4 Ways to Change Computer Name in Windows 10

Windows 10 comes with many great features that improve user experience. However, one of its few shortcomings is that it generates a random computer name during installation. The OS assigns a name with “DESKTOP” prefix followed by a combination of numbers and letters like “DESKTOP- 8DGNCKM”. This can be confusing when you need to identify your computers, especially if you have more than one Windows 10 PCs. Therefore, finding and renaming your computer name is not all about personalization but also enhances efficiency. A unique name identifies the PC on a network as well as makes it easy to manage multiple devices.

Related: 11 ways to secure Windows 10 PC.

For whatever reasons you would like to know or change your PC unique identifier, this article will take you through how you can view or change Windows 10 computer name in various ways. If you have Mac, learn how to change computer name of your Mac.

What is the Name of Your Windows 10 PC?

To view your computer name in Windows 10;

• Right click the Windows Start Button and select “System” from the menu list.

• This will open the “About” page, which shows basic information about your computer.

• Go to the “Device specification” section. Beside the “Device Name”, you will find the PC name.
• You can also view more information such as “Full computer name”, “Workgroup” and “Domain” settings. Scroll down the “About” page and click on “System info” under the heading, “Related settings”.

• A new window opens with all the basic information regarding your PC. You will see your PC identification details under “Computer name, domain and workgroup settings” heading.

You can view the system details by right clicking and going to “Properties” option of “This PC” icon on your desktop. If you don’t see “This PC” icon, learn how to enable it on your desktop.

4 Ways to Change Computer Name in Windows 10

You can use any of the following four methods to rename your PC to a descriptive name that is easy to recognize and remember.

1. PC Settings.
2. Control Panel.
3. Command Prompt.
4. PowerShell.

Method 1: Rename using Windows PC settings

• Go to the “About” page as explained above. From the “About” settings page, click “Rename this PC” at the bottom of the specification section.
• A new window will pop up showing the current name and a dialog box for the new name. Type your preferred name in the white box and click the “Next” button.

• You can choose either “Restart now” or “Restart later” options from the prompt. The changes will take place once you restart your computer.

Method 2: Rename from Control Panel

• Open the Windows “Control Panel” and select the “System and Security” category. Look for and click “System” from the list to view the system information.

• On the system information page, under the PC name, domain and workgroup settings, click on “Change settings”.

• This will open the “Computer Name” tab on the “System Properties” window. Click the “Change” button.

• This will open another window allowing you to edit the computer name. Type your new PC name and click “OK”.

• From the resulting pop-up window, click “OK” to restart the computer.

Method 3: Using Command Prompt to Change Computer Name

• Search for and open “Command Prompt” as admin. To view the existing computer name, type “host name” and hit “Enter”.
• Then type the following Command to rename the computer and press “Enter”.

WMIC computersystem where caption='DESKTOP-8DGNCKM' rename NEWPCNAME

• Restart your computer to implement the changes.

Method 4: Renaming your PC using PowerShell

• Right click the Start button and open “PowerShell” (Admin option).
• Click “Yes” to allow the application to make changes to your PC.
• PowerShell uses the same command as Command Prompt to display the current PC name (Step 1 of method 3 above).
• Type the following command and press “Enter” on your keyboard:

RENAME-COMPUTER –computername CURRENT-PC-NAME –newname NEWPCNAME

• Restart the computer.

Note: You can use a combination of letters, numbers and hyphens when renaming your computer, but you should avoid spaces between the characters. For example, you can rename your computer to “SALES-DEPT-PC”.

Conclusion

A computer name is a unique identity for your PC on a network. Can you recognize your PC from multiple devices on the network? Would you like your current PC name to something more descriptive and memorable? You may want to rename your computer for many reasons. Whether you want to give your PC a fancy name, for easy identification on a network or allow smooth device connectivity, no need to worry. Windows 10 provides the above four simple methods for changing your PC identity. However, you need to follow the system-naming format and restart your PC to effect the changes. Windows offers the option to restart immediately or later. Moreover, you should ensure that your name is easy to remember, preferably not more than 15 characters.