Do you want to change the MAC address on Windows 10 and 11 PCs? If so, this guide will tell you the steps for different methods to achieve this.
The MAC address (Media Access Control address) is a unique identifier provided by your network card that is used to identify your computer in a network.
Changing the MAC address can help users diagnose network issues, browse outside a school or organization’s allowed list of sites, or just have a little fun with a silly name.
Read on to check out the steps to change it on your Windows computer.
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How to Change MAC Address on Windows 10 and 11
The steps to change the MAC address on a Windows 10 or 11 PC are very similar, and you can do it using the device manager, control panel, and registry. Read on to check out the steps to do so.
Using the Device Manager
You can easily change the Mac address on your Windows 10 or 11 using Device Manager. Below are the steps to achieve this.
Step 1: Open Device Manager on your Windows PC. You can access it from the Control Panel, then navigate to System. Alternatively, press Windows + X keys and choose Device Manager.
Step 2: On the Device Manager window, expand the Network adapters.
Step 3: Right-click on the network adapter and choose Properties.
Step 4: Go to the Advanced tab.
Step 5: Choose MAC Address or Network Address or Locally Administered Address depending on which option you see.
Step 6: Tap the Value or Setting option and enter the new MAC address. Make sure to enter the address without any dashes or colons.
Step 7: Once entered, save the changes and reboot your computer.
Using the Network and Sharing Center
Another way through which you can tweak the MAC address on your Windows computer is by using a network and sharing center. Follow the steps mentioned below to do so:
Step 1: Open the Control Center on your PC. You can open it from the run box; press the Windows + R keys to open it. Type control and hit enter.
Step 2: Click on the drop-down next to View by at the top and select Category.
Step 3: Now, choose Network and Internet.
Step 4: Next, choose Network and Sharing Center.
Step 5: Tap on Change adapter settings.
Step 6: Right-click on the network adapter and choose Properties.
Step 7: Click on Configure, then go to the Advanced tab.
Step 8: Look for the MAC Address, Network Address, Locally Administered Address, or similar property.
Step 9: Enter the address and save it. Finally, reboot your system.
Editing the Registry
You can also change the MAC address by editing the registry. For this method, you will have to first gather some basic information about the network adapter through the Command Prompt. Here’s what you need to do:
Step 1: Press the Windows + R keys to open the run box.
Step 2: Type cmd and hit enter to open the command prompt.
Step 3: On the command prompt, type ipconfig /all and hit enter. Keep a note of the Description and Physical Address for the active network device.
Step 4: Type net config rdr and press enter. Here, note the GUID, which is displayed between the brackets next to the Physical Address you recorded previously.
Step 5: Again, open the run box by pressing the Windows + R keys.
Step 6: Type regedit and hit enter.
Step 7: Navigate to this path: Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class{4d36e972-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318}. Double-click on the folder to expand it.
Step 8: Here, you will see several folders labeled “0000”, “0001”, “0002”, etc. Open each of these and compare the NetCfgInstanceID field and match it with the GUID.
Step 9: Right-click on the folder whose NetCfgInstanceID field matches the GUID. Select New > String Value and name the new value NetworkAddress.
Step 10: Double-click on the new Network Address entry. In the Value Data field, enter your new MAC address. Make sure to enter the MAC address without any dashes or colons.
Step 11: Finally, reboot your computer to enable the changes.
Wrapping Up
So, these are some of the best ways through which you can change MAC address on Windows 10 and 11 PCs. Apart from the above listed methods, you can also use third-party software like TMAC, Technitium MAC Address Changer, etc.
Download the software and follow the instructions mentioned on their website to change the MAC address. After changing the address, open the command prompt and type ipconfig /all to verify whether the new MAC address is updated or not. If you have any questions related to the article, let us know in the comments.
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