How to change profile on machine and associated Microsoft account

Loralie Freeman 20 Reputation points
2026-08-31T23:48:31.48+00:00

Not certain how to explain this, but here goes:

First of all, this was a new install of Windows 11Pro as I needed to upgrade my motherboard. Previous hardware had Windows 10 Pro installed, with local access / profiles only. I have attempted to create a new volume / drive, but the old profile, loral was downloaded so it looks like there is an association between the two accounts.

When I initially installed Windows 11, I used the email address [moderator's note: PII removed]@else.net. However, I ended up mis-spelling the named I wanted to use on the machine. The profile, under Windows\Users shows up as loral. What I want is for it to say Loralie.

I did create an account using an alternate email address, [moderator's note: PII removed].net, and it is correct, [moderator's note: PII removed], but it doesn't upload to OneDrive properly as this was set up using [moderator's note: PII removed]@else.net.

When I open the Windows\Users folder, I have four profile folders:

Default

[moderator's note: PII removed] Public

When I look at the Management Console, Local Users and Groups, under Users I see the following:

Administrator

DefaultAccount

Guest

[moderator's note: PII removed] WDAGutility

From Settings / Properties - System Properties - Advance and User Profiles. I see two items:

Default Profile

[moderator's note: PII removed]

Both profiles are set to Local. I cannot change the type of the Computer Name\Loralie account.

When I log into my Microsoft account, I can log in via both email accounts. They do display different information - which is expected.

From Accounts on the local machine, both accounts show as Microsoft Accounts. Again, this is expected behaviour.

The account, [moderator's note: PII removed]@else.net, has an Office 365 subscription attached.

The second account, has no information associated with it and can be removed as a login option..

I am going to be adding a new drive, which will be installed as my primary boot / system drive so, if need be, I can essentially start the process from the beginning. But if I can rename the Profile, that would be my first option.

Any ideas, I'm all out!

Best regards!

[moderator's note: PII removed]

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Accounts, profiles, and login
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Answer accepted by question author
Vikki-T 9,850 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
2026-09-01T10:09:22.41+00:00

Hi Loralie Freeman,

Please note that this is a user-to-user support forum. Moderators, contributors including external Microsoft employees cannot directly intervene in Microsoft product features or access back-end systems. My role is limited to providing technical guidance on reported issues, requests, or ideas.

Because the motherboard has already been replaced and there are multiple Windows profiles and Microsoft accounts involved, I cannot accurately verify the profile-to-account associations from the forum. Making further changes without confirming the current configuration could also put locally stored data at risk.

For more insights and guidance specific to your device, please contact Microsoft Support. Let the support agent know that the motherboard was replaced and that you need help identifying the correct Windows profile and associating it with the Microsoft account used for Microsoft 365 and OneDrive.

I know this isn't the news you were hoping for, but I wanted to make sure you got the most accurate information about your situation.

For your privacy and security, I have covered the personal information included in your post. Please avoid sharing any personal or sensitive information publicly, such as serial numbers, order details, email addresses, phone numbers, or case-related information. Thank you for your understanding.

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.

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  1. AI answer

    2026-08-31T23:48:54.2033333+00:00

    Renaming the existing C:\Users\... profile folder is not the supported path. The safest supported approach is to use a new Windows user profile with the correct name, then move data to it and, if needed, connect that profile to the Microsoft account that should be used going forward.

    Based on the details provided, this is the practical path:

    1. Keep the Loralie account and use it as the target profile.
      • The existing loral... folder is the old profile folder.
      • The Loralie account already exists locally, which avoids trying to rename the existing profile folder directly.
    2. If Loralie is currently a local account, switch it to the Microsoft account that should own the Windows sign-in.
      • Open Settings > Accounts > Your info.
      • Select Sign in with a Microsoft account instead.
      • Complete sign-in with the Microsoft account intended for this Windows profile.
      • This is the supported way to connect a local Windows profile to a Microsoft account.
    3. If the current Windows sign-in is tied to the wrong Microsoft account, switch that sign-in to a local account first, then attach the correct Microsoft account.
      • Open Settings > Accounts > Your info.
      • Select Sign in with a local account instead.
      • Finish the sign-out process.
      • Sign back in, then return to Settings > Accounts > Your info.
      • Select Sign in with a Microsoft account instead and use the correct Microsoft account.
      • Microsoft recommends using a Microsoft account for Windows sign-in.
    4. Sign in to the Loralie profile and migrate personal files from the old profile.
      • Open File Explorer.
      • Go to C:\Users\<old profile> and copy needed files into C:\Users\Loralie.
      • Copy user data such as Documents, Desktop, Downloads, Pictures, and similar folders.
      • Do not copy AppData, because that can carry profile problems into the new profile.
    5. Verify the new profile works correctly.
      • Confirm the correct name appears.
      • Confirm OneDrive signs in with the intended Microsoft account.
      • Confirm files and settings needed for daily use are present.
    6. Remove the old account only after everything is confirmed.
      • This is destructive: removing an account deletes data associated with that profile if it has not been copied first.
      • If preferred, keep the old profile temporarily until fully satisfied with the migration.

    Important points for this scenario:

    • The name shown in Windows and the Microsoft account email are related but not the same thing.
    • Changing the Microsoft account display name can take up to 24 hours to update everywhere, but that does not rename an existing C:\Users\... folder.
    • If the sign-in prompt ever shows two accounts with the same email address, that means both a personal Microsoft account and a work/school account exist for that address. One supported way to stop that prompt is to rename the personal Microsoft account alias or contact the organization involved.
    • If the current profile is corrupted or behaves inconsistently, creating a new profile and migrating data is the recommended practical solution.

    If starting over on the new boot drive is acceptable, the cleanest setup is:

    1. Install Windows.
    2. Create or sign in with the Microsoft account intended to be kept.
    3. Let Windows create the new profile.
    4. If the profile folder name still matters, create the desired local profile name first, then connect it to the Microsoft account from Settings > Accounts > Your info.
    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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