When you first install Windows, Microsoft asks you a series of questions about the owner of the computer on which the operating system boots. Once the owner name is selected, Microsoft will use this information as the person to whom the Windows license is transferred.
If you bought a computer with Windows preinstalled, the manufacturer may have included this information for you. If you bought your computer second-hand, the operating system will display the original owner as the person to whom the license was transferred. In any case, using a quick registry edit, you can change the name of the registered owner to any name.
Windows 7/8/10 License
To see the name of the person licensed for your copy of Windows, click Start and type
winver
in the search box. Press the Enter key and Windows will open the About Windows window. Here you will find all sorts of information, including the version of Windows you are using, the current version of the operating system, and the person who is licensed to use Windows.
Note that this particular owner has simply identified himself as a “user” of the license information. With a small registry edit, you can change this name to any other.
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However, keep in mind that changes to the registry can cause your computer to become unstable if you make an incorrect entry or delete a particularly important registry key. We recommend that you always back up the registry before making any changes.
Change the name of the registered owner
To change the name of the registered Windows license owner, first click Start and type
regedit
in the search box. This will bring up the Windows registry. Depending on your settings, you may need to confirm that you want to launch the Registry Editor.
Find the registry key located at:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE SOFTWARE Microsoft Windows NT CurrentVersion RegisteredOwner
Double click RegisteredOwner and change the string value of the key to whatever name you want.
Now when you check the owner name by clicking Start and typing winver in the Search programs and files box, your new name should appear in place of the old one.
Keep in mind that this trick is purely cosmetic; it does not change the beneficial owner of the Windows license in a legal sense. It also does not change the licensing relationship that you or anyone else has with Microsoft.
However, it is a way to obtain ownership of a second-hand computer, or to change the owner’s name to something other than the one entered by the manufacturer when Windows first booted onto the computer.
This trick is especially useful when the name changes due to marriage. A woman who has changed her name after marriage can update the owner’s name with her new name. Enjoy!
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