Unable to access sole user profile. Get logged in to temporary.

saywat · 20 Apr 2018

I only have one user account that I created on my computer which I don’t share with anyone. There is a guest account but it has been turned off for some time now.

A few days ago, after putting in my password to my account, I was greeted with completely different desktop. It reverted back to the default desktop! My files were missing as well. I had to dig around to find them under C:\Users\.

This has never happened to me before. I don’t know what caused this. Under Windows Updates, the only installation I see is MSE definition 1.265.707.0.

Event Viewer had the following errors:

Windows was unable to load the registry. This problem is often caused by insufficient memory or insufficient security rights.
DETAIL - The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process.
for C:\Users\MyAccount\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\\UsrClass.dat

Windows cannot load classes registry file.
DETAIL - The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process.

Windows was unable to load the registry. This problem is often caused by insufficient memory or insufficient security rights.
DETAIL - The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process.
for C:\Users\MyAccount\ntuser.dat

Windows cannot load the locally stored profile. Possible causes of this error include insufficient security rights or a corrupt local profile.
DETAIL - The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process.

Windows has backed up this user profile. Windows will automatically try to use the backup profile the next time this user logs on.

Windows cannot find the local profile and is logging you on with a temporary profile. Changes you make to this profile will be lost when you log off.

Regarding this: This problem is often caused by insufficient memory or insufficient security rights. I have 12 GB of RAM. This is a legit windows. The computer came with Vista installed and an upgrade CD for Windows 7.

Ran Full Scan on MSE and nothing came up.

Ran sfc /scannow got

Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.

Ran Chkdsk and selected both “Automatically fix file system errors box” and “Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors.” Log is attached. I believe everything looks good…unless I missed something.

I’d like to get back my profile just as it was. Your help is appreciated.

Snick · 20 Apr 2018

Hi saywat,

Do you have a restore point prior to your issues?
I presume you don't have a recent system image, or backup.

Potkan007 · 21 Apr 2018

Hello,
I have the same problem with my customer's computer and can't solve it. Also Windows 7 HP 64bit and after update, the computer was unable to load user profile and had used a temporary one.
I have read it could be caused by Windows Defender (didn't help to disable), then that it could be caused by some Windows processes loading too late and the solution was supposed to be adding password to the account. Nothing worked. I have tried two days old restore point, that worked for three days, then the customer called me, that Windows updated itself and he has the same problem again.
For now, I am only able to access the normal profile once this way:
Go to regedit, open HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/Windows NT/CurrentVersion/ProfileList. There will be two identical profile names, one with ".bak" and one without. Delete the one without, delete ".bak" extension from the other one and restart your computer. This way, it boots up normally, but just once. After next restart, new temporary profile will be generated.

"Solution" is to boot your computer this way once and then use sleep mode instead of power off and on. Now I'm trying to find a real solution, but it seems nobody knows. If you find out something, please let me know.

Snick · 21 Apr 2018

@Potkan007,

Do you have a restore point prior to your issues?
I presume you don't have a recent system image, or backup

Here's a Vistax64 tutorial, which should work with Win7, authored by Shawn Brink:
User Accounts User Profile Error - Logged on with a Temporary Profile

If either OP on this thread, or others with same issue, has a problem understanding or executing Brinks instructions, by all means, post your problem area and I'll walk you through it. Not a problem with me EVER, that's why we're here, to assist others.

saywat · 21 Apr 2018

Snick,

System Restore didn't work.
I found a restore point from before this issue when I checked “show more restore points." I selected it and it did its thing. When the computer rebooted, it brought me back to the temporary profile and there was no pop up explaining what happened with the system restore.
I opened System Restore and now it said there were no restore points available.
I booted into Safe Mode and there I got

System Restore did not complete successfully.
Details: System Restore could not access a file
error 0x80070005

I paraphrased that.
Next, I tried running System Restore from the Windows Repair Disk but again, there wasn't anything available to restore.
Finally, I created a new restore point in hopes that I would be able to access “show more restore points" but when checking that, no other points were available when before, there were various. So very unfortunate.

I have a months old backup. I unfortunately didn't do a backup in the past couple months.

Potkan007 and Snick,

I don't see any .bak under ProfileList. Check out the pic I attached to see what's listed. Am I not seeing something or is something actually missing?

saywat · 21 Apr 2018

New issue :/

I was trying to backup as much as I could from C:\User\myusername when my computer froze. I force restarted and when I tried to resume copying files over to my external drive, nothing happened. I tried multiple times but nothing.

I thought that maaaaybe there was an issue with MSE ::shrugs:: so I attempted to open that but I got this

These files can't be opened
Your Internet security setting prevent one or more files from being opened

I tried opening other programs just to see what would happen but I got the same error. Control panel, explorer windows all open just fine but I don't know what is going on with the programs.

I didn't make any changes besides making hidden files visible. Right after typing that, I went into Folder Options > View out of curiosity and Advanced Setting is blank. It's just a white box.

I tried restarting to see if it would fix itself but nope.

What in the world is going on!?!?

Snick · 21 Apr 2018

Sounds like your HDD is taking a dump.
Your issue with not being able to open other programs may be a file association error & can also be attributed to HDD failing.

Have you run chkdsk /r from administrative command prompt?
Click

, searchbox type cmd, right-click > run as administrator
copy and paste bold italic text with mouse (not ctrl +v) ctrl + c will copy but ctr + v doesn't work in cmd
You have to click yes to restart your computer
If you have numerous errors, I'd run a drive check
SeaTools for Window
SeaTools GUI, click your drive checkbox, hover mouse on basic test, run SMART, run Short Test, if either or both fail, backup your drive with full system image, to your external hard drive.

Recommendations for 3rd party backup utility AOMEI backupper free, or Macrium Reflect free, both excellent programs. I use AOMEI (simple GUI).
If you have access to another computer, download AOMEI and create rescue disk Utilities > Create Bootable Media > Windows PE unless your Linux proficient. You can create USB loads faster, or CD/DVD. You can use a CD because WinPE is less than 750 MB.
On ailing PC, insert USB, or CD/DVD, press start button, immediately begin pressing either F2 or F12, depends on your computer. If it's not either, process of elimination with F keys (all manufactures choose their own F key functions)

Choose your install media and it should boot to AOMEI

Here's a video on AOMEI, it's from within windows but same steps apply choose origin, choose destination.
Brian Britec Computers Easy Way to Create System Image Backup

saywat · 22 Apr 2018

Snick, thanks for your help. I had ran chkdsk already but I did it through C drive properties and I selected both “Automatically fix file system errors box” and “Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors.” The log is above. 0 KB in bad sectors.

I have Seatools for DOS and ran the Short Test after reading your post. The hdd passed.

Potkan007 · 22 Apr 2018

Snick,
I have a restore point prior to problems as I wrote in my first post. That helped for three days, then the computer installed updates and acted the same way as before.
The manual to fix temporary profile from registry works only once. After reboot, user is logged in normally, after next is logged into temporary profile again.

gobbetto · 22 Apr 2018

This started to happen to me a couple of weeks ago; at first I thought it was just a temporary glitch of the computer since I rebooted and the desktop was fine again.
Next time it was broken and it kept on staying like that even if using a linux disk I could see all my previous settings and files being there.

After a few tests searching for HD failure or viruses of any sorts without any findings, I decided to go back and install an image I did when everything was fine and since then I am a happy camper. I just had to reinstall a bunch of programs and updates since the image was several months old, no big deal.