4 Best Ways to Change Computer Name in Windows 10

How do you identify your Windows 10 computer to connect over a network? by name. The device name is how you can identify and connect via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. Therefore, it is very important to have a computer name that is easy to identify. However, the default names assigned by Windows sound strange and are difficult to remember. So, let’s find out how to change your computer name in Windows 10.

There are several ways to change your computer name and we will discuss them all below.

For clarity, the computer name is the generic hardware system (desktop or laptop) name and is not the same as your user account name. Some Windows 10 users are confused between the two.

On your Windows-based laptop, you can then create multiple user accounts on the same computer (one for each family member) and give it different names. Thus, a computer can have multiple user accounts. However, your Windows computer name will appear the same no matter which user account you access it from. However, if you only want to change the computer name, we will tell you how. Continue reading.

Choosing a Computer Name

There are certain naming conventions set by Microsoft that you should keep in mind before renaming your computer. You are free to use letters (az) and numbers (0-9), but you cannot use special characters. A hyphen (-) is still allowed though. The minimum character length is 1 and the maximum is 15. You should also note that Microsoft reserves certain words and you cannot use them.

Note: Changing your computer name will not change the path to your user profile folder, if that’s why you’re doing this. For example, C:\Users\old-name will remain the same. This is because it is a username, not a device or computer name.

1. Windows Settings

Here you will find all the settings you can use to change, configure and customize your Windows 10 computer.

Stage 1: Press Windows key+I to open Settings and go to System > About. Click the Rename this computer button.

Step 2: A blue screen popup will appear where you enter the new computer name. You will also be notified with the current name.

Stage 3: Click Next and enter the administrator account password if prompted. You will need to restart your computer once for the changes to take effect.

2. Windows System Properties

There is another old-fashioned way to change the name of your computer.

Stage 1: Search for and open Control Panel in the start menu.

Step 2: Go to System and Security > System > Advanced system settings (left sidebar) and click Change settings.

Stage 3: Click the Change button under the Computer Name tab in the following pop-up window.

Step 4: You will enter your desired computer name in the box provided.

Save the changes and restart your computer.

3. Command Prompt (CMD)

This method is only for power users who like to use the Command Line Interface (CLI). If you’re not comfortable using the command prompt, feel free to skip this trick.

Stage 1: Search for CMD in the start menu and click Run as administrator to open it with administrator rights.

Step 2: Issue the following command and press Enter to execute. Do not forget to replace the “Computer-Name” text with the name you want to give to your computer.

wmic computersystem where name="%computername%" call rename name="Computer-Name"

Wait for the command to run its course and then restart your computer once to apply the changes.

4. PowerShell

PowerShell is the advanced version of Command Prompt and is set to replace it in the future. You better get used to it now.

Stage 1: Search for PowerShell in the start menu and open it with administrator rights. You can also use the Windows key+X shortcut to open a hidden menu.

Step 2: Type the following command and press Enter. Replace the last “Computer-Name” with the name you want to give your computer.

Rename-Computer -NewName "Computer-Name"

Restart the computer. This much.

Say my name

Now that you know the different ways to name your Windows 10 computer, you should give it a name. I can’t say the same for a corporate computer because they are connected to a system and have multiple admin level applications installed based on the computer’s name for the computer to work properly. More importantly, the IT administrator may have restricted you from making such changes. Best if you send him an e-mail.

Earlier versions of Windows asked users to choose a name during Windows operating system installation, but this is no longer the case with Windows 10. Note that changing the computer name in Windows 10 may require you to reconnect Bluetooth devices such as TWS and Wi-. Fi, but that’s it. It’s not a big deal and shouldn’t take more than a few minutes. You can do these while using them along the way.

You can use any of the tricks mentioned above and if it doesn’t work for you, there is always another one on the list.

Next: Still can’t change the computer name? Getting ‘The computer name is invalid’ error? Click the link below to learn how to fix it.