Solved The User Profile Service service failed the logon

I was installing Dragon Naturally Speaking V 10 standard. The install stalled at 95% complete and I cancelled it after an hour or so. After that, I noticed my windows and programs (most of them) had stopped, as well. I tried to shutdown, but the PC seemed to "log off" for 15 minutes so I gave up and turned the PC off manually. When I turned it back on, I got the usual login boxes and tried to log in as I normally do as the administrator. To my surprise, I got a refusal...the message, "The User Profile Service service failed the logon. User profile cannot be loaded." So my usual admin password didn't work.

I moved to another user login box and "got in", so to speak, that way. What I now find, (or think I find) is that the user I am now doesn't have access to all of the files that I could access as the administrator. (I can't see files that I was working on and could see before the crash.) Furthermore, I'm uneasy with the double "service" term in the message above. The extra "service" reminds me of careless text that I sometimes see in phishing scams. Maybe it's not a problem; I don't know.

Anyway, I seem to be having trouble following troubleshooting procedures as I am no longer administrating and some procedures seem to require the admin password. My admin password, apparently, has somehow been changed.

What to do?

Thanks in advance.

What I would do in that situation.... Throw in my Windows disc and start over. Could take a lot less time than fixing everything up.

Do you have any backup images? You could have this resolved in 10 minutes that way.

There are alot more knowledgeable people on these boards than me, so lets hang out a bit and get a few recommendations.

Have you tried a System Restore to a previous date?

Backup images?

Etune,

Not sure. I have an external hard drive that backs me up once a week. I saw something that said I could make a restore disc (didn't get one with the PC purchase from HP), but somehow wasn't able to do that. I saw multiple ways to do that, and didn't try all of them, but somehow this PC seems to shun me now that it doesn't see me as an administrator.

Regarding doing a "restore", if it's anything like flattening a hard drive and reinstalling windows, I would rather not, if possible. I fear it would take too long to get back to where I was earlier today.

I see several pages of remedies to the dropped profile thing, but I'm not sure which of those remedies I should try to use.

I'll see if we can get some more help with this. Just hang around a bit. Then when you're all fixed up we'll talk about imaging.

Hi! dubina, welcome to 7F

Sounds like for whatever reason your install of dragonfly corrupted your admin account.

You seem adept at creating user accounts, so create a new Admin to how you like it, and if it works okay, delete the old one.


You will have to enter safe mode to do this.

EDIT:
You can change a regular account to an administrator account:
But be very careful of the warnings!
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/103538-user-account-type-change.html

Hello Dubina, and welcome to Seven Forums.

You could use the tutorial below to try and fix this user profile error.

The User Profile Service failed the logon. User profile cannot be loaded. - Vista Forums

If not, then you could use Option Two in the tutorial below to create a System Repair Disc to be able to use to do a System Restore at boot with using a restore point dated before you got this error.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2083-system-repair-disc-create.html

Hope this helps,
Shawn

Repair disc question

Hi Shawn,

I tried to create a system repair disc (gave a shot and was somehow defeated). Any chance you have to be an administrator to do that?

Also, what will happen to my files (created or modified just before the crash) if I do make a repair disk and use it?

Dubina,

Yeah, you will need to be logged in as an administrator. You could try step 2 in the STEP ONE section in the tutorial below to be able to log into the built-in Administrator account to do this.

The User Profile Service failed the logon. User profile cannot be loaded. - Vista Forums

Brink, another question:

Once I recover administator status, what will happen if I try to set up Dragon again? In other words, do installs that corrupt user profiles tend to be specific to those installs, or was my problem likely due to some random ghost in my machine? I think you probably don't know for sure (but maybe) but would offer an opinion. No sense going down that road twice if it leads to the same place.

Also wondering how to find the date and time of my last restore point. I have some files that I don't want to lose if I can possibly avoid losing them.

You could try and setup a new administrator account to use instead to see if you get the error for it as well. However, if you wish to try and fix your old user account, then you may wish to try the tutorial while logged in the built-in Administrator account to see if you may be able to.

While doing a System Restore, you'll easily see the dates of each restore point. Step 7 in Method One in the tutorial below can show you more on this though.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/700-system-restore.html

I went into safe mode and (I think) got into a default administrator situation. Then, when I tried to mess around with the old administrator status/password/name/etc. it kept asking me for the old password as a prelude to change. I gave it the old password, but now, if the old password is corrupt, the old password that I gave it that (was) right must look like a wrong password. What a mess.

