Change the registered owner of Windows with this Registry tweak

Problem

When you install Windows, the installation procedure prompts you to enter an owner name and a company name. Then, this information displays on the General tab of the System Properties dialog box under the Registered To heading. Unfortunately, Windows doesn't provide you with a tool for changing this registration information when transferring a system from one user to another. However, you can alter the registration information by editing the Registry.

Warning

Making manual changes to the Windows Registry can have negative consequences on a system. Always make a backup copy before you begin making changes.



Solution

Follow these seven steps to alter the owner and company information:



1. Launch the Registry Editor (Regedit.exe)





2. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\Current Version





3. Locate and double-click the RegisteredOwner value





4. When you see the Edit DWORD Value dialog box, change the Value Data setting to whatever owner name you want, and click OK





5. Locate and double-click the RegisteredOrganization value





6. When you see the Edit DWORD Value dialog box, change the Value Data setting to whatever company name you want, and click OK





7. Close the Registry Editor and restart Windows XP in order for the changes to take effect.