[FIX] "The User Profile Service failed the sign-in" - System Level Solution [No Registry/Safe Mode]
As of recently, I've been met with the error of "The User Profile Service service failed the sign-in. User profile cannot be loaded." when signing into a Domain user accounts.
I've realized the current consensus still focuses on booting into Safe Mode, fixing the Profile via Registry Editor, Replacing Currupted files, creating a new local user admin account, reparing or reformatting the OS. While those work occasionally, in my environment (where 300 devices out of 600 devices were affected, those manual fixes only worked for 32 devices), those manual fixes weren't ideal. I've confirmed a method to solve this at the system level without manual "band-aid" fixes.
Steps are as follows:
Make sure the device already domain-joined and you have a domain/local admin account with elevated permission or you must have access to elevated command prompt.
●Log into Domain Admin account/Local Admin account
●Run Command Prompt as Administrator
●Enter the following command:
runas /user:DomainName\DomainlogonUsername "cmd"
(Example: runas /user:COMPANY\\Vedish.Achadoo "cmd")
●Type the password of the account you're trying to access, when prompted
Perform the action for 10-12 times. This forces the User Profile Service to attempt to mount the user's registry hive through a secondary logon call.
●On the same Command Prompt window, type:
sfc /scannow
●Once completed, switch users and try to log in twice with the problematic Domain account.
●Once the above steps have been completed, sign back into the admin account previously used and run:
chkdsk /f /r
●Type Y when prompted, press Enter and Restart the device
●After the reboot, sign back into the Domain user account you initially faced issue with.
Personal note: Worst case scenario the traditional Safe Mode/Regisdtry edits or OS repair, but this method saved me from dozens of re-images.
Tested, verified across multiple workstations over the past year and it's been rock solid.
Hope this helps you skip the headache of Safe Mode | Registry Editor | New Admin Accounts | etc.