How to fix your device is offline.

Bobby Boardman 20 Reputation points
2026-01-16T20:29:38.4066667+00:00

Hi, I am trying to sign into my desktop, it says "your device is offline. Please sign in with the last password used on this device." thr password i am using should be correct, when I click I forgot my password i get the message "The user profile service failed the sign-in. User profile cannot be loaded" i tried following youtube tutorials on this but it takes me to shift + reset and then they'll mentiom one of the options there (different videos had different methods like reset but keep files or boot in safe mode) the problem is when I try it tells me to sign into my email which I do but it says my password is incorrect, I have tried all my passwords and I believe its still trying to get me to sign in to the Microsoft account, I tried changing my password in Microsoft but it still states it is incorrect password and won't let me restart, not sure what to do as I can't sign in to my pc.

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Windows Hello, lock screen and sign-in

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Hendrix-V 18,935 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
2026-01-17T03:37:57.18+00:00

Hi Bobby Boardman,

Welcome to the Microsoft Q&A forum. Thank you for raising your concern.

Creating a second offline account was a smart move and it gives you a way back into the system.

From what you’ve described, this issue usually occurs when your PC can’t connect to the internet to verify your Microsoft account credentials. If the device is offline, it will only accept the last cached password.

  • Ensure your PC is connected to Wi-Fi or Ethernet from the lock screen.
  • If you recently changed your password online, the device needs internet access to sync the new credentials.

Here's the fix that worked in your situation:

  • On the sign-in screen, hold Shift, select Power > Restart, then go to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart.
  • Press F5 for Safe Mode with Networking.
  • From Safe Mode, create a new local account:
    • Go to Settings > Accounts > Family & other users > Add someone else to this PC.
    • Choose “Add a user without a Microsoft account”.

Let me know if you need further assistance, feel free to ask me by clicking "Add Comment" or "Add Answer" if you cannot add comment so your response will be visible. Thanks for your effort.

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

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  1. AI answer

    2026-01-16T20:29:47.9766667+00:00

    To resolve the issue of your device being offline and the inability to sign in, you can try the following steps:

    1. Check Internet Connection: Ensure that your device is connected to the internet. If you're using Wi-Fi, try connecting via an Ethernet cable if possible.
    2. Use Local Account: Since the message indicates that you should sign in with the last password used on the device, make sure you are entering the local account password if you have one. This is different from your Microsoft account password.
    3. Safe Mode: If you can access the recovery options, try booting into Safe Mode. To do this:
      • Restart your computer and repeatedly press the F8 key (or Shift + F8) until you see the Advanced Boot Options menu.
      • Select "Safe Mode" and see if you can log in.
    4. System Restore: If you have a restore point set up, you can try restoring your system to a previous state where it was functioning correctly. Access this option through the recovery menu.
    5. Reset Password: If you believe the Microsoft account password is incorrect, you can reset it by visiting the Microsoft account recovery page from another device. Follow the instructions to reset your password.
    6. Recovery Options: If none of the above works, you may need to consider using the recovery options available during startup (like resetting the PC). You can choose to keep your files if you go this route, but ensure you have backups if possible.

    If you continue to face issues, you might need to contact Microsoft support for further assistance.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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  2. Bobby Boardman 20 Reputation points
    2026-01-16T21:57:11.23+00:00

    after trying to log in with my changed password it eventually worked, I made a second account for offline use as im not sure if it was just struggling to connect to the server or what?

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