When you log on to Vista using a temporary profile (user account), you receive this error message:

For more information, see: Microsoft Help and Support: KB947215

The User Profile Service failed the logon. User profile cannot be loaded.

This issue may occur if the user profile was manually deleted by using the command prompt or Windows Explorer by a user or by some program. A profile that is manually deleted does not remove the security identifier (SID) from the user profile list in the registry. Since the SID is still present, Vista will still try to load the profile by using the ProfileImagePath that points to a nonexistent path. Therefore, the profile cannot be loaded.

Option One: Fix the User Account Profile

1. Open the Start Menu
2. In the white line (Start Search), type regedit and press Enter.
3. If prompted, either click on Continue or enter the password for the Admin account.
4. In regedit, go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList
5. In the left pane, look for the S-1-5..... folder (SID key) with the long number that has .bak at the end of the numbers. 
   (See screenshots below steps 6A and 7B)
   NOTE: 
   A) In the right pane, look at the ProfileImagePath to verify that this is the user account profile that has the error.
   B) You may have another S-1-5..... folder (SID key) above it with the exact same number without the .bak at the end of it.


6. For Two S-1-5..... folders (SID key) with the same Number -
   NOTE: This is if you have two S-1-5..... folders (SID key) with the exact same numbers, but the second (below) one has the .bak at the end of the numbers.

   A) In the left pane, right click on the first (top) S-1-5..... folder (SIDkey) that does not have .bak at the end of the numbers and clickRename. (See screenshot below)

   

B) Add .bk to the end of the numbers. (See screenshot below)



C) In the left pane, right click on the second S-1-5..... folder (SID key) with .bak at the end of the numbers and click Rename. (See screenshot above)

D) Remove only .bak from the end of the numbers and press Enter. (See screenshot below)

E) Now go back and Rename the first one with .bk to .bak now at the end of the numbers and press Enter. 






7.  In the right pane of the one without .bak now, right click on RefCount and click on Modify.
   NOTE: If you do not have RefCount, then right click on a empty space in the right pane and click New and DWORD (32 bit) Value, then type RefCount and pressEnter. This value for this entry will reset and return back to the original value after you have restarted the computer and logged on to the account.

   A) Type 0 (number) and click on OK.

8. In the right pane of the one without .bak now, right click on State and click on Modify.
   NOTE: This value for this entry will reset and return back to the original value after you have restarted the computer and logged on to the account.

   A) Type 0 (number) and click on OK.




9. Close regedit.

10. Restart computer.

11. See if you can logon now. If this does not work for you for some strange reason, then please contact me by going here: Contact