Monday, August 18, 2025

How to Fix “User Profile Service Failed the Logon” Error in Windows 7

 









 Introduction:

If you try logging into your Windows 7 user account and receive this message:

“The User Profile Service failed the logon. User profile cannot be loaded.”

… don’t panic. This usually happens due to a corrupted user profile or registry issue. Here's a full step-by-step guide to fix it.

What Causes This Error?

  • Improper shutdown or system crash

  • Corrupted user profile data

  • Profile is misconfigured in the registry

  • Antivirus software is interfering with user settings

Step-by-Step Solutions

Solution 1: Fix the Registry (Recommended)

  1. Boot into Safe Mode:

    • Restart your PC.

    • Press F8 before the Windows logo appears.

    • Choose Safe Mode.

  2. Once logged in (preferably with an Admin account), press Win + R, type regedit, and hit Enter.

  3. Navigate to this registry path:

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList

  4. You’ll see several folders starting with S-1-5 followed by long numbers. Look for two similar entries:

    • One ends with .bak

    • One without .bak

  5. Rename the folders:

    • Right-click the folder without .bak → Rename → add .ba to the end.

    • Right-click the folder with .bak → Rename → remove .bak.

  6. Now, rename the one with .ba → add .bak at the end.

    Example:

    • S-1-5-21-... → S-1-5-21-... .ba

    • S-1-5-21-... .bak → S-1-5-21-...

    • S-1-5-21-... .ba → S-1-5-21-... .bak

  7. Click the folder now named without .bak and ensure the values:

    • State = 0

    • RefCount = 0 (if it exists)

  8. Close the Registry Editor and restart the computer.

Solution 2: Create a New User and Transfer Files

If the profile is too corrupted to recover:

  1. Boot into Safe Mode with Networking.

  2. Create a new local user:

    • Go to Control Panel > User Accounts > Manage another account.

    • Click Create a new account → Give it admin rights.

  3. Restart and log into the new user account.

  4. Copy files from the corrupted profile:

    • Go to C:\Users\OldUsername

    • Copy documents, desktop, downloads, etc. into the new user’s folder.

Solution 3: System Restore

  1. Boot into Safe Mode.

  2. Go to Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > System Restore.

  3. Choose a restore point before the issue occurred.

  4. Follow the wizard to restore the system.