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I just used netplwiz to change my username. After doing so, I log out and went back to see if the change was visible. At that point, I see on the lock screen that it still displays the old username. Strange. I type my password to log in and keep going, and ... "the password is incorrect"..!

At this point, I am totally helpless since

  • I cannot login on to my computer

  • I have no other account to log in to, this was my only account on the computer

  • I am using the same password since years and I haven't changed it so I know the problem doesn't come from there

EDIT: just to clarify things concerning the accounts on this computer:

  • the only account on this computer has always had "Name Surname" as a username
  • I used netplwiz to change the name to "Name" only
  • On the lockscreen now only one account is available, and the name is "Name Surname", as it always was. Clearly the change of name wasn't taken into account properly.
Guillaume
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  • Sounds like netplwiz doesn't update the registry correctly and alters the username. Can you press other account and type in your new username and password? Just because it says the password is incorrect, doesn't mean that's actually true. Its the combination username+password that is incorrect, but in this case its more likely that its the username that is no longer correct. – LPChip Sep 16 '21 at 17:17
  • Please [edit] your question if this account you changed the username to was linked to a Microsoft Account. How access your system would be to enable the built-in Administrator. [Here](https://superuser.com/questions/1024203/) are the instructions to do that. It sounds like you are attempting to sign into a username that does not exist. Have you attempted to use the new username? How you log into an account that isn't listed on the login screen on Windows 10 is well documented – Ramhound Sep 16 '21 at 17:36
  • @LPChip You might as well turn your comment into a full answer, because that is exactly what is going on. – Tonny Sep 16 '21 at 17:56
  • @Tonny yeah, you're right... turned it into an answer. :) – LPChip Sep 16 '21 at 19:34
  • Are you sure you had a password? And not, say, a Windows Hello PIN? – Daniel B Sep 16 '21 at 19:45
  • Hi, and thanks for the help! A few answers: @LPChip no I do not have any other account on this computer. >Ramhound I think my account wasn't linked to a Microsoft account. About the new username I think my description was a bit confusing, I'll edit my post to clarify this. >DanielB yes we are taliking about a password, I never used PIN. – Guillaume Sep 17 '21 at 08:47

2 Answers2

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Sounds like netplwiz doesn't update the registry correctly and does not alter the username in the registry as last logged on user.

Can you press other account and type in your new username and password? Just because it says the password is incorrect, doesn't mean that's actually true.

Its the combination username+password that is incorrect, but in this case its more likely that its the username that is no longer correct.

LPChip
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  • I am 100% convinced the problem is the username and not the password. Problem is that on the lock screen I cannot type the username.. And as I said in the post, I have no other account. @ramhound says that I can change the username on the lock screen, I didn't know that, I will dig in this direction – Guillaume Sep 17 '21 at 08:49
  • You might have to enable the group policy in order to do it. Which is the reason the built-in Administrator has to be enabled – Ramhound Sep 17 '21 at 08:59
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I suggest:

harrymc
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