Change name not showing in user account 1

[VicM]

Hi folks,

I'm coming from a Win7 Pro laptop and just purchased a new PC Laptop with Win 11 Pro. (As an aside, I have grown to hate the 11 interface.) Having said that, I am the only user account on the PC which was created during the initial setup where I became the Administrator. Because I wanted to port much of my apps and files from my old laptop, I wanted to change several things, one was the way my name was shown. I went to the Control Panel>User Accounts>User Accounts. There is no 'Change Name' link there next to my account. I had searched how to change the name and all suggest using the Change Name link on the Accounts page.

In a related issue, in the C:\User directory, nowhere does my name show. In its place there is a folder with the beginning of my email address, which I'm assuming is me. When I check the Security Properties of this folder, the list in the Groups contains: Everyone; Account Unknown(S-...); SYSTEM;Administrators(TheVee-Laptop\Administrators);Users(TheVee-Laptop\Users). Account Unknown has no permissions; Everyone and Users(TheVee-Laptop\Users) have: Read & Execute, List folder contents and Read permissions; SYSTEM and Administrators(TheVee-Laptop...) have all permissions.

Again having come from a Win7 Pro box, the folder with my name, in C:\Users, shows the Security Permissions as: SYSTEM; Vic(Dell-Laptop\Vic) and Administrators(Dell-Laptop\Administrators) having all permissions. So my question is: Why is there this disparity?

Can anyone shed some light on these issues?

Thanks,
Vic

 

[Rick998]

You've made the mistake during the initial setup of connecting to the internet and creating the initial account as a MSA (Microsoft Account) rather than a local account. This is what Microsoft want you to do, despite it not always being in your best interests.

If you really detest Windows 11 then do a clean install using Microsoft's MCT tool. You have downgrade rights to Windows 10 and won't need to worry about activation.

See

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/1950-clean-install-windows-10-a.html

for step-by-step instructions.

Hope this helps...

 

[goombawaho]

I wouldn't go back to Windows 10. It's the past. Windows 11 is the present and the future. You will just be stuck as a Windows 10 refugee if you don't move forward. There are settings and tweaks (most likely) to alleviate some of your dislike of Windows 11.

I only say this because you say you are coming from Windows 7 and you should have been OFF Windows 7 after it stopped receiving updates in January 14, 2020!!!!! You put yourself at risk when you run operating systems that are past end of support dates.

 

[mikrom]

I last installed Windows 10 a long time ago. It required me to immediately connect to the Internet and create a Microsoft account, it did not offer the creation of a local account at all at the beginning. The local account was allowed to be created only when I did not connect to the Internet and confirmed there that I did not have internet. I don't use Windows 11 yet and I don't know if the installation still allows such a step to create a local account.

 

[VicM]

So Rick,
Are you saying there is no way to reverse this install without reinstalling the OS?
I've already ported over all my data and would not look forward to do this all over again. I have no intention of dropping back to 10 and will learn to live with it's idiosyncrasies. I'm pretty disgusted with the 'Big Brother' attitude of MS.

Vic

 

[Rick998]

If you don't want to use Windows 10 then look at the Windows 11 forum and its tutorials:

https://www.elevenforum.com/tutorials/

For example, the following two tutorials should help you with your account issues:

https://www.elevenforum.com/t/change-name-of-user-profile-folder-in-windows-11.2133/

https://www.elevenforum.com/t/change-user-account-name-in-windows-11.2109/

Other tutorials will help with appearance issues.

Hope this helps...

 

[VicM]

Rick,

Thanks for the info. Appreciate your knowledge and wisdom.

Vic

 

[goombawaho]

I would just allow the Windows 11 installation to create a user (Microsoft account). Then create a new LOCAL user with ADMIN priveleges. Then delete the Microsoft account.

OR

You can use a fake account to have Windows 11 account creation fail and allow you to create a local account. This works. No extra steps.
Link

 

[VicM]

goobawaho,

Thanks for that link. I'm a little happier now. LOL

Are there plusses or minuses to deleting the Microsoft account?

Vic

 

[goombawaho]

I would just delete the MS account and enable the administrator account so that you have a "back door" to get into your system in case anything crazy happens (profile corruption, forgotten password).

From ADMINISTRATOR cmd
net user administrator /active:yes

Then log in to the administrator account and set a password. Something you will remember or record it somewhere. You will most likely only be using this account in an emergency. So it would be sad to be locked out due to not remembering password!!!

People are kind of split about using Microsoft accounts. One camp says it's a nice way to be able to get into your computer and change the password if locked out and it integrates with Microsoft 365, etc. Other people don't want Microsoft embedded into your user account/password.

 

[gbaughma]

Hey.. just a tidbit....

If you don't want to do an online account when you install Windows 11.... use the email address a@a.com (and any password that you want).
It will say "There was an error connecting to your account" and allow you to create a local account.



Just my $.02

"What the captain doesn't realize is that we've secretly replaced his Dilithium Crystals with new Folger's Crystals."

--Greg

 

[guitarzan]

Greg: I've never heard of that method, I will have to try it. I use the instructions from the site below (which also only works during initial setup), which is basically to hit SHIFT-F10 during the setup to get a command prompt and running the command [tt]OOBE\BYPASSNRO[/tt] which reboots the system and allows the "I don't have Internet" choice later, which allows a local account to be created.

https://www.tomshardware.com/how-to/install-windows-11-without-microsoft-account

 

[goombawaho]

You didn't follow my link a few posts above which also mentions the work around

 

[guitarzan]

True, my eyes skipped over it. Seems a much better workaround than what I was using.