Changing a Computer's Name

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." ...

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