Odd Windows 7 issue

[ad4mg]

This morning, I started my screaming fast computer and booted into Windows 7 for the first time all week. Got the following error message:

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

Damn, had just scanned the machine last week for malware and viruses. Hardly use Windows 7 to browse the web anyway, Ubuntu is for that, and I don't allow any email in or out under Windows 7.

Fixed it by editing the registry key for my user account (HKEY LOCAL MACHINE....WIN NT Profiles). Since mine is the only account, it was easy to spot what happened. I was able to log in using safe mode and my regular account, which created a new registry reference, because my old pointer (S.1.5.....) had been renamed with a ".bak" on the end of the key name. The new registry key used the exact same number without the ".bak". I rebooted, logged in as administrator (everyone has an administrator account password, right?), renamed the new registry key to "S.1.5......new", and on the old key, I simply removed the ".bak". Restarted, logged in normally, and everything is fine.

Scanned the thing again using AVG, Malwarebytes, and Windows Defender, and nothing was found.

If anyone runs into this, let me know, I have step by step directions to fix it, even if you haven't assigned the administrator account a password. I know everyone has the administrator account deactivated, right? So, that's step one, reactivating that account.

I found the whole thing curious. Brand new computer, new hard drives (yep, checked those too, SMART data was clean, no bad sectors), new everything. The machine is just over 6 months old. Ubuntu, which is on the same HDD as Windows 7, never missed a beat. :chin:

[KG4CGC]

Mind if I share ^that^ word for word?

[WØTKX]

WTF was that all about? Very odd, but good workaround.

Oh, wait... MicroSquish has some info on that...

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/947215

[ad4mg]

Mind if I share ^that^ word for word?

Not at all! I'll post the step by step solution I used later today.

[ad4mg]

However, if you can't get to any accounts at all, then start at step 1.


1. Restart your computer and hit F8 multiples times until you see a menu-like screen, if you see the Windows splash screen then repeat this step
2. Highlight and hit enter on Safe Mode with Command Prompt. Try logging in there. If it still doesn't work, then go to step17
3. If you are able to login, once a command prompt pops up, type: net user administrator password /active:yes (you can specify whatever password you want for the administrator account.)
4. If you get a message saying "The command completed successfully", then restart your computer by typing: shutdown -r
5. Boot up again pressing F8, but this time choose just Safe Mode.
6. You will be able to login as Administrator with the password you set in Step 3
7. Hit (windows logo)+R
8. Type regedit
9. Once the registry editor opens up, look for HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList
10. In the left pane, find the one that starts with S-1-5..... and ends with .BAK; if you don't find one, skip to step 15
11. Right click it and click Rename, then change the .BAK to .BK
12. Right click the one with the same numbering but without the .BAK and add .BAK add the end
13. Right click the one that you renamed to .BK and clickRename, delete the .BK
14. Eventually, you have switched the .BAK from the end of the second entry to the first. That should probably fix your problem.
15. If you didn't find a .BAK then try this: Open Windows Explorer to C:\Users\Default\AppData\Local\Application Data
16. If you find another Application Data below the one you're on, then delete it. That should probably also fix your problem.
17. If you can't login in Safe Mode, then reboot and hit F8 until you see the menu again, then hit enter highlighting Repair Your Computer
18. Wait until all Windows Files finish loading, then hitNext when it asks keyboard language.
19. Try logging in here also, choose your user from the dropdown menu, and type the password, then jump to step 23
20. If that still doesn't work, then if you have your Windows Installation CD still, put it in and restart your computer.
21. Hit F12 until you see a menu of boot options, choose Boot from CD
22. Choose keyboard language then hit next. Find Repair Your Computer from a little below the center left.
23. Choose Open Command Prompt and type: net user administrator password /active:yes (here again you can specify a password)
24. Close the command prompt and click Restart and jump to step 5


To disable the administrator account, type this in an elevated command prompt: net user administrator /active:no


Found here, in a answer by Roi A. : User Profile cannot be loaded in Windows 7 - Solution (http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-security/i-receive-error-message-the-user-profile-service/38844b82-a2c1-4fa2-9802-a5318d6f7831)