'User profile cannot be loaded' message. Help please.

archieboy

My husband's desktop computer is giving him the following error message when he tries to enter his log on password.

'The User Profile service failed the log on. User profile cannot be loaded.'

He has tried switching the computer off then on again but the same message appears.

He has recently had the computer updated from Windows XP to Windows 7 at the computer shop and it has been working ok for over a week.

We are a pair of pensioners who know very little about computers except sending emails and doing the odd bit of shopping on Amazon so if anyone can help I'm afraid it will have to be in very simple to understand instructions. Thank you for any help you can give.

Gillor

If you have alternative access to the internet there is a useful video detailing how to deal with this problem here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEyxD6ZG-jI

The only danger is that if if you are not too confident in altering registry settings you could end up losing files or worse, so it's always best to do a hard disk or important file back up first - or to get someone with a bit more experience to do it for you.

rizla_king

I would take it back to the shop who did the upgrade if you are not sure what you are doing.

kwikbreaks

A search suggests that this is a common problem although I've never seen it.

Here is page suggesting how to fix it. The way to get in appears to be by using safe mode as described - http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/how-to/windows/3495216/how-fix-corrupt-user-profile-in-windows-7-vista/

There is a windows knowledge base article too - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/947215

rizla_king

Or call for the grandchildren if you have them. They probably know more about computers than the shop.

NiftyDigits

Does this computer have a brand name and model number?

Miró

I had this problem a while back and received some very useful advice from peeps on here

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4816705=

In the end I did a factory restore but it was an old pooter with loads of junk that needed clearing out anyway.

GunJack

it is a quite common problem...follow kwikbreaks' links for how to solve it

archieboy

Thanks for all your help and the links to instructions for correcting this problem. Hubby has managed, after a bit of hair pulling, to get it sorted.