Microsoft Account Errors

How to Fix Old Microsoft Account Name Still Appearing in Word and Excel

Khadija Khan Sep 30, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user changed their surname on their Microsoft account, but Word and Excel continue to display the old name even after clearing cache and restarting.

How to Fix Old Microsoft Account Name Appearing in Word and Excel

Product: Microsoft Word and Excel
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Updating personal profile information and synchronizing account details across desktop Office applications.
Observed behavior: The old surname persistently displays in Microsoft Word and Excel instead of syncing with the newly updated Microsoft account name.

Before you start

Verify that your internet connection is stable and log into account.microsoft.com via a web browser to confirm that your new name is correctly saved on the server.

Solution 1Recommended

Manually Update Local Office Options and Resynchronize

Change the local user name directly within the application's options and force a fresh account synchronization by signing out everywhere.

Microsoft Office often caches user profile details locally to speed up performance. Because of this, changes made online may not immediately reflect in your desktop apps like Word and Excel.

Access Word or Excel Options

Open Microsoft Word or Excel, click on the 'File' tab in the top left corner of the screen, and select 'Options' from the bottom of the left-hand menu.

Update Personalize Settings

In the 'General' tab, scroll down to find the 'Personalize your copy of Microsoft Office' section. Delete the old surname and manually type in your updated User name and Initials.

Sign Out of Office

Click 'OK' to save the settings. Next, navigate to 'File' > 'Account' (or 'Office Account'), and click the 'Sign out' button.

Sign Back In to Sync

Repeat the sign-out process on all devices linked to this Microsoft account. Once fully signed out everywhere, sign back into Word or Excel to force the applications to pull your latest profile data.

Manually Update Local Office Options and Resynchronize

Synchronization Delay: Microsoft servers can sometimes take 24 to 48 hours to fully propagate account changes globally. If the old name persists after signing back in, wait a day and try the sign-in step again.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How long does a Microsoft account name change take to show up in Office apps?

It typically takes a few hours, but it can sometimes take up to 48 hours for the new name to fully synchronize across all Microsoft services and locally installed Office desktop applications.

Why does my old name still appear in document comments and track changes?

Comments and track changes use the local user name stored in the application's options rather than real-time cloud data. You must manually update this in File > Options > General so that all new edits reflect your current name.

Will clearing the Office document cache fix my account name issue?

Clearing the document cache is helpful for file synchronization issues, but it generally does not force a user profile name update. Signing out of all devices and signing back in is the most effective method to update your profile data.

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