How do I change name of user folder from default? (C:>Users>USER)

i just got a new laptop and the users folder is stuck with the name as just "user". i thought that since i have my microsoft account on the laptop it would change the user folder name automatically using the first 5 letters of my email (as it did on my old computer), but it didn't do this. did i do something wrong? and how can i make the name of my user folder the first 5 letters of my microsoft email without screwing everything up?

(scribbled out my email itself in red)
is it because my microsoft name itself has special characters in it or something? i'm sorry if the answer is painfully obvious or i'm doing something wrong, i'm a complete dummy when it comes to this sorta thing.

nmattph said:

i just got a new laptop and the users folder is stuck with the name as just "user". i thought that since i have my microsoft account on the laptop it would change the user folder name automatically using the first 5 letters of my email (as it did on my old computer),..

Welcome to TenForums.

No, that's not quite what it did on your old computer. When you start Windows for the first time the Out of Box Experience (OOBE) asks you who is going to use this computer. This is used to set up the first user account on the PC. If you type a Microsoft account address at this point the first 5 characters of your email address are used as the name of the user folder, if you create a local account instead whatever you type as the user name is also the name of the user folder.

Whatever you do after that, even switching to a Microsoft account, the user folder name will remain as it was first set up. Sounds like you didn't actually set up this new computer from scratch. Whoever first turned it on (the retailer, perhaps) set up a local account with the name User.


While it is possible to change the name of the user profile folder, it's not a simple process. See this tutorial.

Change Name of User Profile Folder in Windows 10


As you have not had this machine for long, it may be easier just to create a new account using the name you would prefer (important: remember to make this account an administrator). When you are happy that this new account is set up as you want you can delete the old "User" user account and its user folder.

Add Local Account or Microsoft Account in Windows 10

Change Account Type in Windows 10

Welcome to the forum. I assume you are logging in as user and havent setup a MS account the idea behind MS account is it signs you into lots of services so you should create a new account using MS email

Bree said:

Welcome to TenForums.

No, that's not quite what it did on your old computer. When you start Windows for the first time the Out of Box Experience (OOBE) asks you who is going to use this computer. This is used to set up the first user account on the PC. If you type a Microsoft account address at this point the first 5 characters of your email address are used as the name of the user folder, if you create a local account instead whatever you type as the user name is also the name of the user folder.

Whatever you do after that, even switching to a Microsoft account, the user folder name will remain as it was first set up. Sounds like you didn't actually set up this new computer from scratch. Whoever first turned it on (the retailer, perhaps) set up a local account with the name User.


While it is possible to change the name of the user profile folder, it's not a simple process. See this tutorial.

Change Name of User Profile Folder in Windows 10


As you have not had this machine for long, it may be easier just to create a new account using the name you would prefer (important: remember to make this account an administrator). When you are happy that this new account is set up as you want you can delete the old "User" user account and its user folder.

Add Local Account or Microsoft Account in Windows 10

Change Account Type in Windows 10

ive already downloaded quite a lot,, would there be any way to move at least *some* of my stuff from the "User" account to the new account with the preferred name?

nmattph said:

ive already downloaded quite a lot,, would there be any way to move at least *some* of my stuff from the "User" account to the new account with the preferred name?

As an administrator your new account would be able to view the contents of the old C:\Users\USER folder in File Explorer. You'd be asked if you want to be given access the first time you try look at it, click Continue and you will be let in. Then you can copy or move the user files to your new user folder.