User Profile Error - Logged on with a Temporary Profile

How to Fix the Error "Your user profile was not loaded correctly! You have been logged on with a temporary profile." in Vista and Windows 7​

   Information

A user profile is a collection of settings that make the computer look and work the way you want it to for a user account. It contains the account's settings for desktop backgrounds, screen savers, pointer preferences, sound settings, and other features. User profiles ensure that your personal preferences are used whenever you sign in to Windows.

A user profile is different from a user account, which you use to sign in to Windows. Each user account has at least one user profile associated with it.

When you log on to Vista using a temporary profile (user account), and you receive this error message:

Your user profile was not loaded correctly! You have been logged on with a temporary profile.

Changes you make to this profile will be lost when you log off. Please see the event log for details or contact your administrator.

For more information, see:
A temporary profile is loaded after you log on to a Windows Vista-based system

   Tip

This problem usually occurs if the current user's profile was accidentally deleted from the system or got corrupted.

   Warning

If you have this error message below instead, then see: How to Fix the Error "The User Profile Service failed the logon. User profile cannot be loaded."

The User Profile Service failed the logon. User profile cannot be loaded.

EXAMPLE: Error Message in Windows 7

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STEP ONE

Log On to the Computer as an Administrator

   Warning

You must be logged on to an administrator account using either step 1 or 2 below before you can move on to do the STEP TWO section below.

1. To Log on to another Administrator account​

NOTE: If you do not have another Administrator account, then proceed to step 2.​

A) Go to the STEP TWO section below.​

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OR​

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2. To Boot into Safe Mode for the built-in Administrator account​

NOTE: You may not need to enable the built-in Administrator account. If this was the only normal administrator account you had, then Safe Mode should automatically boot into the built-in Administrator account.​

   Tip

If you cannot boot into Windows and do not have a Windows installation DVD, then you can create and use the boot disc below to boot into Safe Mode with instead.

   Tip

​

Windows 7: (Option Two at link)​

How to Create a Windows 7 System Repair Disc​

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Vista: (Option One at link)​

How to Create a Vista Recovery Disc​

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A) Boot into Safe Mode (in Vista) or Safe Mode (in Windows 7).​

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B) If Safe Mode did not boot into the built-in Administrator​

account, then enable the built-in Administrator account. If it did , then go to step 2C.​

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C) Log off in Safe Mode, and then log on to the built-in Administrator account to logon with that account in Safe Mode.​

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D) Go to the STEP TWO section below.​

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OR​

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3. To Enable the Built-in Administrator account at Boot​

A) For how, see: How to Enable the Built-in Elevated "Administrator" Account from WinRE​

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B) When enabled, log in to the built-in Administrator account, and go to the STEP TWO section below for what you would like to do​

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STEP TWO

Delete the User Account Profile's SID Key

1. Backup anything that you do not want to lose in this user account's C:\Users\(user-name) profile folder, if the profile folder still exists, to another location, then delete the (user-name) profile folder.​

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2. Open the Start menu.​

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3. In the Start Menu search box, type regedit and press Enter.​

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4. If prompted by UAC, then click on Continue (Vista) or Yes (Windows 7).​

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5. In regedit, go to: (See screenshot below step 7)​

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HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList

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6. In the left pane, click on one of the S-1-5..... folders (SID key) with the long number. (See screenshot below step 7)​

NOTE: It should have .bak at the end of it.​

A) In the right pane, look at the ProfileImagePath to see if this is the same user account that you deleted in step 1 above.​

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B) Repeat step 6 until you find the one that you deleted in step 1 above.​

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7. To Backup the Registry SID Key​

WARNING: You should backup this SID key to be safe in case you delete the wrong one in step 8 below.​

A) Right click on the SID key from step 6, and click on Export.​

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B) Type in a name and save the REG file to a safe location.​

NOTE: This is your backup. To Restore the Backup, right click on the REG backup file and click on Merge.​

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C) Continue on to step 8.​

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8. Right click on the SID key, from step 6 with bak at the end, and click on Delete. (see screenshot above)​

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9. Click on Yes to confirm deletion. (See screenshot below)​

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10. If there is another SID key with the exact same long number from step 6 for this user account without bak at the end, repeat step 7 first, then right click on this same SID key, and click on Delete. (see screenshot below step 7)​

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11. Click on Yes to confirm deletion. (See screenshot below step 9)​

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12. Close regedit.​

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13. Log off and log on.​

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   Note

After you log on to the computer, the profile folder you are having problems with is re-created. If not, then try a System Restore using a restore point dated before you got this error. If this still does not help, then you will need to create a new account and restore the user folder files from the backup created at step 1.

That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How To Perform a Repair Installation For Vista
• How to Do a System Restore in Vista
• How to Do a Startup Repair in Vista
• How to Do a Clean Install of Vista with a Upgrade Version
• How to Do a Clean Install with a Full Version of Vista
• How to Fix the Error "The User Profile Service failed the logon. User profile cannot be loaded."
• How to Change the User Folder Name of a User Profile in Windows 7
• How to Fix Windows 7 Logon Screen Showing Only "Other User" and Last Logged On User Icon

 

[melati]

Hi..Brink..

