Rename a Microsoft 365 account or hand it over to a new staff member – IT Solver Support

You can change the name and sign-in email of a Microsoft 365 account from the IT Solver dashboard. Use this to fix a name, or to give a past staff member's account to the person who replaces them.

What a rename changes

The account gets the new display name and the new sign-in email. The new sign-in email also becomes the main email address.
The old email address stays on the account as an alias. Email sent to the old address still arrives in the same mailbox.
It is the same account. The mailbox, calendar, files and licence stay with it. The new person can see all the email and files of the past staff member.
The rename does not buy, remove or change a licence.

Before you start

You must be an owner or IT manager of your business in the dashboard. See What each dashboard role can do.
The new sign-in email must use a domain that is verified in your Microsoft 365. Only verified domains show in the list. To add a domain, see Connect your domain to Microsoft 365 and switch your email.
The new email address must not belong to another user in your Microsoft 365.
If you are giving the account to a new person, secure it first. See Sign the past staff member out.
If the new person needs a separate account and the past staff member's email must stay separate, do not rename. Use Add a new staff member in Microsoft 365 and When a staff member leaves: offboard them in Microsoft 365 instead.

Rename the account or hand it over

Sign in at dashboard.itsolver.net.
Select Microsoft 365, then select People.
Find the user. At the end of the row, select the more actions (...) button.
Under Account, select Rename / handover. The Rename user window opens and shows the current email address.
In Display name, type the name that people will see, for example the new person's full name. If you leave it empty, the dashboard makes a name from the email. For example, jason.smith becomes Jason Smith.
In New sign-in email, type the part before the @ sign. Use letters, numbers, dots, hyphens or underscores, and start with a letter or a number.
Select the domain from the list next to the @ sign.
Choose the options:
- Reset password: keep this ticked for a handover. The dashboard makes a temporary password, and the user must change it at the next sign-in. Untick it only when the same person keeps the account.
- Require MFA setup: keep this ticked for a handover. The dashboard removes the past staff member's sign-in methods, such as their Authenticator app or phone number. The new person sets up their own at the next sign-in. Untick it only when the same person keeps the account.
Select Rename user.
Read the result at the top of the page. It shows the new email, the display name and the old address. If you ticked Require MFA setup, it also shows the number of MFA methods cleared.
If the result shows a Temporary password, copy it now. It shows only on this page. When you leave the page, you cannot see it again.
Give the new person their new email and the temporary password. Tell them in person or by phone. Do not send the password in an email to the same mailbox.

When the new person signs in for the first time, Microsoft asks them to set a new password. If you ticked Require MFA setup, Microsoft also asks them to set up MFA. If they have a problem, see Help a staff member who cannot sign in to Microsoft 365.

Sign the past staff member out

A rename, Reset password and Require MFA setup do not sign out devices that are already signed in. Before every handover, secure the account first:

In People, select the more actions (...) button on the user's row.
Under Security, select Secure account.
Make sure Sign out of every device and app is ticked.
Do not tick Also block sign-in. If you tick it, the new person cannot sign in after the rename.
Select Reset and secure account.
Then do the steps in Rename the account or hand it over. Give the new person the temporary password from the rename result.

Remove the old email address

The old address stays as an alias so that customers who still use it can reach the new person. If you do not want the old address any more, remove it with Manage aliases in the user's more actions (...) menu. See Forward email and add email aliases in Microsoft 365. If you remove it, email to the old address bounces.

If the result shows a problem

Finish Microsoft setup before using Rename / handover. The dashboard does not yet have permission to reset passwords in your Microsoft 365. The dashboard opens the Finish password and handover setup page. A Global Administrator of your Microsoft 365 must sign in and approve. If the People page then shows Microsoft setup is finishing, the dashboard does not run the rename for you. Wait about a minute, then select Rename / handover again. See Connect the dashboard to your Microsoft 365.
Microsoft needs updated admin consent before this handover can run. A Global Administrator of your Microsoft 365 must sign in and approve the access. The dashboard then tries the rename again.
Microsoft 365 user handover partially completed. The result shows which steps did not finish. Do not try the rename again. Ask IT Solver to finish it.
Microsoft 365 user handover was partially completed. No result and no temporary password show. The account may already have the new name and a new password. Do not try the rename again. Ask IT Solver to check the account and reset the password.
Open Exchange Admin Centre mailboxes to finish the mailbox email addresses. The account is renamed, but the mailbox addresses need more work. The result also shows an Open Exchange Admin Centre link and an error message. Send the error message to IT Solver and ask us to finish it for you.
Alias needs checking under the old address. The dashboard could not confirm that the old address is still on the mailbox. Ask IT Solver to check it.
That Microsoft 365 email address already exists. Another user has that address. Choose a different address, or remove the address from the other user first.
You do not see Rename / handover in the menu. The item shows only when the user has an email address on a domain and your Microsoft 365 has a verified domain. Ask IT Solver.

Examples

Your receptionist leaves and a new receptionist starts next week. You want the new person to keep the same inbox and see past email. Secure the account, then rename it to the new person's name and email with both options ticked. Email to the old address still arrives.
A staff member gets married and changes their surname. They keep the account. Rename it with the new name and email, and untick Reset password and Require MFA setup. Email to the old address still arrives.
The display name has a spelling mistake. Type the correct name in Display name. Type the same email in New sign-in email, and untick both options.
After a rename, a Windows computer will not sign in with the new email. The computer may still use the old profile. See Fix Azure AD Login Problems with Profile Mismatches, or ask IT Solver.

Still have a problem?

Questions? Email support@itsolver.net or phone 07 3123 6000.