Windows 7: Preparing your desktop....C:\Windows\system32\config\systemprofile\Desktop refers to a location that is unavailable.

Anonymous

C:\Windows\system32\config\systemprofile\Desktop refers to a location that is unavailable.

This problem occours after a reboot but does not happen with any rhym or rhythm (seems random). Login screen appears, im the only user, my pic and user name appear correctly, i type my password and hit enter, then it gets wierd, it says that it is preparing my desktop; But this is not the first time for logging in. then when i do log in its a new desktop everyting default plus the windows aero is shut off and replaced with the Windows classic theme. then i get the message in the taskbar..... Your user profile was not loaded correctly! You have been logged on with a temporary profile. Changes you make to this profile will be lost when you log off. Please see the event log for details or contact your system administrator. Event viewer revals nothing related to this issue that i could find. Only 3 occourances of this so far. I am operaing Windows 7 Professional 64 bit. I have only seen one other mention of this elseware after a google search but was during RC version I have version 6.1.7600 build 7600 and am having this problem rumors are that it happens with Symantec Endpoint Protection installed which i do I have, Version 11.0.5002.333 which is the latest build update and was created for windows 7 compatibility. SEP Logs reveal nothing abnormal besides files that could not be scanned once but did not mention the above file location. Just wanting to see if anyone else has been having this problem.

Also I believe this to happen after a remote desktop connection either to or from the client pc then a reboot or a shut down.

Mentioned here in brief http://www.xiirus.net/articles/article-windows-7-preparing-your-desktop-woe-mbp3t.aspx

and here in vista http://www.xiirus.net/articles/article-vista-your-user-profile-was-not-loaded-correctly-cuu82.aspx < i do notice in the screenshot here that SEP is installed on that computer

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Anonymous

I don't know if this is going to be of any help, but here's a situation I ran into recently that I hope gets you closer to the solution.

Brief History

While testing out a new Win 7 image build, I had to make numerous changes to default user profile and default user hive to make the necessary adjustments that should only happen once per user. However, once I logged on, tested and made any additional adjustment(s), I couldn't just log out and back on because the profile was already created. I would need to start from scratch.

Like we currently do in Win XP, I deleted my existing profile and left it at that. On subsequent logons however I noticed that my changes weren't 'coming down' and adjustments I made to the profile weren't sticking. It was at that point I realized I was logging on with a temporary profile.

SolutionIn my case I not only had to delete (or rename) my user profile, but I also had to go into the registry and remove/rename the profile SID (well I think its the SID, or user GUID of some sort) for the profile I deleted.

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList
Look at each SID/GUID
Check the ProfileImagePath to confirm you've selected the proper SID/GUID
Once you have the right one, delete the key or rename it (like append .BAK to the name)

Once I deleted the profile, all worked well again.

Now for you, I know that removing or renaming your profile may not be the most desirable solution, but if you try the suggestion above, or simply create a new account, it should help isolate where the problem lies.

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Anonymous

2011-10-25T19:04:41+00:00

I had the same thing on two out of the three computers running windows 7. the two that would have this problem ran the symantec endpoint protection. After i changed my antivirus, the Preparing the desktop problems stopped.
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Anonymous

2011-10-16T01:57:50+00:00

Hey, I know this is old, but i had this problem and i just created another user with that account, then logged off, logged in with the new user, and then clicked switched accounts and logged back in in the old one and it worked.
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Anonymous

2011-09-22T12:51:27+00:00

I realize these posts are old but if it helps someone else out

Login Error

C:\Windows\System32\Config\Systemprofile\Desktop refers to a location that is unavailable

ALSO HAD

Acrobat Distiller

Error Initializing Interpreter Fatal Error

This happened after Acrobat 9.46 update, but evidently can happen on any bootup

Login as different user, machine boots fine

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

Look for a profile ending in.bak

Find the other one with the exact name and delete it

Remove the .bak from the first key

Reboot
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Anonymous

2011-08-03T05:56:11+00:00

I found that waiting until disk activity had almost stopped, when the request for user password appears as Seven starts up, before typing in the password appears to eliminate the problem. I wonder if typeing in as soon the password request appears and pressing return leaves the password partially unverified due to unfinished startup processes. Windows may now be unsure of who is using the PC and effectively asks for a log out and log in to verify.
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