# Any way to change who Windows is registered to?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-change-who-windows-is-registered-to/339947
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [January 14, 2006, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-change-who-windows-is-registered-to/339947 "2006-01-14T08:08:58Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Carnick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carnick)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2006, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-change-who-windows-is-registered-to/339947/1 "2006-01-14T08:08:58Z")
I just got a new PC and the folks who built it registered Windows to a different user name than I’d prefer. I changed the admin account’s name but it still says it’s registered to the incorrect name when I look at My Computer\>properties. There’s also a directory assigned to the incorrect name in My Documents. Granted, it’s just a cosmetic thing, but it still bugs me. Is there a way to change this without reformatting with a different version of Windows?
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### Author:  [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2006, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-change-who-windows-is-registered-to/339947/2 "2006-01-14T09:29:54Z")
If you are comfortable in regedit, do a search on the current registered name and replace that value with whatever name you want.
If you’ve not messed with regedit before you might now want to go there.
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### Author:  [@Carnick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carnick)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2006, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-change-who-windows-is-registered-to/339947/3 "2006-01-14T09:45:40Z")
Thanks, I found the appropriate value and changed it. Now, the only name I need to change now is a directory located at C:\Documents and Settings<Name\>. When I try to change its name Windows won’t let me. Any tips?
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### Author:  [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2006, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-change-who-windows-is-registered-to/339947/4 "2006-01-14T10:17:43Z")
Settings/User Accounts: Create a new user account with the name you want (make sure it’s an admin account) and then delete the username you want to get rid of.
I can’t remember if this removes the directory (I seem to recall it asks you) but if not you should be able to delete it normally after the username is gone.
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### Author:  [@Carnick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carnick)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2006, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-change-who-windows-is-registered-to/339947/5 "2006-01-14T11:31:37Z")
Perfect. Thanks much!
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### Author:  [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)
#### Post date: [January 15, 2006, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-change-who-windows-is-registered-to/339947/6 "2006-01-15T05:16:34Z")
Did it ask to remove the “personal files” when you deleted the user account?
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### Author:  [@Carnick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carnick)
#### Post date: [January 15, 2006, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-to-change-who-windows-is-registered-to/339947/7 "2006-01-15T05:49:11Z")
No, I had to delete the folder manually.