Remove email address from boot screen...

Question

Remove email address from boot screen...

camMS2026 0

Want to change name that displays at boot (remove email address). Have tried doing this with netplwiz and updating 'Full name' but only lasts until signing out, restart and then back to email. MS has 'user' name of device as first five characters of email address but unable to get even that to display. (The option to not display email on boot has always been selected but makes no difference.)

Device being shared with a local account and the other person's name displays fine but mine as the email address. On another forum, was recommended to set up a local account for myself, which I've done, and somehow link that to my existing account which would allow for updating the name on boot but don't understand the process. (Saw online where someone tried something similar but didn't work.)

Would appreciate any assistance.

Windows Home

22H2 build 19045-6937

MS account, Admin

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2 answers

Your answer

Answer 1

On a Windows 10 Home device that signs in with a Microsoft account, the name and email shown on the sign‑in/lock screen come from the Microsoft account profile, not from netplwiz or the local “Full name” field. Changing the local account name will revert as long as the account is still tied to the Microsoft account.

To stop showing the email address and instead show a name, there are two supported approaches in the provided information:

Change the Microsoft account display name (keep using Microsoft account) This keeps the account as a Microsoft account but changes the name that Windows shows:
1. Sign in to Your info in the Microsoft account: use the Sign in link in the “Personal account” section of the article.
2. On the Edit name screen, update the first and last name to what should appear on the device.
3. Save the changes.
4. Allow up to 24 hours for the new display name to propagate and then restart the PC.
This changes the user account name that Windows shows for a Microsoft account.
Switch from Microsoft account to a local account (no email tied to sign‑in) If the goal is to avoid having the Microsoft account email associated with the sign‑in at all, use a local account instead (similar to the other person on the device):
1. Open Settings → Accounts.
2. Go to Your info.
3. Choose the option to sign in with a local account instead (as described in the referenced Q&A about removing Microsoft sign‑in).
4. Create a local username and password.
5. Sign out and sign back in with the new local account.
Once using a local account, the name shown is the local account name. If needed, that local account name can be changed via Control Panel → User Accounts → Change your account name.

Linking a separate local account to an existing Microsoft account in a way that overrides the Microsoft account’s display name is not described in the provided material. The supported methods are either editing the Microsoft account display name or using a local account.

References:

Answer 2

Clary-N 15,755 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hi camMS2026,

Thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A forum. I can see that Q&A Assist has already shared an initial answer. To make things clearer, I’d like to summarize it in a more straightforward way and walk you through the supported options with a bit more detail.

From what you’re describing, you haven’t done anything wrong. On Windows 10, when you sign in with a Microsoft account, the name shown on the sign‑in screen comes directly from your Microsoft account profile. That’s why changes made locally in Windows (such as through netplwiz or the “Full name” field) appear to work at first but then revert back to the email address after you sign out or restart.

There are two supported ways to handle this, depending on what you’d like to achieve:

Option 1: Keep using your Microsoft account and change the display name

-Open a web browser and sign in to your Microsoft account at account.microsoft.com.

-Go to your profile information and select Edit name, then update the first and last name to how you want it to appear on the sign‑in screen.

-Save the changes and restart your PC. After the account sync completes, Windows should display that name instead of the email address.

Note:

This change applies to all devices that use the same Microsoft account, not only this PC.
It may take up to 24 hours for your updated name to appear everywhere across Microsoft services and on your Windows device.

Option 2: Switch to a local account to remove the email from the sign‑in screen

If your main goal is to stop the email address from appearing at sign‑in, switching to a local account is the most reliable option.

-Open Settings > Accounts > Your info.

-Select Sign in with a local account instead and follow the prompts to create a local username and password.

-Sign out and then sign back in using the new local account.

With a local account, only the local username is shown on the sign‑in screen, and it won’t revert back to an email address. This also explains why the other person using the shared device doesn’t see the same issue, as their account isn’t tied to a Microsoft account.

Microsoft has an official guide that walks through switching between local and Microsoft accounts here, which you may find helpful: Change From a Local Account to a Microsoft Account in Windows

If you’d like help choosing which option makes the most sense for your setup, or if you want me to walk you through either set of steps in more detail, please let me know. I’m happy to help.

If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

camMS2026 0 Reputation points

2026-03-07T20:58:05.0266667+00:00

Appreciate your detailed reply.

I went into my account on the MS website and updated the name (as well as the pw as long as I was there). Shortly thereafter my name did update correctly as desired. But, I took note of, as you mention...other devices registered to the same MS account would also change. However, that's not been the case as it's been a few days and the laptop I'm currently using, associated with the same MS account, continues to show my email on lockscreen.

If your main goal is to stop the email address from appearing at sign‑in, switching to a local account is the most reliable option.

-Open Settings > Accounts > Your info.

-Select Sign in with a local account instead and follow the prompts to create a local username and password.

-Sign out and then sign back in using the new local account.

I'm not understanding how the newly-created local account is 'linked' to (and displays the same information) as the original account. This laptop will not be seen or used by anyone else so isn't end of the world if not changed (just tired of seeing it). Once the local account is created (with its own pw) then I would log in with the 2nd account's info? I could select the account with the email address using its pw? Lots of jumping through hoops to 'simply' want a different 'name' at sign-in.

My other laptop, on which I was able to successfully update the sign-in name. has since been shipped off to its new user (family member). As a result, I no longer have it as a backup should something go wonky with my Win11 laptop.

Thanks!
Clary-N 15,755 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-03-10T07:01:12.6866667+00:00

Hi camMS2026,

Thanks for explaining everything so clearly. I completely understand why this feels like a lot of hoops for what should be a simple display change.

When you create a local account, it’s separate from your Microsoft account for signing in. You’ll sign in using the local username and password, and you don’t need to select or use the Microsoft account again unless you choose to. That said, Windows can still remember the Microsoft account in the background, which is why the email address may continue to appear on the lock or sign‑in screen. Windows 11 may be inconsistent here, some devices update the sign‑in name cleanly after changes to the Microsoft account, while others keep showing the email address. There isn’t a guaranteed way to force that display name to change on a per‑device basis without fully removing the Microsoft account.

If everything is working well and this is mainly a cosmetic annoyance, it’s reasonable to leave things as they are and avoid unnecessary changes, especially since you no longer have another laptop as a fallback. If you’d prefer a lower‑risk approach, here is a small thing you can try that may reduce how often the email address appears, without switching accounts: opening Settings > Accounts > Sign‑in options. Under Additional settings, turn off “Show account details such as my email address on the sign‑in screen.” This doesn’t remove the Microsoft account, but it often stops the email from showing on the lock screen.
camMS2026 0 Reputation points

2026-03-10T18:09:02.0033333+00:00

Appreciate your reply. I've always had the setting relating to'showing account details....' turned off from day one on both laptops. Made no difference.

For now, I'll leaver well enough alone on my Win11 although I did create a local account which available if I want to try going the route of logging in from there. Thanks again.
Clary-N 15,755 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-03-11T01:55:26.98+00:00

Hi camMS2026,

Thanks for the update. Since it didn’t make a difference, it’s fine to leave things as they are.

Please feel free to reach out if you need anything else. I'm here to assist.

Best regards.