15 thoughts on “How to Rename User Profile Folder in Windows 10”

  1. Avatar for Alicja

    Point 1.2 didn’t work for me this time (it did a few months back). Now there are no local users listed and in the main field there is a message saying

    “This snapin may not be used with this edition of Windows 10. To manage user accounts for this computer, use the User Accounts tool in Control Panel.”

    When you go there though, it only allows you to change account type or add / remove an account. Option to rename is not available.

    I’ve tried attending a GoToMeeting as usual, and the launcher is trying and failing to get access to the old folder, even though that folder doesn’t exist any more: “Unable to create directory C:\Users\old_name\AppData\Local\GoToMeeting\xxxxx”.

    Any suggestions?

    1. Avatar for Bashkarla

      What edition of Windows are you using? I just tried the method on my end and it worked just fine. I think the lusrmgr.msc snap-in is not available in Home edition.

      1. Avatar for Desperate User

        Same problem here. I have Windows 10 Home Edition.

        Is there an alternative to “lusrmgr.msc” for Home users?

        Signed,
        A Desperate User

  2. Avatar for Charles

    When I perform step 1.3 “Rename Windows Home Folder,” I get an error message: “The action can’t be completed because the folder or a file in it is open in another program.”

    1. Avatar for l0rd_vader

      Sign out of your account on which you’re trying to change name. Or simply open task manger and sign off from there.. It will work.

      1. Avatar for Magmafrost13

        Task manager clearly shows that no other user is logged in. I even restarted the PC just to be sure. But it still is convinced the folder is open somewhere

  3. Avatar for Andy Weston

    You should mention updating any Enivronment Variables under system properties, advanced, that are now wrong like for OneDrive.

    Thanks for this article.
    –Andy

  4. Avatar for Carlos Bracho

    I use “netplwiz” instead of “lusrmgr.msc” because I had the same problem people commented here, you answered someone recommend use “netplwiz” and that was my salvation. Thank u very much.

  5. Avatar for Chris Chase

    So – even though I had to use the “netplwiz” amended direction from the comments above, everything else worked great . . . right up until the part where I logged back in to my main user account. My desktop there was completely blank, and a warning came up that said something about not being able to find the C:/Users/”old folder name” . . . on ONEDRIVE(!)
    Apparently the new win10 machines are so interconnected with Onedrive that changing the user folder name on the hard drive breaks the connection it has with another one it created (inaccessible by the new admin account I was using) and it loses connection with the account. After having a minor heart attack at seeing everything completely GONE, I went back, retraced my steps and re-renamed my user folder back to the old name, and thankfully everything came back to normal.
    – Except of course that my user folder is still named something other than what I want it to be . . .

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top