Can't Log-On to User Account

[ZeeOSix]

Problem is on a laptop with Visa operating system. Two user accounts on the laptop. Can get into one user account OK, but can't get into the other.

When trying to log-on to the user account that's messed up, get the following message.

"The user profile service failed the log-on. User profile can't be loaded."

When "OK" is chosen to the above message, screen takes you back to the user accounts.

Any ideas on what the issue is and how to fix it?

 

[ZeeOSix]

Also, the user account that can't be logged in to is the main (administrative) account.

Possibly virus related? If so, how can I scan with something like Malwarebytes off a USB drive?

 

[Garak]

My Windows knowledge is a bit dated, but if it were me, I'd put the appropriate tools on a USB stick (on a safe computer) and then boot into the troublesome computer through safe mode and see if you can accomplish something that way.

Actually, if it were me, I'd wipe the whole thing and put Linux on it, or at least attempt to effect repairs from a Linux LiveCD, but that's another story altogether.

 

[Tegger]

Originally Posted By: ZeeOSix
"The user profile service failed the log-on. User profile can't be loaded."

You aren't running one of the Norton AV/Security programs, are you? I've found it to be common for profiles to get corrupted when Norton is installed. You can get the corrupted profile's files back, but not easily.

 

[Tegger]

Originally Posted By: ZeeOSix
Possibly virus related? If so, how can I scan with something like Malwarebytes off a USB drive?

If you suspect a virus, it's most effective to remove the drive from the affected machine, and temporarily install it as a slave on a known-clean machine with your AV program on it.

Slaving the drive means any infection can't protect its files or interfere with the AV's actions. But it also means you need to do a re-scan afterwards with the drive back in its own machine, so that the registry can be scanned. And that means two AV installations.

It's also not too difficult to at least disable many infections manually. Most infections will leave recent files in certain known locations, like the root C: drive, the system32 folder, and so on. You can search the Registry for mentions of the files you find.

However, if you have a Norton security program installed, suspect that first as a cause of a corrupted profile, before suspecting an infection.

 

[ZeeOSix]

Originally Posted By: Tegger
Originally Posted By: ZeeOSix
"The user profile service failed the log-on. User profile can't be loaded."

You aren't running one of the Norton AV/Security programs, are you? I've found it to be common for profiles to get corrupted when Norton is installed. You can get the corrupted profile's files back, but not easily.


If this is the case, how could I get the corrupted profile back, and how can I tell the profile is actually corrupted?

 

[BearZDefect]

It's worth checking that the hard disk isn't having trouble.

And I agree with Garak's suggestion to scan that hard disk for malware from a separate healthy operating system.

Like Tegger, I have seen anti-virus programs cause this problem. It seemed that, after some update, the A-V program takes upon itself to load all the user profiles (maybe to scan them for something), but then fails to release them all. So, when some users try to log on, Windows cannot load their profile. To be more specific, Windows log on cannot load their user registry file because the A-V program has a file lock on it.

If you have another administrative user that can log on, then you could log on with this user, then either fully disable (if you can) or uninstall the third party anti-virus software, then reboot. Hopefully that solves it, but if my suspicion is wrong, you'll be annoyed that you spent that time for nothing.

Even if that works, sometimes Windows will have already created new clean profile folders for afflicted users, so you have more work (registry editing or file copying) to restore the old profiles.

 

[Tegger]

Originally Posted By: ZeeOSix
If this is the case, how could I get the corrupted profile back, and how can I tell the profile is actually corrupted?

See this Microsoft Support page:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/947215

 

[ZeeOSix]

Here's my confusion on this problem after reading the Microsoft Support link given above by Tegger (thanks!).

Seems in order for me to go in and correct this, I will need Administrative rights - or possibly boot up in Safe Mode (??). The User Account that I can not log on to is the Admin User account. I don't think the one (1) Guest account on the laptop has any Admin rights. How can I quickly tell if the Guest account has Admin rights or not?

The Microsoft Support link above specifically says:
"When you log on to a Windows 7-based or a Windows Vista-based computer by using a temporary profile, you receive the following error message: The User Profile Service failed the logon. User profile cannot be loaded."

What do they mean by "a temporary profile"?

So I guess I don't know how to handle this for the main Administrative User's profile ... the MS Support article never seems to specifically address that situation.

 

[Tegger]

Originally Posted By: ZeeOSix
The User Account that I can not log on to is the Admin User account. I don't think the one (1) Guest account on the laptop has any Admin rights. How can I quickly tell if the Guest account has Admin rights or not?

The Guest Account cannot have Admin rights. And forget about that "temporary" thing you read.

