When you set up a new computer with the Microsoft Windows 10 operating system, the machine is automatically assigned a name based on the username of the administrator who performed the initial installation. If you plan to connect the computer to a local file sharing network or use the remote desktop functionality to control your computer from afar, you may want to consider setting a custom name for the computer. This action will change the hostname of the computer but will not affect the system’s IP address or MAC hardware address.

Step 1:


Ensure that you are using an administrator account in Windows 10. Accounts without administrative privileges will not have the ability to set a custom computer name in the operating system.

Step 2:

Launch the Start menu from the button in the lower-right corner of the screen.

Step 3:

Right click on the “This PC” tile, expand the “More” submenu, and choose the option labeled “Properties.” This will launch a pop-up window that details various pieces of information about your computer’s current configuration, including its hostname.

Step 4:

Click on the “Advanced System Settings” link on the left panel of the window.

Step 5:

Go to the “Computer Name” tab in the new pop-up window that appears. The computer’s current name will be displayed in the “Full computer name” field. This window will also indicate the network domain or local workgroup with which your computer is linked.

Step 6:

Click on the “Change” button near the bottom of the window to begin modifying your computer’s hostname.

Step 7:

Enter a new computer name in the top text field and click “OK” when you are satisfied with your choice. If you computer is part of a network domain, the system may need to verify that your choice is a unique name. Otherwise you will be prompted to choose an alternative name.

Step 8:

Click “OK” again to close the pop-up window and confirm the computer name change.

In Windows 10, computer hostnames can be changed at any time by administrators. However, keep in mind that when a network computer’s name is changed, all references to it in network drives or remote desktop configurations must also be updated. For more information on this process, consult the Microsoft support website.