The User Profile Service Failed the Sign-in is a Windows error that appears when your user profile gets corrupted. It means you cannot log in on your PC with your credentials. Usually, the issue appears due to corrupt system files and registry errors. If you have also encountered a similar issue with your PC, do not panic, as it is resolvable.
But how? Well, that is what we are going to discuss in this post. User profiles getting corrupted is not a common occurrence on Windows. It is a severe error that needs fixing so that the PC can be used as it should.
Keep reading to find ways to help you fix the user profile service failed sign-in error on your PC.
Methods to Fix The User Profile Service Failed the Sign-In Error
Before we begin with the methods you can use, it is crucial to identify the potential issues that cause the error. As mentioned, corrupt system files and registry issues are the most eminent reasons behind the error. Since these errors are system-specific, not every user can handle and resolve them independently.
It can get frustrating when trying to enter your password, but it won’t log you in. The good thing is some ways will help you out. Find them below –
Method 1 – Run an SFC Scan to Clean System Files
The SFC scan is an internal utility that allows a Windows user to scan the system files and rectify any corrupted files. It can be a great tool to finish the job, considering you can easily get rid of problematic files and even replace them using the SFC command. Here’s how it works –
Step 1 – Go to the start menu and search for Command Prompt. Open it as admin by clicking on Run as Administrator.
Step 2 – In the Command Prompt, use the command SFC/Scannow and hit enter.
Step 3 – Let the command run and restart the PC once the process is over.
After the restart, try switching the user profile to the one that keeps showing the error. If it is resolved, good for you. If not, do not worry, as there are other fixes that you can try.
Method 2 – Correct the Registry Values
Another method that has helped several users fix the user profile service failed sign-in error on Windows is correcting and optimizing the registry values.
Before we begin with registry values, you need to run your PC in safe mode. To enter safe mode, follow these steps –
Step 1 – Press and hold the Shift key while you click the Restart option.
Step 2 – Go to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart.
Step 3 – Press 5 or F5 for Safe Mode with Networking after your PC restarts.
Once you have entered the safe mode, follow the given instructions to start editing your registry values –
Step 1 – Press Win+R to open the run search in safe mode.
Step 2 – Use the command regedit to open the registry editor in the run search.
Step 3 – In the editor, navigate to the following route –
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SOFTWARE > Microsoft > Windows NT > CurrentVersion > ProfileList
Step 4 – In each folder that begins with S-1-5, look for the ProfileImagePath file and check the details to find your profile name.
Step 5 – Check for the number of folders you have that begin with S-1-5. If you only have a single folder, rename it by removing the .bak extension. If you have two folders, they might have two different extensions .ba and .bak. Rename the .bak folder to remove the extensions.
Step 6 – Look for the RefCount key in the folder and double-click on it.
Step 7 – Change its value from 1 to 0 and save the changes.
Note : If you can't find a RefCount file, right-click to create a new DWORD named RefCount first and set its value to 0.
Step 8 – Next, find the State key (in the same folder) and double-click on it to change its value to 0.
Note : If you can't find a State, right-click to create a new DWORD named State first and set its value to 0.
After you have made the changes to the registries, save them all and close the registry editor. Restart your PC normally to check whether the user profile service failed error is resolved.
Method 3 – Use DISM to Clean Up Your System Files
Though SFC is effective on system file errors, the DISM takes the scans to the next level. It is also an internal tool OS developers offer to ensure that no corrupt system files ruin your experience. To clean and repair these files, you can use the DISM commands. Here’s how they work –
Step 1 – Go to the start menu and search for Command Prompt. Open it as admin by clicking on Run as Administrator.
Step 2 – In the Command Prompt, use the commands one after the other –
- DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
- DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
Step 3 – Let these commands run. Once it is all over, you can restart the PC and find that the user profile not loading issue no longer exists.
It may sound like a broken record, but eventually, it will be all about your system files and registries. If you have experienced the issue for the first time and do not want it to appear again or want to simplify managing the Windows registry, we recommend you use the Registry Cleaner and Optimizer module provided by Advanced System Optimizer. The former will help clean invalid registry entries, while the latter will optimize the registry.
Advanced System Optimizer is a tool that offers 360-degree optimization for your PC. Simply download the tool and run it to find the Registry optimizers built into it. You can scan your existing registries for issues and manually optimize them using the tool.
All you need to do is –
Step 1 – Download and install the Advanced System Optimizer on your PC.
Step 2 – Go to the registry optimizer via the left pane on your PC.
Step 3 – Click on Registry Cleaner to eliminate unneeded registry files, or use the Registry Optimizer to optimize the Windows registry.
With these fixes and methods, you can easily overcome the user profile service failure and the sign-in error. Try them out, and let us know which one helped you the best. We are looking forward to your comments! Good luck!
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