OK, still hoping to make some changes in the user account area. Tell me what to do.

I see seven possible things to mess with, as follows:

1. Change Password. But I have to put in the old admin password which now doesn't seem to work. In that case, how to change it?

2. Remove Password. That would seem to fix my problem, but Windows cautions me not to do it. What would happen if I did do it? Could I subsequently add back my old password or is the administrator naked forever or something worse after I remove what is in there now?

3. Change Picture No point in doing that so far as I can tell.

4. Change Account Name I could not. This option seems to be protected from change by a little yellow and blue shield icon.

5. Change Account Type. Same as 4. above.

6. Manage another Account No dice; same as 4. above.

7. Change User Account Control Settings Same as 4 above.

What are the shield icons telling me? Any workarounds here?

Thanks,

Dubina,

After you enabled the built-in Administrator account while in Safe Mode, were you able to log off in Safe Mode, and then log on to the built-in Administrator account to then actually logon with that account in Safe Mode?

After this, you should be able to have full access to everything to either try and fix your old user account with the error, or to create a system repair disc in to do a system restore at boot.

Brink, let me parse your question and tell you what happened:

"After you enabled the built-in Administrator account while in Safe Mode" ...

I assume you mean "After you opened in Safe Mode, clicked on the old admin login icon and gave it the old password". That's what I did. Windows didn't seem to mind the old password; it was "preparing my desktop"...not shutting me out as before with the title error message.

So, did I enable the built-in Administrator account?

After I did that, I went back to the Start Menu and shutdown the PC (was that the same as "logging off"?)

Then I restarted again in Safe Mode, logged in to the old Admin icon with the old password as before. Again, Windows didn't seem to mind: no error message. Did I log in to that account? I think probably not...because I got the same results as before ... for example, the same 4 of 7 action items protected by security shields.

I may be doing something wrong to get to the built-in admin account and then use it to reset the password. The user change thing seems like it should be easy to do, but it's not.

******

More failure and confusion

How to Enable or Disable the Windows 7 Built-in Administrator Account

(Using OPTION TWO)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Through an Elevated Command Prompt

NOTE: This option can be used in all editions of Windows 7.
Step 1. Open an elevated command prompt. (by doing this)

2. Open the Start Menu.

3. Click on All Programs and Accessories, then right click on Command Prompt and click on Run as administrator. (See screenshot below)

3a. If you are in an administrator account and get a log in prompt after doing any of the above steps, then click on the Cancel button and repeat the above step again. This will only do this for the very first time you try to open an elevated command prompt in Windows 7.

My note: I opened my account years ago in Windows XP and I thought my (only) user account was also my administrator account. Now, when I click “Run as administrator” per procedure above, windows opens to my old/original user’s account and wants a password. Following item 3a above, I look for a Cancel button. But there is no Cancel button, only a box for “yes” or a box for “no”. I seem to fail at this point.

But…I am not in Safe Mode at this point. So far as I can tell, these instructions don’t call for me to be in Safe Mode. Should I be in Safe Mode?

3b. If you are in a standard account, then you will need to type in the administrator's password to elevate the command prompt.

My note: the box for “yes” or the box for “no” also appears if the situation is 3b rather than 3a...in other words, no Cancel button.

Step 2. To Enable the Hidden Built-In Administrator Account (Step 2 afterOpening an elevated command prompt)

A) In the elevated command prompt, type
net user administrator /active: yes and press Enter. (See screenshot below)

B) Go to step 4.

4. Close the elevated command prompt.

5. Log off, and you will now see the built-in Administrator account log on icon added (enabled) or removed (disabled) from the log on screen. (See screenshot below)

NOTE: Click on the Administrator icon to log on to the built-in Administrator account.

Dubina,

Unles the user icon you selected had the user name of exactly Administrator, then you did not enable the built-in Administratror account. Please see the tutorial below for more on this.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/507-built-administrator-account-enable-disable.html

Following the tutorial, but more failure and confusion

How to Enable or Disable the Windows 7 Built-in Administrator Account

(Using OPTION TWO)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Through an Elevated Command Prompt

NOTE: This option can be used in all editions of Windows 7.
Step 1. Open an elevated command prompt. (by doing this)

2. Open the Start Menu.

3. Click on All Programs and Accessories, then right click on Command Prompt and click on Run as administrator. (See screenshot below)

3a. If you are in an administrator account and get a log in prompt after doing any of the above steps, then click on the Cancel button and repeat the above step again. This will only do this for the very first time you try to open an elevated command prompt in Windows 7.

