Computers on a network need unique names for correct identification when trying to communicate with each other. Most retail computers come with generic names that may or may not be unique, but these do not reflect the user’s personality. However, you have the option to easily rename your Windows PC to be unique and suit your personality. Today we will show you how to change your computer name. Windows 11.
Rename Your Computer in Windows 11 (2021)
There are multiple ways to change the name of your Windows 11 PC. You can always use Command Prompt, PowerShell or System Properties to rename your computer. But starting with Windows 10, Microsoft introduced a GUI method to rename Windows computers from System Settings. In this article, we will talk about all these methods to give you a comprehensive understanding of how you can change your computer’s name in Windows 11.
Things to Remember Before Renaming Your Computer in Windows 11
You can easily change the name of your Windows 11 computer, but there are a few things to keep in mind before you get started. Here they are:
- First, you need to log in using an Administrator account to be able to rename your PC.
- Second, you can only use standard characters in the computer name, including letters AZ (uppercase and lowercase), numbers 0-9, and the “hyphen” (-) symbol. The name cannot contain spaces or special characters, for example: `~@#$%^&*, etc.
- Third, the name of your Windows 11 PC cannot exceed 15 characters.
- Finally, the name cannot be composed entirely of numbers. However, it may contain only letters of the alphabet or a combination of the two.
note: Regardless of the method you choose, you will always need to restart your computer for the name change to be reflected everywhere. Without a reboot, the new name will only appear in a few places, not system-wide.
Method 1: Rename Windows 11 PC via Settings
Windows 11 provides an easy way to change your computer’s name from the Settings menu. Here’s how to do this:
- On your Windows 11 PC, open Settings (use keyboard shortcut Win +I) and click “system” tab if you are not already there. Now, Click on “Rename” at the top just below your current computer name.
- In the popup that opens, type a new name for your PC and click “Next“.
- Finally, make sure to save all your work and then click “reboot now” to apply the name change.
note: Rename button not working for this option in Windows 11 Dev Preview build 22000.71.
Method 2: Rename Windows 11 PC from About Section
There is another way to change your computer name from Settings. How does this work:
- go Settings -> System as previously described. Now, scroll down in the right pane and click “About“.
- On the next page, “Rename this computerPress the ” button next to your PC’s current name.
You will then be greeted with the same “Rename Your Computer” pop-up window as seen in the previous method. As described earlier, enter the desired PC name in the pop-up window, click on “.NextSelect ” and “reboot now” to apply the name change.
Method 3: Rename Windows 11 PC via System Properties
Before the GUI method(s) were introduced in Windows 10, the easiest way to change your computer name in Windows was to use the System Properties option. This method is still available in the latest version of Windows. Here’s how to use it:
- Hungry “To run” dialog box (Windows key + R), type
sysdm.cpl
and press Enter to open the System Properties window.
- Make sure you are in the ” position.computer name” tab and then “To changePress the ” button.
- Now, type a new name for your Windows 11 computer and click “OK”.
- Next, you will see a small pop-up window saying “You must restart your computer to apply these changes”. click OK.
- Next, “ClosePress the ” button to close the main System Properties window.
- Finally, in the next pop-up window “reboot nowTo restart your PC and apply the name change.
Method 4: Rename Windows 11 PC Using Command Prompt
Command Prompt has long been the go-to place for enthusiasts to apply many changes to Windows. Although currently being deprecated by Windows Terminal, Command Prompt remains an essential part of Windows 11. You can still use it to rename your PC and here’s how:
- First, open Command Prompt in Administrator mode. To do this “cmdIn the Windows search bar, select ” (without the quotes) and .Run as administrator“.
- Now copy and paste the following command into the Command Prompt window:
wmic computersystem where name="%computername%" call rename name="<new name>"
. Finally, “LoginYou will receive a message saying “Method execution successful”. The new name will take effect when you restart your computer.
note: in command
Method 5: Rename Windows 11 PC Using PowerShell
Finally, we come to the PowerShell method for renaming your computer in Windows 11. It’s also as easy as the Command Prompt method and doesn’t require much technical knowledge. Here’s how to do it:
- Open Windows PowerShell in Administrator mode. To do this, search for “powershell” in the Windows Search bar and click “Run as administrator“.
- Now copy and paste the following command and hit Enter:
Rename-Computer -NewName "xyz"
. Restart your computer for the change to take effect.
note: Replace “xyz” with whatever name you want, like the Command Prompt method.
Rename Your Windows 11 PC in a Few Simple Steps
So yes, you can find that changing the name of your computer in Windows 11 is really easy no matter which method you choose. Now that you know how to do this, check out some other Windows 11 tutorials, including how to turn off notifications in Windows 11 and take a screenshot in Windows 11. Finally, if you hate automatic updates as much as I do, check it out. Learn how to stop automatic updates on your Windows 11 PC.