Network Connections & Hardware - Name & Description Change

Hi

Welcome to Microsoft community.

You can use the method of modifying the registry to achieve the effect you want.

Modifying the names and descriptions of network connections and hardware using the Windows Registry requires caution, as improper changes can lead to system instability. Always back up your registry and create a system restore point before making any changes. Here's how you can modify network connection names and hardware descriptions through the Windows Registry:

Modifying Network Connection Names:

1. Press Win + R to open the Run dialog, then type regedit and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.

2. Navigate to the following registry key:

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\NetworkList\Profiles

3. Under the "Profiles" key, you will find subkeys representing each network connection. These subkeys are named with GUIDs.

4. Go through the subkeys to find the one that corresponds to the network connection you want to modify.

5. Inside the subkey, you will find a string value named ProfileName. Double-click on it and modify the data to the desired network name.

6. Close the Registry Editor and restart your computer to see the updated network name.

Modifying Hardware Descriptions:

1. Open the Registry Editor by pressing Win + R, typing regedit, and pressing Enter.

2. Navigate to the following registry key:

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum

3. Under "Enum," you will find various hardware devices listed in subkeys. Each subkey corresponds to a specific device.

4. Navigate through the subkeys to find the one that corresponds to the hardware device you want to modify.

5. Inside the subkey, you will find several subkeys that represent different aspects of the hardware, such as Control and Device Parameters.

6. Look for a string value named DeviceDesc or FriendlyName under the appropriate subkey. Modify the value data to the desired hardware description.

7. Close the Registry Editor and restart your computer to see the updated hardware description.

Disclaimer: Generally, modifying registry subkeys or work group is intended for advanced users, administrators, and IT Professionals. It can help fix some problems, however, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For further protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click How to back up and restore the registry in Windows - Microsoft Support to view the article. 

Please feel free to let me know if you have any further updates, thanks.

Best regards

Derrick Qian | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

Hi Derrick,

Thank you for your quick reply.

Modifying Network Connection Names:

I am unable to find the Network Connections Names indicated in my initial post under the following registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\NetworkList\Profiles

Modifying Hardware Descriptions:

All's good.

Cheers,

Great_Iskander

Hi

Thanks for your reply.

Have you expanded the subkeys in the registry?

1. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box.

2. Type "regedit" and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.

3. Navigate to the following registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\NetworkList\Profiles

4. Under the Profiles key, you will find a list of subkeys with long alphanumeric names. Each subkey represents a network connection profile.

5. Expand each subkey and look for the ProfileName value. This value contains the current name of the network connection.

6. Double-click on the ProfileName value and enter the desired name for the network connection.

7. Click OK to save the changes.

8. Repeat steps 5 to 7 for each network connection profile you want to modify.

9. Close the Registry Editor.

10. Restart your computer to apply the changes.

Note: Modifying the registry can be risky, so it's recommended to create a backup before making any changes.

Yes, I have expanded the entire tree structure.

Hi

Thanks for your reply.

If you have expanded all the subkeys under the Profiles key in the Registry Editor and still cannot find the ProfileName value for the network connection, it's possible that the network connection you are looking for does not have a profile set in the registry or the registry entry might be located in a different location.

In such cases, it's recommended to try an alternative method to rename the network connection. Here's an alternative method you can try:

1. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box.

2. Type "ncpa.cpl" and press Enter. This will open the Network Connections window.

3. In the Network Connections window, locate the network connection you want to rename.

4. Right-click on the network connection and select "Rename" from the context menu.

5. Enter the desired name for the network connection and press Enter to save the changes.

By following these steps, you should be able to rename the network connection without needing to modify the registry

Hi Derrick19,

Thanks for your reply.

I did not find the Network Connections Names indicated in my initial post under the Network Connections window either.

I am only able to see them in the following Settings window.

Cheers,

Great_Iskander

Hi

Thanks for your reply.

From your picture, the network card that is not shown is a virtual network card that may not appear in the list of network adapters for some reason.

You can remove it first, then create a new virtual network card again, and then change its name from the registry or Settings.

1. Open the Device Manager:

   • Press the Windows key + X and select "Device Manager" from the menu.

   • Alternatively, you can search for "Device Manager" in the Windows search bar and open it from the search results.

2. Expand the Network Adapters section:

   • Locate and expand the "Network Adapters" category in the Device Manager window.

3. Show hidden devices:

   • Click on the "View" menu at the top of the Device Manager window.

   • Check the "Show hidden devices" option. This will display all hidden devices, including virtual network adapters.

4. Locate and remove the virtual network adapter:

   • Look for any entries related to virtual network adapters, which may be indicated with names such as "Virtual Ethernet Adapter," "Hyper-V Virtual Ethernet Adapter," or other virtualization software-specific adapters.

   • Right-click on the virtual network adapter and select "Uninstall" from the context menu.

   • Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the uninstallation process.

Before performing the above steps, create a restore point to prevent anything from happening.

These Virtual Adapters were created automatically by Windows.

If I remove them manually from the Device Manager and then I restart my computer, they will be recreated automatically with the same Name & Description. These are the attributes that I am looking to modify.

How can I do this, please?

Hi

Thanks for your reply.

I may not have a better idea of this problem, you can publish on Microsoft Learn, and click on "Ask a question", there are experts who can provide more professional solutions in that place. 

Best regards

Derrick Qian | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

Hi Derrick,

Thank you for your help and suggestion.

I have raised the issue on Microsoft Learn:

Cheers,

Great_Iskander