🆕 How to Set Your Windows 11 User Folder Name During OOBE (Insider Builds)
By default, when you install Windows 11 using a Microsoft account, the OS creates your user profile folder under C:\Users based on your email address. But in recent Insider builds, Windows 11 lets you choose the folder name during OOBE (Out-Of-Box Experience).
That means you can avoid odd auto-generated names and pick something cleaner from the get-go.
🔧 What Changed in Windows 11 OOBE
- In Insider builds, there’s now a hidden command you can run during setup that sets your desired profile folder name before the system creates the account folder.
- This only works during OOBE — it doesn’t rename existing profiles or bypass account sign-in. (All Things How)
🛠️ How to Do It (Step by Step)
- When you reach the Microsoft account sign-in page in setup, press Shift + F10 to open a Command Prompt. (All Things How)
- Optionally close the Command Prompt. Continue with setting up your Microsoft account.
- Run the hidden command to set your preferred folder name (replace
YOUR-FOLDER-NAME):SetDefaultUserFolder.cmd YOUR-FOLDER-NAME - Navigate into the OOBE directory:
cd oobe - If the name is valid (max rules below), Windows will apply it to
C:\Users\YourName. (All Things How)
📏 Naming Rules & Limitations
| Rule | Details |
|---|---|
| Max length | Up to 16 characters allowed. (All Things How) |
| Special chars | Unicode is accepted, but many punctuation or symbols will be stripped. (All Things How) |
| Scope | Only affects the account being created in this OOBE session. (All Things How) |
| Doesn’t do | It won’t rename existing profiles or bypass Microsoft account requirements. (All Things How) |
✅ After Setup: What to Check
- Once setup completes, open File Explorer and navigate to
C:\Users. - Your user folder should use exactly the name you set (sans removed special characters). (All Things How)
⚠️ What This Doesn’t Do
- It does not rename an existing profile folder after setup. (All Things How)
- It does not remove Microsoft account requirements (if your install demands one). (All Things How)
- You can’t rerun this command post-setup to change the folder name. (All Things How)
📝 Takeaway
If you care about how your C:\Users\YourName looks — especially for tidiness, consistency, or scripts — this new Insider OOBE trick is your chance to lock it in early, cleanly, and without hacks.
Just remember: timing matters — it only works during OOBE. Once setup is done, your chance is gone.
