How do I rename my net user account?

To rename your net user account, you can use the wmic command in an elevated Command Prompt. This method allows you to change the displayed name of a local user account on your system.

Renaming Your User Account Using Command Prompt

Changing a user account name requires administrative privileges. This process directly modifies the account name recognized by the Windows operating system.

Step-by-Step Guide

Follow these steps carefully to rename your net user account:

Open Command Prompt as Administrator:
- Search for "Command Prompt" in the Windows search bar.
- Right-click on "Command Prompt" from the results and select "Run as administrator." Confirm the User Account Control (UAC) prompt if it appears.
Identify Current User Accounts:
- To see a list of all user accounts on your system, type the following command and press Enter:
```
net user
```
- This will display a list of all local user accounts, allowing you to accurately identify the username you wish to rename.
Execute the Rename Command:
- Use the wmic useraccount command to rename the account. Replace 'current_username' with the exact name of the account you want to change, and new_user_name with the desired new name.
- Type the command below and press Enter:
```
wmic useraccount where "name='current_username'" rename new_user_name
```
- For example, if your current username is "OldUser" and you want to change it to "NewUser", the command would be:
```
wmic useraccount where "name='OldUser'" rename NewUser
```
- You should see a message indicating "Method execution successful." if the command was executed correctly.
Verify the Change (Optional):
- To confirm that the username has been changed, you can run the net user command again. The new username should now appear in the list.
- It is often recommended to log out and log back in, or restart your computer, for the changes to fully propagate across the system.

Important Considerations

Administrative Rights: This procedure requires elevated Command Prompt access. Without administrator rights, the command will fail.
Logging Out/Restarting: While the wmic command immediately changes the username, some applications or system processes might still refer to the old name until you log out or restart your computer.
Profile Path: For local user accounts, Windows typically handles the renaming of the user profile folder (C:\Users\username) automatically when the account name is changed via system tools. However, for domain accounts or in specific scenarios, manual adjustments might be needed.
Password Change: The reference also mentions changing a user's password. This is a separate operation from renaming. To change a user's password, you would use the command net user user_name * and then follow the prompts to enter a new password.