - Is there a way to change that folder name the next level down from C:\Users to my preferred name?
    No easy way. And whatever you do don't simply rename it.
      My Computers


  3. Posts : 2,075
    Windows 10 Pro
       #3

    I think something went wrong with the clean install. Can you post a picture of your disk management window...the full window please? Under file explorer, in your C drive....when you open your C drive do you have a windows.old folder showing?
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 188
    Win 10 Pro x64
    Thread Starter
       #4

    Disk mgt window attached. No windows.old because I wanted a complete clean install to deal with a problem that arose after the upgrade from 1511 to 1607. That was discussed at length on another thread a few weeks back (no windows.old turned out to be an unfortunate choice, as later on I absent-mindedly made a new backup that overwrote the existing one, losing some valuable files that are unrecoverable). The latter idiocy aside, Win 10 1607 has turned out to be a real disaster for me. In short order I recreated the problem that led to the clean install, and now restarts are sometimes hanging again (none of this happened with 1511).

    C:\Users account name question after clean install-disk-management-after-win-10-clean-install.jpg
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 1,773
    Windows 10 Home
       #5

    "My goal was only to change what was showing under C:\Users, not anything else."

    I suspect that when you set up Win10, you used your Microsoft account and it auto-generated 'robertj' from the email address. If you want all the User folders under This PC to be named 'Bob', then, while signed in as 'robertj', create a Local Acct named 'Bob' in Action Center\Sign in with Local account instead and give it admin privileges, blank password and no MS acct. Verify that a new User profile for 'Bob' was created under C:\Users. It is this move that will create the proper profile paths and reg entries for 'Bob', not any renaming.

    I see that you have your data on different partitions but if you have any content in any folders under This PC for 'robertj', move them to the corresponding, new 'Bob' folders; eg-Documents\robertj to Documents\Bob. When you are satisfied that no 'robertj' data has been overlooked, while signed in as Local Account 'Bob', delete 'robertj' as a User in Control Panel\manage another account. You should now only have a Bob, a Public and hidden Default users in C:Users or you can safely delete any others that were inadvertently created and have no data of consequence.

    To re-enable your MS account, go to Action Center\Accounts and under 'Bob', elect 'Sign in with Microsoft account'. Next time you reboot, only User showing on log-in screen should be 'Bob' and you can use MS email or set up PIN, like before.

    Here's another thread with someone who wanted to rename Users. See my post 4 for resolution similar to yours -
    I keep getting extra users on my sign on screen


      My Computer


  6. Posts : 188
    Win 10 Pro x64
    Thread Starter
       #6

    Thanks, I'll take a look. It's true that it comes from the first name and first letter of the last , noncapitalized. It's interesting that MS didn't do that during any of my clean installs of Win 8 or 8.1, or on upgrading to Win 10 initially.
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 1,773
    Windows 10 Home
       #7

    To avoid this naming problem in the future on a clean install or initial setup, when you get to the screen 'Who will be using ***', fill in desired name and check box- 'do not have MS acct'. Correctly named profile will be created.
    After initial setup finished, THEN fill in 'Sign in with MS acct instead' to convert to MS email acct while retaining desired nameon all 'This PC' folders and under C:Users.
    Only additional step will be to 'verify this MS acct' after you enter email and pass by having them text you a code to enter to double check your password sign-in. Then you can also establish a PIN. Good Luck
      My Computer


 

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