8 Ways to Fix User Profile Service Failed to Login: After installing updates or resetting your computer, you may encounter the following error message when starting your PC.
Error Message:
The user profile service failed the logon.
User profile cannot be loaded.
You might experience the "User Profile Service Failed to Login" error even after resetting Windows 10 or 11.
This error spans a variety of Windows versions, including operating systems like Windows 11, 10, 8, and 7, as well as Windows Server 2012, 2016, and 2019.
If you find yourself among those facing this error, a troubleshooting guide is here to assist you.
Stay tuned for solutions and steps to resolve the issue.
8 Ways to Fix User Profile Service Failed to Login
Rest assured, this error is fixable, and you have the ability to resolve it independently.
By following troubleshooting steps, you can successfully correct the issue and regain access to your computer.
Solution 1: Try Safe Mode to Reactivate and Restart Your User Account.
Safe Mode allows you to start Windows with a minimal set of drivers and software components.
This mode is used to diagnose Windows issues and troubleshoot them.
You can choose Safe Mode to reactivate and restart your user account for troubleshooting purposes.
Reactivating Your User Account in Safe Mode
Step 1: Boot your computer into Safe Mode.
Step 2: Open Command Prompt as an administrator.
Step 3: Execute the following command.
sc config ProfSvc start= auto
You will see the message: [SC] ChangeServiceConfig SUCCESS
Step 4: Exit Command Prompt.
Step 5: Open the Run window by pressing Windows key + R.
Type services.msc and click "OK" or press "Enter". This will open the Services management window.
Open the Services window in Windows 10 and 11
Step 6: Scroll down and locate the User Profile Service.
Right-click on it and select Restart.
Step 7: Restart your computer and log in to your user account.
Solution 2: Enable the Administrator Account
To see the effect of these changes, it is essential to activate the administrator account and then restart your computer.
To perform this process, a bootable USB drive with Windows 10/11 is required.
If you cannot access this drive, you can create one by following these steps:
Enabling the Administrator Account - Step by Step
Step 1: Boot your computer using Windows installation media.
The Windows installation wizard will open. Click Next.
Installing Windows Operating System
Step 2: Select Repair your computer.
Repair your Windows 10 and 11 computer option
Step 3: The Advanced Startup Options or Windows Recovery Environment will open. Click Troubleshoot.
Troubleshoot in the Advanced Startup Options menu for Windows 10 and 11
Step 4: Select Command Prompt.
open_command_prompt in Advanced Startup Options
Step 5: Type the following command and press Enter to execute.
net user administrator password123 /active:yes
Here, password 123 is the password for the administrator account.
You can change the password to your preference.
Step 6: If you see the message "The command completed successfully," it means the administrator account has been created successfully.
Step 7: Restart your computer and select the administrator account on the login screen to log in.
Step 8: After successfully logging in with the administrator account, create a new user account. Go to Settings → Accounts → Other users. Click the Add account button to add a new user account.
Step 9: Log out of the administrator account and log in to your account.
Note: Don’t forget to disable the administrator account after fixing the "User Profile Service Failed to Login" error.
Run the following command in Command Prompt to disable the administrator account.
net user administrator /active:no
Solution 3: Modify Registry Entries to Fix "User Profile Service Failed to Login. User Profile Cannot Be Loaded."
If there are duplicate entries for the user profile in the registry files, you may encounter the same error.
Correcting these duplicate entries in the registry is the solution.
Before making any modifications, it is highly recommended to back up the registry files to ensure safety.
Step 1: Open the Registry Editor. Type regedit in the Run window and open it.
Type regedit to open the Registry Editor using the Run dialog.
Step 2: Navigate to the following location.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList
Step 3: In this section, you will find a series of S-1-5 entries.
Your task is to identify the duplicate entries marked with the .bak extension.
If you identify these duplicate entries, proceed to remove the .bak extension from the duplicate files.
Step 4: Restart your computer to apply the changes.
Solution 4: Uninstall Recent Updates
If you noticed that this issue appeared after installing recent updates or upgrades to Windows, it is advisable to uninstall the latest added updates. This course of action can help rectify the "User Profile Cannot Be Loaded" error.
Uninstalling Updates - Step by Step
Step 1: Open the Advanced Startup Options or Windows Recovery Environment. Click Troubleshoot.
Troubleshoot in the Advanced Startup Options menu for Windows 10 and 11.
Step 2: Go to Troubleshoot ➜ Advanced options ➜ Uninstall updates.
Step 3: Select Uninstall the last quality update.
Step 4: Click the Uninstall quality update button and remove the updates.
Solution 5: Create a New User Account
You can also add a new user account using Command Prompt from the Advanced Startup Options.
Creating a New User Account - Step by Step
Step 1: Boot your computer using Windows installation media. The Windows installation wizard will open. Click Next.
Step 2: Select Repair your computer.
Step 3: The Advanced Startup Options or Windows Recovery Environment will open. Click Troubleshoot.
Step 4: Select Command Prompt.
Step 5: Run the following commands.
net user /add username password
Replace username and password with your chosen name and password. For example:
net user /add steven pwd123
Step 6: Restart your computer and log in to your newly created account.
Solution 6: SFC/DISM/CHKDSK
The SFC, DISM, and CHKDSK utilities form a set of tools designed to correct and enhance Windows performance through various methods. These tools are readily available and integrated into your Windows account. Use them as follows:
Run SFC, CHKDSK, DISM commands
Step 1: Boot your computer using Windows installation media. The Windows installation wizard will open. Click Next.
Installing Windows Operating System
Step 2: Select Repair your computer.
Repair your Windows 10 and 11 computer option
Step 3: The Advanced Startup Options or Windows Recovery Environment will open. Click Troubleshoot.
Troubleshoot in the Advanced Startup Options menu for Windows 10 and 11
Step 4: Select Command Prompt.
open_command_prompt in Advanced Startup Options
Step 5: Now run the following commands one by one.
First. System File Checker tool
sfc /scannow
Second. Run the Dism command
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
Third. Run the disk checking utility.
chkdsk C: /f /x /r
Solution 7: Use System Restore
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