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
    2013-04-08T06:24:43+00:00

    Ok, the scanning did not help me to recover my account, but at least I could access my old data. Let's try the copy over data method from one account to the new one. Follow this:

    1. Create the new user in the administrator account. (See 2 threads up)
    2. Log out of administrator and log in to the new account. Wait for the computer to finish setting up the account.
    3. Once in the account, you can log out and back in to the administrator account.

    The next step requires you to have protected system files and hidden files shown. Follow:

    1. Open File Explorer, go to the view tab in the ribbon and click on options.
    2. On the second tab (View), you must switch the button to show hidden files and folders  and untick Hide protected operating system files

    Ok, let's continue

    1. Go to Computer, C:/, Users (C is your default system path)
    2. If your username was previously Dylan, and now its Carol, Copy everything except these files from the Dylan folder to the Carol folder:

    •Ntuser.dat

    •Ntuser.dat.log1

    •Ntuser.dat.log2 •Ntuser.ini


    Once this is done, log out from the administrator account and into the Carol Profile.

    You will see your desktop has the icons on that it used to, and you can access your pictures music etc. unfortunately, you have to re-personalize the account as well as the Start Menu.

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  2. Anonymous
    2013-04-08T01:21:22+00:00

    I've tried method 1 and it didn't work i really need to access my photos of my daughter, but i keep getting this temporary profile i need help!

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  3. Anonymous
    2013-04-07T14:27:15+00:00

    I have a solution so long on how to get into the Administrator account. Please read very carefully so you don't go off the topic.

    1. When in the temp user, press <Windows Key> + <Q> together.
    2. Type in "CMD" in the top right corner in the search bar. Once you see it on the left, RIGHT CLICK on it
    3. On the bottom you will see it says "Run as Administrator", Left click there
    4. Command prompt is now open, but now it says System 32, and not TEMP

    Now, type in "net user administrator /active:yes", JUST LIKE THAT, but without the quotation marks!!!

    Press enter.

    It then says "The command completed successfully"

    Press start on your keyboard, At the right top corner you will see your username, where you sign out, when you left click there you will see the Administrator user, click there to use the Administrator account. I'll give an update once I'm done scanning :'-)

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  4. Anonymous
    2013-03-28T15:12:10+00:00

    IMO the end user should have some knowledge of cmd, granted windows is more annoying with their names and most aren't as simple as linux's terminal is. CMD can be useful it's just that most windows users have no idea what it is or even worse they refuse to use it.  Just my 2 cents.

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