How can I work out which user is currently logged into a Windows 7 machine?

I have a machine running Windows 7 which I set up a long time ago to autmatically log into Windows.

That's still working fine, but how can I work out the username of the currently logged-in user when I'm sat at the desktop?

Jon Cage

Posted 2011-01-07T11:26:36.937

Reputation: 2 289

Answers

From a cmd window run:

echo %USERNAME%

DMA57361

Posted 2011-01-07T11:26:36.937

Reputation: 17 581

6A better option is typing "whoami" This gives a fully qualified username instaed of just the folder they are working out of :). – Jeff F. – 2011-01-11T14:08:25.513

@Jeff sounds handy, but I was (and currently am) on a WinXP box, and whoami doesn't seem to be available. If that actually works you should put it down as an answer. – DMA57361 – 2011-01-11T14:17:29.517

Correct, Vista or later :) returns like CoolDomain\Jeff or AmazingComputer\Jeff – Jeff F. – 2011-01-11T14:24:35.587

@Jeff, indeed it does (now I'm back home on my nice warm Win7 box :), in fact it's a better way of doing it than my current answer (because what prevents some odd call to set changing the env variable?) - stick that in an answer and you can have a +1 from me (obviously, feel free to @ me if you do post it). – DMA57361 – 2011-01-11T20:28:31.003

Thanks, I'll toss it in an answer so others see it later. – Jeff F. – 2011-01-11T20:55:08.830

Press the Win+R at the same time
Type cmd and click OK
Type whoami then press Enter

This will return the fully qualified user name.

Jeff F.

Posted 2011-01-07T11:26:36.937

Reputation: 4 293

Open task manager and go to Users tab , it will display which login is being used currently.

Shekhar

Posted 2011-01-07T11:26:36.937

Reputation: 4 815

Run (WinKey+R) > cmd /c "echo %username% & pause"

Fastest, easiest way to do it.

EDIT: Changed run command. Was ECHO %USERNAME%| PAUSE. Did not work due to echo being an internal command of cmd.exe.

Doug A.K.

Posted 2011-01-07T11:26:36.937

Reputation: 560

-1: Doesn't seem to work for me; it comes up asking what program I want to open 'ECHO' with. – Jon Cage – 2011-01-07T15:25:08.507

Whoops! Forgot that ECHO is an internal command and I didn't test it! This works though, I tested it on my Windows 7 box: cmd /c "echo %username% & pause" – Doug A.K. – 2011-01-07T15:36:59.500

Edit your answer with that and I'll remove the vote-down. FYI, you can do /k instead of /c and omit the pause. – Jon Cage – 2011-01-11T13:59:21.553

-3

Click the Start button. Your username is on the right hand section of the start menu, under the picture at the top.

seanyboy

Posted 2011-01-07T11:26:36.937

Reputation: 1 568

3-1: Actually I think that gives you a display name not the actual username – Jon Cage – 2011-01-07T12:00:09.323