Are you receiving the error message “The User Profile service failed the sign-in” or “User profile cannot be loaded” on your Windows 10 or Windows 11 computer? This error message indicates that your user profile is either corrupted or has missing files, which prevents you from logging in to your computer. In this post, we will show you how to fix this issue.
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How to fix “The User Profile Service failed the sign-in” issue
Before you proceed with the solutions below, try restarting your computer. Sometimes, this error can occur randomly, and a simple restart may solve the problem. If restarting your computer did not fix the problem, you can try the following solutions.
Solution 1: Edit the registry in safe mode
It is important to note that this error can occasionally occur without any apparent reason. Most of the time, simply restarting the PC resolves the issue, so attempt that first. If the “user profile service failed the sign-in” error persists, proceed with the solution outlined below.
Please exercise caution when making changes to the registry, as improper modifications can lead to serious issues. If feasible, create a system restore point before making any edits.
To modify the registry, you must first boot Windows 10 or Windows 11 into safe mode. If you require assistance with this, consult the guide: “How to enter safe mode in Windows 10/11.” Once in safe mode, follow the steps provided below.
- Go to the Windows search or start menu.
- Type “regedit” and open the application.
- In the registry editor, navigate to the following subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList
- Under the ProfileList folder, search for a folder with a name that begins with S-1-5 followed by long numbers. Click on the folder.
- From the right pane, double-click on ProfileImagePath.
- Verify if the user profile path displayed corresponds to your user profile. If you notice multiple S-1-5 folders, examine each one to identify the correct S-1-5 that displays the appropriate user profile path in ProfileImagePath. Continue with the instructions below.
If you have two S-1-5 folders with the same name (both matching your user profile) and one of them ends with .bak, you must rename it to exclude the .bak extension.
However, you must first rename the other folder that doesn’t have “.bak” in its name to something else, such as “.123”. This is because two folders with the same name cannot coexist. Here’s what you should do:
S-1-5-21-xxxxxxx-xxxxxxxxx-xxxxxxxxxx-xxxx.123 S-1-5-21-xxxxxxx-xxxxxxxxx-xxxxxxxxxx-xxxx.bak
Next, remove the .bak from the folder that initially had the .bak extension.
S-1-5-21-xxxxxxx-xxxxxxxxx-xxxxxxxxxx-xxxx S-1-5-21-xxxxxxx-xxxxxxxxx-xxxxxxxxxx-xxxx.123
On the .123 folder you’ve renamed earlier, rename it to .bak.
S-1-5-21-xxxxxxx-xxxxxxxxx-xxxxxxxxxx-xxxx S-1-5-21-xxxxxxx-xxxxxxxxx-xxxxxxxxxx-xxxx.bak
Next, click on the folder without “.bak.” In the right pane, double-click on the RefCount entry. In the Value Data field, enter 0 and click OK.
If there is no RefCount entry in the folder, right-click anywhere in the right pane. Select New, then DWORD (32-bit) Value. Name it RefCount, double-click it and enter 0 in the value data.
In the same folder, double-click on the State entry and enter 0 in the Value Data field. If the State entry cannot be found in the folder, create a new DWORD (32-bit) Value and name it State. Then, enter 0 in the Value Data field.
Once you’ve completed all the steps above, close the registry editor, and restart your computer. Your computer should now be able to boot into Windows 10 or Windows 11 without the “User profile service failed the logon” error.
Solution 2: Create a new user account
If the above solution does not work, you can try creating a new user account. Follow these steps:
- Boot your computer into Safe Mode.
- Press the Windows key + X and select “Computer Management.”
- In the Computer Management window, go to “Local Users and Groups” > “Users.”
- Right-click on an empty space and select “New User.”
- Fill in the necessary information for the new user account, and make sure to select “Administrator” as the account type.
- Restart your computer, and log in using the newly created user account.
Solution 3: Perform a System Restore
If none of the solutions above work, you can try performing a System Restore. This will restore your computer to a previous state before the “User profile service failed the logon” error occurred. Here’s what you should do:
- Boot your computer into Safe Mode.
- Press the Windows key + X and select “System.”
- Click on “System Protection” in the left pane.
- Click on “System Restore.”
- Follow the on-screen instructions to choose a restore point and complete the restoration process.
Conclusion
Receiving the error message “User profile service failed the logon” or “User profile cannot be loaded” on Windows 10 or Windows 11 can be frustrating. However, the solutions mentioned above can help you fix the issue. Try restarting your computer first, and if that doesn’t work, proceed with editing the registry or creating a new user account. If all else fails, perform a System Restore.