My note: I opened my account years ago in Windows XP and I thought my (only) user account was also my administrator account. Now, when I click “Run as administrator” per procedure above, windows opens to my old/original user’s account and wants a password. Following item 3a above, I look for a Cancel button. But there is no Cancel button, only a box for “yes” or a box for “no”. I seem to fail at this point.

But…I am not in Safe Mode at this point. So far as I can tell, these instructions don’t call for me to be in Safe Mode. Should I be in Safe Mode?

3b. If you are in a standard account, then you will need to type in the administrator's password to elevate the command prompt.

My note: the box for “yes” or the box for “no” also appears if the situation is 3b rather than 3a...in other words, no Cancel button.

Step 2. To Enable the Hidden Built-In Administrator Account (Step 2 afterOpening an elevated command prompt)

A) In the elevated [COLOR=#0072bc !important][COLOR=#0072bc !important]command [COLOR=#0072bc !important]prompt[/COLOR][/COLOR], type [/COLOR]
net user administrator /active: yes and press Enter. (See screenshot below)

B) Go to step 4.

4. Close the elevated command prompt.

5. Log off, and you will now see the built-in Administrator account log on icon added (enabled) or removed (disabled) from the log on screen. (See screenshot below)

NOTE: Click on the Administrator icon to log on to the built-in Administrator account.
Last edited by dubina; 12 Hours Ago at 01:23 AM..

Dubina,

I was under the impression that you are not able to log in to an adminsitrator account to be able to repair your user profile error.

If this is the case, I was just instructing you to boot into SAFE MODE to be able to enable the "built-in Administrator" account, then log in to it since you cannot do this in a "Standard" user account if it will not accept your original administrator account's password.

Brink, sorry for the confusion. I haven't seen an administrator's account (named as such) on the new PC or the old XP for years. I thought (a) I was the administrator, (b) my (named) account was the admin account and (c) the admin account was corrupt since I couldn't log in to it anymore.

What I get is that I do have to boot to Safe Mode before I take steps to enable the Windows 7 Built-in Administrator Account. I will do that before doing the steps under Option 2 above.

Brink,

OK, I enabled the Administrator account, logged out and restarted in normal mode.

Saw new Administrator icon and logged in.

Then I saw an opportunity to change / reestablish my old password in my old user account...that I previously thought was an admin account. (By the way, the icon for that account says it is an admin account, which I suspected as I have reported here.)

I wanted to do that, presummably....hopefully, to get back to where I was before the crash.

When I put in the old password (that earlier had not worked because I got the User Profile error, presummably because the software install had corrupted something) in the old user account, Windows told me if I made that change, I would lose all my password related internet stuff for that account...presummably, because I was changing the password for that account. Seeing a problem, I stopped what I was doing.

If that password / profile is messed up so that I can't open it with the old password, then how can I retain and access the structure that Windows tells me I will lose if I change the password? Is Windows telling me in effect that I've lost that structure (and by "that structure", I assume it's talking about my affiliations with other forums, websites, professional organizations, etc.) because something is messed up in that particular user account and changing the password to that account in an effort to "fix it" would destroy my preexisting credentials and affiliations? I can't sign in to that account with the old password, and I can't access the structure if I change the password? What a mess.

Moreover, when I was locked out of Windows 7 by my profile problem, I got in through another (standard) account. In that account, I thought I couldn't see files that I could see as an administrator before the crash. If I change the password for my old (admin) user account or try to reinstate the old password by "changing" it, will I have access to those other files that I couldn't see when I logged in under the standard account?

And what about my Window updates and other automatic online updates? If I change / reinstate that password, will my updates be terminated? I am led to wonder at the extent of my injury. That, in turn, leads me to wonder if a system restore might not be easier and best afterall in more ways than one.

What do you think?

Again, I don't quite know what I'm doing and I hope you can advise me what to make of this.

Oh my. I think you have this all confused. Your password is not the main issue here.

The main issue is the "User profile error" and getting that sorted first to se if you may be able to gain access to your account again afterwards. After we get this sorted, we'll see if you may need to change your password or not.

Now that you are logged into the built-in "Administratror" account, see if you may be able to do a system restore using a restore point dated before you were trying to install Dragon Naturally Speaking and when you got this error. Hopefully it will be able to undo and fix this error for you afterwards.