How To Rename Your PC in Windows 11 Effectively

How to Change Your PC Name in Windows 11 (Finally figured this out)

Alright, so if you’re here, you probably just got a new Windows 11 machine or you’re tired of that default weird name it came with. Honestly, renaming your PC isn’t super complex, but man, finding where to do it can be a pain. I’ve been through this more times than I’d like to admit, and what finally helped was digging through all the menus and trying a few commands until I got it. So, here’s the real deal — what actually works, no fluff, no unnecessary steps.

Method 1: Renaming Your PC via Windows Settings

This is probably the easiest route—if you’re into point-and-click stuff. Usually, Windows 11 has a dedicated spot for this, tucked away in the Settings app. On my older ASUS, it was buried in the “Device info” section under About, so don’t be surprised if it’s not immediately obvious. Just look for Rename this PC button in Settings > System > About.

How I finally got it to work:

1. Hit Win + I to open Settings (or just click the Start menu and go to Settings). Not as fast on some, but it’s the usual shortcut.
2. Scroll down to System, then look for About. Sometimes it feels like it’s hiding under “Advanced options” depending on your build. If it’s not there, you can just type “About” into the search box at the top of Settings.
3. Under Device specifications, there’s a button that says Rename this PC. It’s small, so took me a weird amount of time to spot it. Click that.
4. Type your new name — keep it simple, no wild characters or crazy length — Windows is picky. Once you’ve got your name, hit Next.
5. Then, it’ll ask to Restart now. Yeah, it’ll reboot your machine, which is normal. After the reboot, the new name should show up on your login screen and in system info.

Why the reboot? Well, Windows prefers a restart to properly apply hostname changes. I’ve tried skipping it, and sometimes the name wouldn’t update without a reboot or two. Not sure why, but just trust me — it’s normal to wait for that reboot to see your new name fully stick.

Method 2: Control Panel, Old School but Reliable

If clicking around in Settings feels too convoluted or if you just prefer the classic route, Control Panel still works. Honestly, I’ve found it more reliable sometimes, especially on older systems. Plus, it feels more direct. The key is to get into System Properties.

The steps:

1. Search for Advanced System Settings—either type it into the search bar (Win + S) or go through Control Panel. Sometimes it takes a couple of tries to find it because Windows search isn’t perfect.
2. Click on the first result, which should open System Properties. If that doesn’t pop up right away, open Control Panel > System and Security > System, then look for the Computer Name tab.
3. On this tab, hit Change… next to To rename the computer, click Change. This little button sometimes is hidden if your window’s too small, so maximize the window if needed.
4. Type a new, decent name — avoid strange characters, and make sure it’s meaningful. Windows can choke on some symbols if you’re not careful.
5. Click OK. Usually, it’ll prompt for a restart—sometimes manually, sometimes automatically—to finish up. Just do it, because you’ll need a reboot to see the change.

Tip: If the name doesn’t update right away after reboot, try opening Command Prompt or PowerShell and running commands to verify. Occasionally, Windows caches old hostname info, so it might need a refresh.

Method 3: PowerShell – For the Command Line Nerds

If you’re actually into scripting or just want a faster way, PowerShell makes this simple. I use PowerShell especially when doing batch setups or managing multiple devices. Just a few quick commands, and you’re there. Seems intimidating at first, but once you get the hang of it—super handy.

How I did it:

1. Open PowerShell as Administrator—you know, right-click the Start button or press Windows + X and pick Windows PowerShell (Admin). The UAC prompt will pop up, just click Yes.
2. Type this command, replacing NewNameHere with your preferred name:

Rename-Computer -NewName "NewNameHere" -Restart

Adding -Restart will automatically reboot after renaming. Otherwise, you’ll have to restart manually later.

3. Press Enter. Windows will process it and reboot (if you included the restart flag). It’s quick, but make sure your unsaved work is saved — I learned the hard way.

This is my favorite shortcut—once I memorized the command, it’s a breeze. Especially useful if I’m doing mass renaming or writing scripts.

Method 4: Command Prompt — Old but Gold

If you prefer the good old command prompt, it’s doable. Honestly, I don’t use this much myself anymore because it’s easy to make typos, and if you miss a quote or forget to run as admin, it’ll give you grief. But still, it works.

The process:

1. Search for CMD, right-click, and click Run as administrator. Permissions matter here, or it won’t work.
2. Type the following, replacing CurrentName and NewName:

wmic computersystem where caption="CurrentName" rename "NewName"

To find your current hostname, just run hostname first.

3. Hit Enter. You’ll probably want to restart after so the name sticks.

Just gotta be careful with typos. It’s unforgiving here. Also, if your PC is on a domain, some extra steps might be needed, or this method might not work at all.

Final Takeaways

Changing your Windows 11 PC name isn’t some secret trick—more so a matter of knowing where Windows keeps the option. I usually prefer the Settings method because it’s straightforward and less likely to mess up. CLI options like PowerShell are faster if you’re used to typing, but keep in mind they might require some troubleshooting if things don’t instantly update. Always reboot after making the change — Windows likes to be dramatic and takes its sweet time applying hostname updates.

Hopefully, this saves you a bunch of time. It took me way too long to figure out all the weird spots, so maybe this helps someone else avoid that frustration. Good luck renaming your PC!