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

How to Fix The User Profile Service failed the logon. User profile cannot be loaded. (Windows)

Quick Answer

The error 'The User Profile Service failed the logon. User profile cannot be loaded.' indicates that Windows cannot load your user profile data, preventing you from logging in. A common immediate solution involves restarting the computer, which can resolve temporary service glitches. If the issue persists, checking the profile's status in the Registry Editor is often the next step.

What Causes This Error

  • Corrupted user profile files or folders.
  • Incorrect security permissions on the user profile folder.
  • User Profile Service (ProfSvc) is not running or is misconfigured.
  • Registry entries for the user profile are corrupted or point to an incorrect location.
  • Temporary profile loaded due to an underlying issue, preventing the original profile from loading.
  • Disk errors or bad sectors affecting profile storage.

Step-by-Step Fixes

1Restart Your Computer

  1. If you are at the login screen, click the power icon in the bottom-right corner.
  2. Select 'Restart' from the options.
  3. Allow the system to shut down and boot back up completely.
  4. Attempt to log in to your user account again.

2Boot into Safe Mode and Check User Profile Service

  1. Restart your computer. As it boots, repeatedly press the F8 key (or Shift + Restart from the login screen) to enter Advanced Boot Options.
  2. Select 'Troubleshoot' -> 'Advanced options' -> 'Startup Settings' -> 'Restart'.
  3. After the restart, choose option 4 or F4 for 'Enable Safe Mode'.
  4. Once in Safe Mode, press 'Windows key + R', type 'services.msc', and press Enter.
  5. Locate 'User Profile Service (ProfSvc)' in the list. Ensure its 'Startup type' is set to 'Automatic' and its 'Status' is 'Running'. If not, right-click, select 'Properties', change 'Startup type', and click 'Start' if the service is stopped. Click 'Apply' and 'OK'.

3Check and Repair Corrupted User Profile Registry Entries

  1. Boot into Safe Mode (refer to the previous fix for instructions).
  2. Press 'Windows key + R', type 'regedit', and press Enter to open the Registry Editor. Confirm the UAC prompt if it appears.
  3. Navigate to 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionProfileList'.
  4. In the 'ProfileList' folder, look for subfolders starting with 'S-1-5-'. You might see two similar folders, one ending with '.bak' and one without. The one without '.bak' is the problematic profile. If only one exists and it ends with '.bak', proceed to step 5.
  5. If both exist (e.g., S-1-5-21-xxxx and S-1-5-21-xxxx.bak), right-click the folder without '.bak' and select 'Delete'. Then, right-click the '.bak' folder, select 'Rename', and remove '.bak' from its name. If only the '.bak' folder exists, rename it by removing '.bak'.
  6. Select the renamed folder (or the original if you only removed '.bak'). In the right pane, double-click 'RefCount' and change its 'Value data' to '0'. Click 'OK'.
  7. Double-click 'State' and change its 'Value data' to '0'. Click 'OK'.
  8. Close the Registry Editor and restart your computer normally. Attempt to log in.

4Check Profile Folder Permissions

  1. Boot into Safe Mode (refer to previous fixes). Log in with an administrator account if possible, or use the built-in administrator account.
  2. Open File Explorer and navigate to 'C:Users'.
  3. Right-click on the folder corresponding to the problematic user profile and select 'Properties'.
  4. Go to the 'Security' tab and click 'Advanced'.
  5. Click 'Change permissions' if available, or 'Change' next to 'Owner'. Ensure the problematic user account or 'Administrators' group is listed as the owner. If not, set 'Administrators' as the owner and check 'Replace owner on subcontainers and objects'. Click 'Apply' and 'OK'.
  6. Back in the 'Advanced Security Settings' window, ensure 'SYSTEM', 'Administrators', and the problematic user account have 'Full control'. If not, add them or edit existing entries to grant 'Full control'. Click 'Apply' and 'OK'.
  7. Restart your computer and attempt to log in to the problematic user account.

Advanced Fixes

Create a New User Profile and Migrate Data

  1. Boot into Safe Mode and log in with an administrator account (or the built-in administrator).
  2. Press 'Windows key + R', type 'netplwiz', and press Enter.
  3. In the 'User Accounts' window, click 'Add...'.
  4. Follow the prompts to create a new local user account. Ensure it is set as an 'Administrator' account.
  5. Log out of the current administrator account and log in to the newly created administrator account.
  6. Navigate to 'C:Users' in File Explorer. Copy the contents (excluding 'Ntuser.dat', 'Ntuser.dat.log', 'Ntuser.ini', and 'AppData' folders) from the old problematic profile folder to the new user profile folder.
  7. Restart the computer and attempt to log in to the new user account. If successful, you can delete the old problematic profile via 'netplwiz' or 'Control Panel > User Accounts'.

Run System File Checker (SFC) and DISM

  1. Boot into Safe Mode (refer to previous fixes) or use the Windows Recovery Environment.
  2. Open Command Prompt as an administrator. To do this, search for 'cmd', right-click 'Command Prompt', and select 'Run as administrator'.
  3. Type 'sfc /scannow' and press Enter. Allow the scan to complete. This tool checks for and repairs corrupted system files.
  4. After SFC completes, type 'DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth' and press Enter. This command repairs the Windows image. Note: This step requires an active internet connection.
  5. Once both commands have finished, restart your computer and attempt to log in to your user account.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does 'The User Profile Service failed the logon' error mean?

This error means that Windows encountered an issue while trying to load your user account's profile data, which includes your desktop settings, documents, and other personal files. As a result, you cannot log in to your account.

Can I lose my data if I fix this error?

Most fixes aim to repair the existing profile without data loss. However, if the profile is severely corrupted and you need to create a new one, you might need to manually transfer your personal files from the old profile folder to the new one. Always back up important data if possible before attempting advanced fixes.

Why does this error sometimes resolve after a restart?

A simple restart can often resolve the error if it was caused by a temporary glitch in the User Profile Service, a service dependency not starting correctly, or a transient file lock. Restarting clears temporary states and reinitializes services.

What is a temporary profile and how is it related to this error?

When Windows cannot load your original user profile, it sometimes logs you in with a temporary profile. This profile is created for the current session and all changes made to it are lost upon logging off. It indicates an underlying issue with your primary profile that needs to be addressed.

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