How to rename home directory in Windows 10

Windows 10, version 21H1

Windows home directory

In Windows 10, the user's documents, photos, desktop data, etc. are saved under the user's home directory (the home directory is also called the user folder or home folder). be). A user's home directory is usually something like "C:\Users\name\".

Windows 10 will be set up at the very first startup, but at this time it is often asked to enter a Microsoft account, in which case the "name" part of the home directory is created from the Microsoft account.

But it is. It is not necessarily the "name" that the user wants. The following home directory is mine, but if you set it up with a Microsoft account, the name of the home directory will always be "daich."

Sorry. I want it to be "daichi" instead of "daich".

On UNIX-like operating systems, changing a user's home directory isn't that difficult, but Windows 10 doesn't offer that feature. Normally Windows doesn't change the user's home directory.

But there is a way. This method can also be used as a method of resetting the user's home directory and below, so it may be useful to know it someday. I think you should know this as knowledge.

How to change the name of your home directory

You can change your home directory by editing the registry, but if you make a mistake with this method, you will end up in trouble. Avoid methods. Rename your home directory by combining the features that Windows 10 provides for users. Here's the simple workflow:

1. Change an existing account from a Microsoft account to a local account
2. Create a new account as a "Local Account" with the desired "Name"
3. Existing Copy necessary data from an account to a new account
4. Delete an existing account
5. Switch the new account from a local account to a "Microsoft account"
6. Use the new account as the main account

In short, create a "new account" with the desired name and switch to it. This method can be performed relatively safely. The point is to create the account as a "local account". This way you can get the desired name.

Change an existing account from a Microsoft account to a local account

Since you want to use a Microsoft account with a new account, switch the existing account from a Microsoft account to a local account first. To change to a local account, select "Account" → "User Information" → "Switch to signing in with a local account" from the Settings application.

Create a local account with a name of your choice

To create a local account, go to the Settings application and select "Accounts" → "Family and other users" → "Add other users to this PC" → " I don't have this user's sign-in information" → "Add a user without a Microsoft account".

Selecting this will enter the state of creating a local account. Create a local account by entering the name of the home directory you want to use in the field labeled "Username."