Relabel Any Device

You don’t need to stick with the dull default names for devices. Robert Irvine explains the easiest ways to personalise your hardware and call it whatever you want

- Robert Irvine

WINDOWS PC

If you bought your PC or laptop with Windows 10 preinstalled, the chances are that its default name is something boring and impersonal such as LAPTOP-7K916AKM. Equally, if your computer had a previous owner, its name may be something like SUSANSPC, which can prove annoying if your name isn’t Susan. Fortunately, it’s very easy to rename your system to something more suitable. Open the Windows 10 Start menu and choose Settings, then click System, About. In the ‘Device specifications’ section, click the ‘Rename this PC’ button and enter your desired PC name – this can include letters, numbers and hyphens, but no spaces or special characters. Click Next then restart your PC to confirm the change.

In Windows 7 or 8.1, you can rename your computer by opening the Control Panel and choosing ‘System and Security’, System, ‘Advanced system settings’. Click the Computer Name tab at the top of the System Properties box, then click the Change button, type your new PC name and click OK.

APPLE MAC

On a macOS desktop computer or MacBook, click the Apple menu in the top-left corner of your screen and select System Preferences. Select the Sharing button in the Internet & Network section and type a new name for your Mac in the Computer Name box at the top of the window. This will appear on your home network and be displayed internally on your computer.

LINUX PC