Encountering the User Profile Cannot Be Loaded error on Windows 10/11 stops you from accessing your desktops and files, often causing delays in our important tasks. Fortunately, In this guide, we have compiled several effective methods to resolve this issue in Windows and get your system back to normal functioning.
Why Can’t User Profile Be Loaded in Windows 10
Some of the most common causes of failed User Profile Service sign-in are:
- Corrupted system files
- Corrupt user data file (NTUSER.DAT).
- Improper Configuration of Permission Settings
- Improper registry settings.
- User Profile Service unable to start
Method 1: Boot PC in Safe Mode
Booting a PC in safe mode prevents many types of malicious software from running. Through this process, you can more effectively scan for and remove malicious programs that might be interfering with your user profile.
1. Open Settings, select Update & Security, and then, on the left pane click on Recovery.
2. Then, click on Restart now under Advanced startup.
Your system will restart and boot in the Windows Recovery Environment (RE).
3. Click on Troubleshoot > Advanced options and then in the new window, click on See more recovery options, followed by Startup Settings.
4. On the Startup Settings page, click on Restart.
5. You will see a window with boot options. Press the F4 or 4 key to start the PC in Safe Mode.
Method 2: Set PC to Normal Startup via MSCONFIG
Disabled Windows services can result in such errors. You can switch to normal setup mode to fix this.
1. Boot your PC into Safe Mode by following Method 1.
2. Press the Windows key + R to launch the Run dialog box.
3. Type msconfig in the text field and press Enter to open the System Configuration window.
4. Move to the General tab, select Normal startup under the Startup selection, and click Apply.
5. Move to the Services tab and select Enable all at the bottom of the window.
6. Click on Apply and OK and Restart your PC
Also Read: How to Download and Install Microsoft Copilot on Windows 10/11
Method 3: Restart User Profile Related Services
When user profile-related services encounter issues that affect the ability to log in, access files, or use certain applications. Restarting these services can help resolve these issues by resetting them to their default or functional state.
1. Press the Windows key + R to open Run command box
2. Type services.msc and hit Enter to open the Windows Services window.
3. Right-click on User Profile Service and select Restart from the drop-down menu that appears.
Wait for the service to restart and check if the issue is resolved.
Method 4: Reset Profile Folder Permissions
Improper configuration of profile permissions is another reason for the user profile cannot be loaded on Windows 10 or 11 issue. It often happens when users make haphazard changes to such settings.
1. Open the Default folder and select Properties.
2. Go to the Security tab and select Edit. Confirm that your PC has the following permission settings:
- Owner: SYSTEM
- Everyone: Read & execute
- SYSTEM: Full Control
- Administrators: Full Control
- Users: Read & execute
3. If not, then go to Advanced > Change Permissions.
4. Check the box for Replace all child object permission entries with inheritable permission entries from this object and click on OK.
This will reset the permissions on all nested files and folders.
Also Read: How to Download and Install Kdenlive on Windows 10
Method 5: Repair Corrupt System Files
If you encounter corrupt system files, you can utilize built-in tools to scan and repair them. Running the System File Checker (SFC) and DISM scans can help address issues like bad sectors and damaged files. To resolve The user profile cannot be loaded with Windows 10/11, follow our guide on How to Repair System Files on Windows 10.
Method 6: Replace the NTUSER.DAT
NTUSER.dat file saves user profile settings and preferences, which when becomes corrupt can lead to the user profile cannot be loaded on Windows 10 error. Now to fix it, you can replace the file.
1. Run Windows PowerShell as administrator.
2. Execute the following command to rename the existing NTUSER.DAT file in the profile directory of the affected user:
Rename-Item C:\Users\YOURUSERNAME\NTUSER.DAT NTUSER.DAT.BAK
3. Now execute this command to replace the NTUSER.DAT file with the file from the C:\Users\Default directory:
Copy-Item C:\Users\Default\NTUSER.DAT -Destination C:\Users\YOURUSERNAME\NTUSER.DAT -Force
4. Restart the PC and try to log in as the affected user.
Method 7: Perform System Restore
System Restore helps in resolving the user profile service failed to sign in or login issue by restoring your system to its previous state and eliminating the factors that may be contributing to it. Follow our guide on How to use System Restore on Windows 10.
Method 8: Create a New User Account
If none of the above solutions help in resolving the issue the last option is to create a new user account and copy all the valuable data from the old one to the new one.
1. Boot the PC in safe mode and then run Command Prompt as administrator.
2. Type the command: net user /add username and press Enter.
Note: Replace “username” with the account name you want.
3. Then, execute the command: net localgroup administrators username/add
4. Login with the new account to create the user profile folder.
5. Now, log in with the previous account in safe mode, copy the contents of the corrupt profile folder except for the NTUSER files, and paste them into the new profile folder.
6. Restart your PC and log in to the new account.
We hope our guide helped you fix the user profile cannot be loaded on the Windows 10 issue. If you have any queries or suggestions for us, do let us know in the comments section. Stay connected to Techclt for more troubleshooting guides.
