There’s lots to dislike about the Windows 11 setup experience, also known as the out of box experience (OOBE.) Since Windows 11, Microsoft has forced users to setup both an internet connection and Microsoft Account, along with a number of other annoying options that you must configure before you reach the Windows desktop.
While Microsoft is yet to address those annoyances, it has finally fixed one of my biggest gripes with the setup experience on Windows 11, and that’s the ability to set a custom user directory for your account. Up until now, you’ve not been able to customize where your user profile exists in the Windows image, with the OS just naming the directory after the first 5 characters of your Microsoft Account email.
This has confused users for many years, especially when you need to use the Windows Terminal for something. Many people didn’t realize that their user directory wasn’t stored in their name, and instead was stored in the directory named after whatever the first 5 characters of your email address is. So if your name is John, but your email is [email protected], your Windows user directory existed at C:\Windows\Users\iluvb.
Until now, there’s been no way to easily change this using the out of box experience. Microsoft did recently add the ability to customize it using the command line, but for Grandma that’s not really an answer. Today, Microsoft has finally announced that it’ adding an interface to the OOBE that will let you specify your user directory before you sign in with your Microsoft Account! That means John can set “John” (or whatever he wants) as his user directory now.
Microsoft does warn that if you choose to skip setting a name for your user directory during OOBE, you won’t be able to change it later. If you skip it, Windows will just go back to using the first 5 characters of your email like it always has.
This is something that macOS and Linux have supported for decades, and it’s always alluded me as to why it wasn’t an option on Windows PCs. Ever since the introduction of Microsoft Accounts, Windows has defaulted to using the first 5 characters of your email, which makes no sense, especially for those who have an email that doesn’t resemble their name.
The new capability in OOBE is now in testing with Windows 11 Insiders in the Dev Channel, which means it likely won’t roll out for a number of months to come yet. Still, it’s exciting to see Microsoft addressing “pain points” that people have with Windows 11, and making changes that benefit power users.
💬 Will you use this option during the OOBE?
The option to configure a name for your user directory is going to be a godsend for power users, but for normal users, I’m curious if this is something you care about. Will you name your user directory, or are you okay with Windows using the first 5 characters of your email? Let us know in the comments below!
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