One of the most common problems when using a single computer by multiple users is the inability to log in to a guest type account.
In response to user attempts to log into such an account, the system gives an error with an unpleasant message “Unable to load user profile”.
And in this article we will consider why this malfunction occurs, how to fix the problem on our own and in the future prevent its recurrence.
Unable to load a user profile - How To Fix
Practical experience shows that, at times, the login to the account is blocked due to the fact that the user was already logged in to this account, in which the session was not properly completed, and some process is still ongoing (for example, verification systems for viral activity).
Therefore, first of all, just try to restart the computer and re-enter your account.
If the reboot did not help, then you should go to a more "decisive action".
Option 1
This option (as well as all subsequent ones) involves performing all actions in the account with administrator rights, as certain system changes will be implemented.
This method involves making changes to the registry keys, which, if performed incorrectly, can lead to even greater problems with the operating system. Therefore, it is recommended that you first make a copy of important components and files.
Further, step by step follow these steps:
- Press the key combination “WIN + R” and enter and execute the command “regedit”.
- In the opened window of the registry editor, find the branch "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows NT \ CurrentVersion \ ProfileList".
- In this folder there are many other folders that will be assigned a name with the root "S-1-5"
- Browse through each folder and check the “ProfileImagePath” entry, which for the problematic account will contain an invalid address for its location.
- If the selected folder has the extension “.bak”, rename it by deleting this permission and confirming this action with the “Enter” button.
- In the selected folder, pay attention to the item “RefCount” and change its value to “0”.
- After making all the changes, restart the computer.
Option 2
This and the next option involves creating a new account with the subsequent removal of the old / problem account with the transfer of all necessary data:
- Boot the computer in safe mode and log in to the built-in administrator account.
- Copy and save all valuable information.
- Open "Start" - "My Computer" - "Properties".
- In the "Computer name, domain name and workgroup settings" section, select "Change settings."
- In the "System Properties" window that opens, go to the "Advanced" tab - "User Profiles" - "Settings".
- In the "User Profiles" window, select the necessary one and click on the "Delete" button.
- Open the registry editor and the “ProfileList” folder, then based on the actions described in option 1, and delete the folder with the SID of the previously deleted profile.
Finally, restart the system and create a new account.
Option 3
This method is most loved and applied than option 2, but to a lesser extent helps to solve the problem under consideration.
So, it consists in transferring the “NTUSER.DAT” file from a correctly working account to a problem one with replacing or manually deleting the old copy.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is worth noting that the main ways to solve all problems with logging in to your account are solved in a similar way, but the reasons for their appearance can be completely individual, accordingly, sometimes none of the 3 options helps to fix the error.
What to do in this case? The most flexible and effective solution is to use bootable media with the Windows operating system.
This method consists in using the system recovery tools using standard OS tools or the command line with the command "secedit / configure / cfg% windir% \ inf \ defltbase.inf / db defltbase.sdb / verbose" to reset the used local security policy settings.