XP: Change the Registered Owner and Organization Names

Contributor Icon Contributed by MickeyMouse  
Tag Icon Tagged: Windows  

These data fields can be easily changed in XP without reinstallation.


After purchasing a computer with XP already installed, many people want to change the registered owner and organization names on their system. This can be easily done without a lot of trouble.

This does require playing with the registry. If you are not comfortable and experienced with this, back up your system first.

    1. Click Start
    2. Click Run
    3. Type regedit in the textbox and click OK.
    4. Regedit should load. Browse to this registry key:
    HKEY LOCAL MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion

    5. In the right panel, double click RegisteredOwner
    6. In the value data field, change the name to whatever you wish
    7. Click OK
    8. In the right panel, double click RegisteredOrganization
    9. In the value data field, change the name to whatever you wish. You may also delete this text and just leave this field blank.
    10. Exit regedit and log off or reboot

 

12 Comments -


  1. eriQ said on June 2, 2009

    Thank you! Worked like a charm, very easy and simple directions to follow.

  2. Zero said on June 2, 2009

    Thanks!

  3. Brandon Allen said on July 14, 2009

    I wrote a program to change the registry entries so you don’t have to muck about in the registry. Works for Windows XP and VISTA. However with windows vista you must right click on the program and select ‘Run as Administrator’ or the program won’t have sufficient access to the registry.

    http://www.datpdx.com/download.php?view.1

  4. Anonymous said on December 26, 2009

    Thanks. it works!!

  5. Anonymous said on February 3, 2010

    Thank you so much, I have got rid of my ex wife’s name from this thing and no longer have to see her horrible name all the time
    Cheers.
    SImon

  6. Anonymous said on April 13, 2010

    Thanks a lot for the information.

  7. rajneesh said on April 13, 2010

    THANKS

  8. Bobbie Weinbaum said on April 22, 2010

    Thank you SO MUCH!!! I’ve been dealing with the previous employee’s name for the last 5 years!

  9. Dave said on May 19, 2010

    Nice Info Bro !!!

  10. Ali said on May 22, 2010

    thanks man.

  11. Tania-hamilton said on June 30, 2010

    I wrote the name and it said something that user account does not permit contacts. I dont know why?

  12. Justin said on January 16, 2012

    I’d hat to be the first one to complain!!!!!!! but this isn’t working for me!!!!!!!!!!!!! there is NO RegisteredOwner or RegisteredOrganization keys in the registry!!!!

    and @Brandon Allen your program shows a 404 not found!!!!!

 

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