I just joint the forum.. i have this problem now, can not believe it cause what i did was hook up my laptop with my tv, n have this logged on temp. profile ,the problem is i only have one account it is my administrator on my laptop...so just wonder if i able to delete my user administrator profile here..please advise.

thanks so much

 

[Brink]

Hello Melati, and welcome to Vista Forums.

You might see if you can first do a System Restore at boot using a restore point dated before you had this error to have it fixed.

If not, then start in the STEP ONE section to gain access to you computer to be able to do the STEP TWO section.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[melati]

thank brink,

tried restore not working, still have this temp. profile problem, i am going to try Step ONe n Step two on this article, question is i have to delete the administrator user right? that the user acc i have problem with. Then i will not have administrator user acc then?

thanks again
melati

 

[Brink]

Melati,

You would still have the built-in Administrator account that was enabled in STEP ONE to use afterwards to create a new default administrator account to use though. No worries.

 

[melati]

Hi..again Brink

well i did all the tips, i able to create new administrator acc, and del the administrator acc the one i have problem , my next ? is why after log off n log in not get recreate the acc i delete? when the problem accur i could not find all the data, i am just wonder now am i lost all the data i had?will i able to restore the data? i did not do back up cause like i said , data was not there before i delete user acc, is there a way?

thanks
Melati

 

[Brink]

It may still be in the C:\Users\(user name) folders for the account you have deleted.

 

[deeto]

Hey Brink,

I had the problem once when I accidentally bumped my laptop on a ledge. I got the user profile error after, and so I used the admin account to change the reg values for that user B. I misread the steps somewhere and so after I logged off Admin and went on B, it said that the user profile service cannot be loaded or something like that. I fixed the problem, deleted the new B account, created a new B account, but I still get a blank desktop. I checked the user folder and the original data and everything is still there for the old B. Do you know how to restore those data?

Thanks.

 

[Brink]

Hello Deeto, and welcome to Vista Forums.

You should be able to copy the contents of the old account's C:\Users\(User name) folders into the corresponding new account's C:\Users\n(User ame) folders to do so.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[datagoround]

Something that is not totally clear with this fix is, what happens to your Document, Pictures and Email when this fix is done. I know you say to back up the data, but does deleting the profile and then having Vista recreate it, not delete your personal files? I am helping my sister out with this issue, and will certainly make a backup, but from some of the things you say in this thread it sounds like the stuff will still be there after Vista creates the profile. Is that correct?

 

[Brink]

Hello Datagoround, and welcome to Vista Forums.

Yes, usually deleting a user account from within User Accounts (Control Panel) will not delete the C:\Users\(user name) folder that contains the data. However, it is best to take extra precautions and back this up just in case it does get deleted some how. Since there is already a problem with the user profile, you just never know for sure.

 

[datagoround]

Ok great thanks for that info.


So, am I to understand that if I go through the tutorial and get to this part:

10. Logoff and logon.
NOTE: After you logon to the computer, the profile folder you are having problems with is re-created.

And log back into this re-created account, that the users documents and personal files will be there?


Sorry for all the questions but in my experiance if a tutorial doesn't explicity state that personal files should still be there after, usually they arent. Bad experiance with differences in HP's version of a non-formating install and the regular XP one, has lead me to get very clear answers before following steps that seem otherwise easy and harmless.

 

[Brink]

No problem Datagoround. I can completely understand.

Yes, they should be. If for some reason they are not, then you can easily copy them back from your backup into the same corresponding C:\Users\(user name) folders.

 

[nonpasaran]

hi bring:D
firs of all thank you for that all amazing tutorials
today ı had "The User Profile Service failed the logon. User profile cannot be loaded." error and i use your tutorial for it and i fix it:D thank you
but now there is a lot of sid in my registry i send a picture of my registry

i want to ask you which one or ones i have to delete?
or am i have to delete ?
thanks for reply

 

[Brink]

Hello Nonpasaran, and welcome to Vista Forums.

I would recommend that you just leave them there. It will not hurt anything and will not use up any noticable space on the hard drive. It's not worth the risk of accidentally deleting the wrong one and having to do a clean reinstall of Vista to fix it.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[nonpasaran]

ok great thanks shawn

 

[Brink]

You're welcome.

 

[ImaNovice]

I tried this and it sort of worked. I think I messed up somewhere.

I ended up with a new acc named administrator, and i changed some of the stuff around. My old files aren't there anymore, but I backed them up (even though I lost one game).

I'm happy I am able to use my computer again, but I still sorta hate vista for making me go through all this trouble.

 

[Brink]

Hello ImaNovice, and welcome to Vista Forums.

The account named Administrator would be your built-in Administrator account and not a normal administrator account like the one that had the error with. You would probably want to create another administrator account to use instead of the built-in Administrator account for better security though.

I'm happy to hear that you got the error sorted out though.

Shawn

 

[ImaNovice]

umm, i then tried a system restore, and it came back...
and today, i got another a "group policy client service failed the logon" error thing...
then i did another system restore and im back at where i started, with another temporary desktop

 

[Brink]

Your installation may be to corrupted for a simple repair, and may need to do a clean reinstall of Vista to stop this error.