Fix Corrupted User Profile on Windows

Before you begin

Match the environmentUse this guide only for Windows 10, Windows 11 or a clearly compatible setup.

Protect recoveryBack up important data and save encryption or account recovery keys before changing system state.

Know when to stopThis guide includes advanced changes. If the device contains irreplaceable data or belongs to an employer, stop and use a qualified technician.

Problem overview

Windows fails to load your personal settings, desktop background, and files upon login. Instead, you see an error message stating “You’ve been signed in with a temporary profile,” and any changes you make disappear upon reboot.

Common causes

Improper shutdowns interrupting profile registry writes
Corrupted NTUSER.DAT file within the user folder
Antivirus software locking profile files during login
Failing hard drive creating bad sectors in the user directory

Solution 1: Fix the registry ProfileList

Press Win + R, type regedit, and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.
Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList.
Look for a folder starting with S-1-5 followed by a long number, ending with .bak. This is your original profile.
You may see a duplicate folder with the exact same name but without the .bak extension. Rename this active folder by appending .old to it.
Rename the .bak folder by deleting the .bak extension.
Select this renamed folder, locate the State and RefCount keys in the right pane, and change both values to 0.
Close Registry Editor and restart your computer.

Expert Tip

If the registry fix fails, you must proceed to create a completely new profile and migrate your data.

Solution 2: Create a new local administrator account

If you cannot access settings normally, open an elevated Command Prompt by searching cmd, right-clicking, and selecting Run as administrator.
Run the following command to create a new user:
```
net user NewAccountName /add
```

Grant the new account administrator privileges:

net localgroup administrators NewAccountName /add

Sign out of your current temporary profile and sign into the new account to finalize its creation.

Solution 3: Copy data to the new profile

Log into your new administrator account.
Open File Explorer and navigate to C:\Users\.
Open the folder of your corrupted profile (e.g., C:\Users\OldProfile).
Copy all folders (Documents, Desktop, Downloads, Pictures, etc.). Do not copy any hidden files like NTUSER.DAT.
Paste the data into the corresponding folders of your new profile directory.

Solution 4: Run system file checker

Open an elevated Command Prompt.
Run the deployment image servicing tool to fix component store corruption:
```
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
```
Run the system file checker to repair critical OS files:
```
sfc /scannow
```

Critical

Do not move your files directly onto the desktop of a temporary profile. When you reboot, the temporary profile is deleted entirely, destroying any data saved within it. Always migrate data to a permanent account.

Confirm the result

Repeat the exact action that originally triggered the problem.

Confirm the original error or symptom is gone and no new warning has appeared.

If the guide changed a driver, service, package, or system setting, restart once and test again.

If the result is worse or unexpected, stop. Reverse only the last change using its documented restore option; if none is documented, use your backup or qualified support.

Questions about this fix

Will I lose my files if my profile is corrupted?

Your files are usually safe on the hard drive, but Windows cannot load the registry hive needed to display your desktop.

Why did Windows create a temporary profile?

Windows creates a temporary profile as a fallback to allow basic access when it cannot read your primary NTUSER.DAT file.