Windows 8 keeps loading with temporary profile

Anonymous
2012-11-22T02:28:10+00:00

I upgraded my Windows 7 to Win 8 Pro. Today my power cable got unplugged and the computer restarted but cannot open my default profile. It keeps logging me to a temporary profile and states that the default profile could not be loaded. I check through the error logs and it states that the Registry may have gotten corrupted. How would a restart of the computer corrupt my registry. The problem is that everytime I restart it keeps taking me to the temporary profile which is new everytime I log in. None of the settings are saved. How do I get back to my original profile. I tried Refreshing the PC and it failed. Is this fixable?

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Performance and system failures

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Anonymous
2012-11-22T16:59:04+00:00

Hi

We are glad to get your query on Windows Community.

As far as your query is concerned, It seem that you are having a tough time logging to your default account.

I will surely help you with issue. But I still require certain information to get the right resolution:

May I know whether the default account is an Admin account or a standard user account?

I would recommend you to follow the methods below to resolve the issue:

Method 1:

Enable Built Admin account.

a) Press Windows and x key together on your desktop screen.

b) Click on Command Prompt (admin).

c) Type: net user administrator /active: yes

Note: Please follow the same steps and type net user administrator /active: no to disable admin account after the troubleshooting is done

After enabling Built-in admin, please try with the steps below:

Step 1:

Perform SFC Scan

Please follow the steps to perform SFC Scan:

a. Press “Windows Key + Q” to open Charms Bar.

b. Type “cmd” without quotes in the search box.

c. On the left pane, right click on the “cmd” option and select “Run as Administrator”.

d. Type ‘sfc /scannow’ without quotes and hit enter.

Note: It may ask for windows installation DVD to fix and to enable SFC to make more than minor repairs. Some files saved on your computer might get deleted when fixing corrupted files.

Step 2:

Please perform Microsoft Safety Scanner to scan your computer for infections.

To download and run the Microsoft Safety Scanner, follow these steps:

a) Go to the Microsoft Safety Scanner site at: Microsoft Safety Scanner

(http://www.microsoft.com/security/scanner/en-us/default.aspx)

b) Click Download Now.

c) If prompted, click Run. Follow the on-screen instructions to download and install the Microsoft Safety Scanner. When prompted, add a shortcut to the Microsoft Safety Scanner to your desktop.

d) From your desktop, double click the Microsoft Safety Scanner icon. When the Microsoft Safety Scanner program launches, click Scan Type, then click Full Scan, then click Next.

e) After the scan is complete, remove all detected malware entries

Note: Any data files that are infected may only be cleaned by deleting the file entirely, which means there is a potential for data loss.

For more information refer:

Microsoft resources and guidance for removal of malware and viruses (Microsoft Safety Scanner).

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2671662

Step 3:

Please restart your PC and check if you are able to log in to your Default Profile.

Method 2:

From Built in administrator account create a new user account and transfer the profile data.

Please follow the steps below to do that:

a) Press Windows and x together and select Windows Explorer.

b) Click on View tab and Click on Options at the top right corner.

c) Click the View tab, and then click Show hidden files, folders, and drives.

d) Uncheck the box which states **Hide protected operating system files.**e) Click Yes to confirm, and then click OK.

f) Locate the C:\Users\Old_Username folder, where C is the drive that Windows is installed on, and Old Username is the name of the profile you want to copy files from.

g) Select all of the files and folders in this folder, except the following files:

•Ntuser.dat•Ntuser.dat.log•Ntuser.ini

h) Right click and Select Copy.

i) Locate the C:\Users\New_Username folder, where C is the drive that Windows is installed on, and New Username is the name of the new user profile you created.

j) Right click inside the folder and select Paste.

k) Restart your PC and check if you are able to log in to default profile.

Please reply us back if the issue still persists.

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  1. Anonymous
    2013-03-05T09:15:29+00:00

    I wish I had never upgraded to Windows 8. This temporary profile error seems to happen now on almost a daily basis.  The scannow solution hasn't made any difference and I'm not going to risk the more complicated registry solution on my work laptop.  Microsoft really should have issued a fix by now on something so important.  When is something going to be done about it?

    Tony_822's comments are interesting.  I accepted to the invitation to 'upgrade' my Hotmail account to Outlook.com, but I can't log in with my new Outlook account name; instead I still log on using my Hotmail details.  And I can't publish my Outlook 2010 calendar online to the Hotmail calendar.  Very disappointed with Windows 8 so far.

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  2. Anonymous
    2013-03-05T13:10:29+00:00

    I tried to set up a new MS login account to transfer all my files to and see if that would help.

    The only options offered through the new user account set up were for a Hotmail or Live account.

    After debating that choice - no Outlook option??? - I went with Hotmail and set up a new user on my PC. 

    At this stage my wife's account continued to work fine.   When I go to the user page the corrupted "temporary profile" account is no longer visible.  I can live with that as I can access the files through folders for the time being (they no longer show up on Homegroup).

    Log off for the night.  When I log back in my corrupted account is back to normal, no issues accessing files, Homegroup is normal but.....new mystery....the brand new Hotmail user account has disappeared from the log in screen altogether??????????

    Our company has 300 people and uses XP.  We know migration is coming.   Before January it was a given that it would still be a MS environment.  But now the cost of migrating to a different environment doesn't seem prohibitive if the risks are more manageable.   Issues with access to files by users at such a basic level just can't be tolerated.  

    My 3 year old machine sits on the floor (I had upgraded to Windows on release).  I had intended to convert it to a back up machine hooked up to the big screen.  Now I'm afraid to turn it on in case it too gets corrupted before I get this machine operating properly.

    My questions:

    1. why is this happening?  Then maybe I can avoid it in the future. 
    2. Why do the event ID's take you to blank pages in the KB? 
    3. Why does Windows 8 seem to require reloading the OS, with all its collateral 'damage', for every problem?
    4. And a new one: why would Windows 8 not offer an Outlook email account as an option for setting up a user account over Hotmail & Live emails?

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  3. Anonymous
    2013-03-05T16:21:57+00:00

    The 4 "Why" questions are rhetorical.

    The deep structure meaning is that these corruptions must not occur on a business machine.

    Win 8 is not compatible with business operations.

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  4. Anonymous
    2013-03-06T01:09:49+00:00

    Is there anyone that has any other ideas? I'm not sure what to do since neither method works and I have not had access to my files for three days.

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