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To change the registered owner name associated with a Windows 11 installation, edit the RegisteredOwner string in the Windows Registry, then check the result with winver. Windows 11 does not normally provide a Settings control for this particular field.

Important: this changes installation metadata only. It does not change the Microsoft account, Windows user account, PC name, activation, product key, license-transfer rights, or legal ownership of the computer.

Quick answer

  1. Open Registry Editor as an administrator.
  2. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersion.
  3. Edit or create the RegisteredOwner value as a String Value (REG_SZ).
  4. Run winver to check the result.

Microsoft warns that incorrect Registry changes can cause serious system problems, so change only the specified values and create a backup first. See Microsoft’s registry command documentation.

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What this change actually affects

RegisteredOwner is a text value associated with the Windows installation. The related RegisteredOrganization value stores the organization name. Windows or individual applications may read this information, and it is commonly associated with the About Windows dialog.

What you mean What it is How to change it
Registered owner The RegisteredOwner Registry value Edit the Registry
Registered organization The RegisteredOrganization Registry value Edit the Registry
PC name The computer’s network/device name Settings → System → About → Rename this PC
Windows account name The local or Microsoft account display name Account settings
Microsoft account email The account’s sign-in identity Microsoft account settings
License owner Activation and license-transfer rights Product-key, digital-license, or purchase records
Hardware owner Legal ownership of the device Purchase or transfer documentation

Check the current registered owner

The easiest check is the About Windows dialog:

  1. Press Windows key + R.
  2. Type winver and press Enter.
  3. Review the dialog. The registered owner or organization may appear depending on your Windows build, installation method, and whether the values exist.

You can also inspect the values directly:

  1. Press Windows key + R, type regedit, and press Enter.
  2. Approve the User Account Control prompt.
  3. Browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersion.
  4. Look for RegisteredOwner and RegisteredOrganization in the right pane.

Before editing the Registry

  • Use an administrator account or obtain administrator approval.
  • Close unnecessary applications.
  • Create a restore point or make sure you have a current backup.
  • Export the relevant Registry key so you can restore it if necessary.
  • Do not change unrelated values in the key.

Export a backup from Command Prompt

Open Command Prompt as administrator and run:

reg export "HKLMSOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersion" "%USERPROFILE%DesktopCurrentVersion-backup.reg" /y

This saves an exported copy on the current user’s desktop. Importing a Registry file can restore the exported key, but do so carefully and only when you understand the changes it contains.

Method 1: Change it with Registry Editor

If RegisteredOwner already exists

  1. Open Registry Editor as administrator.
  2. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersion.
  3. In the right pane, double-click RegisteredOwner.
  4. Enter the desired name in Value data.
  5. Select OK.

If RegisteredOwner is missing

  1. Right-click an empty area of the right pane.
  2. Select New → String Value.
  3. Name the value exactly RegisteredOwner.
  4. Double-click it and enter the desired name.
  5. Select OK.

Use a String Value, not a DWORD or another Registry type.

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Change or remove the registered organization

The RegisteredOrganization value controls the organization text associated with the installation. Microsoft documents it as a string field identifying the organization name associated with the Windows end user; its documented unattended-setup field supports up to 256 characters. See Microsoft’s RegisteredOrganization documentation.

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To change it, double-click RegisteredOrganization, enter the new text, and select OK. If it is missing, create it through New → String Value using that exact name.

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If you do not want an organization entry, deleting the value is generally cleaner than leaving an empty entry:

  1. Export the key first.
  2. Right-click RegisteredOrganization.
  3. Select Delete and confirm.

Method 2: Use an elevated Command Prompt

Open Command Prompt as administrator. This command creates or updates the registered owner:

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reg add "HKLMSOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersion" /v RegisteredOwner /t REG_SZ /d "New Owner Name" /f

To set the organization:

reg add "HKLMSOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersion" /v RegisteredOrganization /t REG_SZ /d "New Organization Name" /f

To remove the organization value:

reg delete "HKLMSOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersion" /v RegisteredOrganization /f

Here, HKLM means HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, /v identifies the value, /t REG_SZ specifies a text string, /d supplies the text, and /f skips the confirmation prompt. Microsoft documents these commands for Windows 11 in its reg reference.

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Verify the new name

  1. Close Registry Editor.
  2. Press Windows key + R.
  3. Enter winver and press Enter.
  4. Close and reopen the dialog if it was already open.

If the old information remains, restart Windows and check again. Display behavior can vary between Windows 11 builds and installation states. Also, applications that read Registry data directly may not display the same information as winver; the change is not guaranteed to appear everywhere. Windows Central provides additional Windows 11 coverage of this procedure at this guide.

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If the change did not work

  1. Check the path: use HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersion, not an unrelated uninstall key.
  2. Check the spelling: the value must be exactly RegisteredOwner.
  3. Check the type: it must be REG_SZ or a Registry Editor String Value.
  4. Reopen winver: an already-open dialog may not refresh.
  5. Restart Windows: some readers do not reflect the change immediately.
  6. Check permissions: launch Registry Editor or Command Prompt as administrator.
  7. Consider management controls: Group Policy, provisioning, imaging, Sysprep, or reinstallation may overwrite installation metadata.

If you receive an access-denied or “Unable to edit” message, confirm that your account has local administrative rights. Do not take ownership of Registry keys as a routine workaround. On a work-managed computer, contact your IT administrator.

If you are selling or giving away the PC

Changing RegisteredOwner is not a secure handoff procedure. It does not remove the previous user, files, browser data, accounts, applications, or device identifiers. Back up the data you need, remove personal accounts where appropriate, and use Reset this PC with the option to remove files when preparing the machine for another person. Follow the manufacturer’s or Microsoft’s normal device-transfer guidance as well.

What the Registry edit does not change

  • Windows activation or the product key.
  • The Windows edition, such as Home or Pro.
  • A digital license or its transferability.
  • The Microsoft account name or email address.
  • The local account name or profile folder.
  • The PC’s device name.
  • Legal ownership of the hardware or license.

Microsoft Q&A describes these values as informational and separate from Windows license ownership. They should be treated as display or installation metadata, not an ownership record.

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