Changing a Computer's Name

Written by Barry Dysert (last updated November 18, 2019)

Changing your computer's name is a simple task that can make your personal computer a bit more, well, personal. To make the change you'll need to display the System Properties dialog box:

  1. Display the Control Panel.
  2. Click the System and Security link.
  3. Under the System heading, click the "See the Name of this Computer" link.
  4. Click the Advanced System Settings link on the left side of the dialog box.

Windows displays the System Properties dialog box; make sure the Computer Name tab is displayed. (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1. The Computer Name tab of the System Properties dialog box.

To change the name of your computer, click the Change button. Windows displays the Computer Name/Domain Changes dialog box. (See Figure 2.)

Figure 2. The Computer Name/Domain Changes dialog box.

To change your computer name, replace the contents of the Computer Name field and click OK. You will need to reboot your computer for the name to go into full effect.

Note that you may not have permission to change the name of a company computer. And even if you do, you likely don't have permission to change the record in the domain name server. To change the name of your computer on your company's network, you will probably need to get your network administrator involved.

 This tip (5830) applies to Windows 7, 8, and 10.

Author Bio

Barry Dysert

Barry has been a computer professional for over 35 years, working in different positions such as technical team leader, project manager, and software developer. He is currently a software engineer with an emphasis on developing custom applications under Microsoft Windows. When not working with Windows or writing Tips, Barry is an amateur writer. His first non-fiction book is titled "A Chronological Commentary of Revelation." ...

MORE FROM BARRY

Disabling System Restore

Restore points are good to have in case a problem occurs while trying to make changes to your system. If for some reason ...

Discover More

Using Powercfg to List Your Existing Power Schemes

Windows allows you to define different power schemes that control how your computer uses power. This tip shows you how to ...

Discover More

Using Powercfg to Export and Import a Power Scheme

You can export to a file your power schemes and then import them later on. The only caveat is that you must be running as ...

Discover More
More WindowsTips

Understanding Optional Features

Windows 10 includes many features that are not enabled by default. Discover how to turn on or off the optional features ...

Discover More

Understanding Computer Names

Every Windows computer on your network has a name. This name typically provides some identifying information about the ...

Discover More

Configuring Automatic Windows Updates

One of the practices you should adopt to keep your system running smoothly is to keep it updated with the latest ...

Discover More
Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is seven minus 6?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)

Newest Tips
Links and Sharing
OUR COMPANY
OUR PRODUCTS
OUR SITES
 

Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.