Resolution: “User profile was not loaded correctly” – TEMP profile created on logon

One fine Monday morning, I went to office very early. With fresh coffee, I turned on my laptop and logged in. I didn’t see my own specialized desktop profile. Instead it loaded a default profile with the following message.

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”

So, I took my phone and left myself a voice mail.

When this happens, a temporary profile will be created every time you log on. And as the message suggested, any settings you make will not be saved. Before you start bitching on Microsoft and praise the lord of Macs, remember you did something on your computer to get this error. Yes You, like me.

If you are savvy enough, you will see the following event log errors.

Log Name: Application
Source: Microsoft-Windows-User Profiles Service
Date: Date
Event ID: 1515
Task Category: None
Level: Warning
Keywords: Classic
User: User
Computer: Computer
Description: Windows has backed up this user profile. Windows will automatically try to use the backup profile the next time this user logs on.

•

Log Name: Application
Source: Microsoft-Windows-User Profiles Service
Date: Date
Event ID: 1511
Task Category: None
Level: Warning
Keywords: Classic
User: User
Computer: Computer
Description: Windows cannot find the local profile and is logging you on with a temporary profile. Changes you make to this profile will be lost when you log off.

•

Log Name: Application
Source: Microsoft-Windows-User Profiles Service
Date: Date
Event ID: 1500
Task Category: None
Level: Error
Keywords: Classic
User: User
Computer: Computer
Description: Windows cannot log you on because your profile cannot be loaded. Check that you are connected to the network, and that your network is functioning correctly.
DETAIL – Unknown

•

Log Name: Application
Source: Microsoft-Windows-Winlogon
Date: Date
Event ID: 6004
Task Category: None
Level: Warning
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
Computer: Computer
Description: The Winlogon notification subscriber Profiles failed a critical notification event.

Any ways, I finally figured out to how to fix this issue.

1. Reboot your machine and log on as a different user. Make sure the different user account is a administrator (added to the Administrators group). OR you could log on in to safe mode if you know how to.
2. Open Explorer and open C:\Users. Delete the directory of “problematic” user profile and “Temp” directory.
3. Run the registry editor (RedEdit.exe)
4. Go to the following location: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList
5. You need to find the correct SID and delete it. To make sure you are deleting the right one, check the key ProfileImagePath which has the profile path.
6. Reboot the computer and logon on as the user as before.
7. Leave me a Thanks note for this blog.

References:

Error message when you log on to a Windows Vista-based computer by using a temporary profile: “The User Profile Service failed the logon. User profile cannot be loaded”

A temporary profile is loaded after you log on to a Windows Vista-based system