Microsoft Account Errors

Fix Office Home Screen Showing Old Name After Profile Update

Algirdas Jasaitis Oct 12, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to correct an outdated display name that persists on the Office home screen despite the account profile being updated correctly elsewhere.

Product: Microsoft Office
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Updating the account profile display name for a personal, work, or educational account.
Observed behavior: The outdated display name continues to appear below the profile picture in Word, Excel, and other Office applications.

Before you start

Ensure you have your correct Microsoft account login credentials readily available, as you will need to sign out of all your Microsoft applications and sign back in.

Solution 1Recommended

Clear Caches and Sign Out of All Office Apps

This method comprehensively removes outdated cached profile data across all apps, forcing Office to sync and download your newly updated display name.

Microsoft applications often cache profile information locally to improve loading speeds. By completely clearing these caches and forcing a new session, you can resolve the synchronization issue.

Sign Out of Microsoft Apps

Open Word, Excel, Outlook, and Teams on all your active devices. Click on your profile picture at the top right and select 'Sign out'.

Clear Browser Data

Open your default web browser, access the settings menu, and clear all browser cookies, site cache, and offline data related to Microsoft.

Remove Keychain or Credential Manager Entries

Open your device's Credential Manager (Windows) or Keychain Access (Mac) and delete any saved Microsoft and Office cache entries.

Restart and Sign In

Completely shut down and restart your primary device. Open any Office application and sign back in using your updated credentials to verify the new name.

Clear Caches and Sign Out of All Office Apps

Sync Completion: Performing this action across all your linked devices prevents outdated data from re-syncing to your account.

Solution 2

Contact Your Organization Administrator

Use this solution if you are using an educational or work account and the standard cache-clearing steps do not update the name.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my old name still show in Word and Excel after updating my Microsoft account?

This occurs because Microsoft Office applications cache profile data locally on your device to speed up loading times. Until this local cache is cleared or forcefully refreshed, the apps will continue to display the old information.

How long does it typically take for a profile name update to reflect in Microsoft 365?

While personal accounts might update relatively quickly, it can take anywhere from 24 to 48 hours for profile changes to propagate across all Microsoft 365 services, especially for work or school accounts relying on organizational servers.

Do I absolutely need to sign out of all my devices to fix this syncing issue?

Yes, if multiple devices are actively syncing with the same Microsoft account, signing out of all devices ensures that an old cached name on one device isn't accidentally pushed back up to the Microsoft servers.

What if I clear the Office cache but the name is still wrong on my university account?

For school or work accounts, the display name is centrally managed by the organization's IT department. If clearing your local cache doesn't work, you must contact your administrator to ensure the name was properly updated in the central Microsoft 365 Admin Center.

Login & Account Issues