Would you like the technical steps (Windows or macOS) as a separate guide?
Password. No stars appeared. He typed anyway.
For a moment, nothing. Then the prompt returned, silent and satisfied. The folder had a new name.
He opened Terminal — that black box where real things happen.
Now that you are logged in as a different admin, you have permission to modify the other account's folder.
While there is no single "button" to change a user folder name in the standard Windows settings, Microsoft has recently introduced a long-awaited to address this. The "New" Way: Set During Setup
He rebooted. Logged in. The desktop returned — files, bookmarks, dark mode preference intact. He opened Finder. The folder now read simply .
How to Change Your User Folder Name in Windows 10 and 11 Changing your user folder name (the one located at C:\Users\YourName ) is notoriously tricky. Unlike a standard folder, you can’t just right-click and rename it. Because this path is baked into your registry and linked to your installed apps, changing it incorrectly can break your user profile.
Navigate to the following path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList
He went back to Terminal, heart thudding.
He leaned back. The computer hadn’t changed. Its memory of him had.
Click and select I don't have this person's sign-in information . Choose Add a user without a Microsoft account .
If you get this error while trying to rename the folder in Step 3, ensure you are completely signed out of the account whose folder you are trying to rename. Restarting the computer and logging immediately into the TempAdmin account often resolves this lock issue.