Log on as the user that is still good. Hopefully that user is an Admin-type user and not a Standard-type user.

Go to Start > Control Panel > User Accounts. Do you have a choice there that reads something like, "Manage Another Account"?
Somehow you ought to be able to add a new account, which you would set to be of the "Administrator" type. After that you transfer the files from the corrupted profile to the new profile.

If Norton is installed, you may want to try uninstalling it. Sometimes that un-breaks the damaged profile.

 

[ZeeOSix]

Originally Posted By: Tegger

Log on as the user that is still good. Hopefully that user is an Admin-type user and not a Standard-type user.


I don't think the 2nd account (probably a guest account) has admin rights, but I haven't checked yet (it's my girlfriend's laptop and don't have access right now).

So, If the only Admin account is the one I can't log on to, then what? How do I fix a corrupted Admin User profile with no Admin rights?

 

[ZeeOSix]

More info ... sorry guys, I haven't had to try and fix a computer problem like this for years.

I was reading about the different type of User Accounts, and there are 3 types: Administator, Standard and Guest.

I think the sencond account is a Standard account, meaning an Admin password will be asked for if doing Admin functions on either account. Only problem is the girlfriend can't remember her Admin password - she tried in front of me a few days ago when the window popped asking asking for the Admin password, so it did recognized her as Admin by the User Name. She never does Admin functions on this laptop.

 

[Tegger]

Originally Posted By: ZeeOSix
I think the sencond account is a Standard account, meaning an Admin password will be asked for if doing Admin functions on either account. Only problem is the girlfriend can't remember her Admin password - she tried in front of me a few days ago when the window popped asking asking for the Admin password, so it did recognized her as Admin by the User Name. She never does Admin functions on this laptop.

Does she remember ever actually setting up a password? There is no default password. Try logging in WITHOUT TYPING ANYTHING. Just hit Enter.

What is the exact, precise name of this "Admin" account?

 

[ZeeOSix]

Originally Posted By: Tegger
Originally Posted By: ZeeOSix
I think the sencond account is a Standard account, meaning an Admin password will be asked for if doing Admin functions on either account. Only problem is the girlfriend can't remember her Admin password - she tried in front of me a few days ago when the window popped asking asking for the Admin password, so it did recognized her as Admin by the User Name. She never does Admin functions on this laptop.

Does she remember ever actually setting up a password? There is no default password. Try logging in WITHOUT TYPING ANYTHING. Just hit Enter.


She can't remember. An old boyfriend bought her the laptop a few years ago and he might have set up the accounts then. Just to be clear, this is not a log-in password for the User Account, but rather the pop-up window that asks for the Administrator password when Visa is trying to do an Admin function when she's in the Secondary Account setup for her son.

She use to be able to just click on her User Account icon and go right in until this user profile error message (quoted in my first post) showed up a few days ago.

I can try just hitting Enter when the pop-up occurs asking for the Admin password and see what happens.

Originally Posted By: Tegger

What is the exact, precise name of this "Admin" account?


It's her first and last name. I saw that when the password pop-up happened while she was in her son's account. This was after she showed me that she could no longer get into her account. BTW, she has rebooted many times on this laptop and she still can't get into her own account.

 

[Tegger]

Originally Posted By: ZeeOSix
I can try just hitting Enter when the pop-up occurs asking for the Admin password and see what happens.

Do that first, and report back here as to what happens.

 

[ZeeOSix]

Originally Posted By: Tegger
Originally Posted By: ZeeOSix
I can try just hitting Enter when the pop-up occurs asking for the Admin password and see what happens.

Do that first, and report back here as to what happens.


OK, will do ... it won't be for a couple days since I don't have access to her laptop until we get together.

Thanks to all for the help.

 

[ZeeOSix]

Update - first of all, when in the usable account on this laptop and the pop-up appears asking for an Admin Password, if I hit the OK/Continue button with the password box blank, it does continue as if there is no Admin Password setup.

Second, I was directed to this Microsoft Support link by another chat board, and to try Method 3 the "Fix it" method to see if it would fix the problem. I ran "Fix it" from the other functioning user account, and it did not fix the issue for the other user account.

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

So, not progress made on this problem so far. Any other ideas?

 

[ZeeOSix]

Would this be worth a try (link below)? if the corrupted user account is an Admin Account, can I create a new Admin Account or will it have to be a Standard Account? Would be doing this from the working Standard Account, unless there is another way.

Seems doing this will at least let the user get full access to their files, etc if a new account is created and everything from the corrupted account is copied over to the new account. Correct?

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/Fix-a-corrupted-user-profile