Windows 10 The User Profile Service Failed the Sign-In: Recovering a Profile That Will Not Load
You enter the correct password, and Windows answers with “The User Profile Service failed the sign-in. User profile cannot be loaded.” The Windows 10 the User Profile Service failed the sign-in error judolbet88 stops you at the door of your own account.
Each user has a profile containing settings and personal folders. Windows loads it at sign-in. If the profile’s records are damaged, loading fails.
The files inside the profile are usually untouched. The problem lies in the small set of records that tell Windows how to load them.
Possible Causes
Profile loading fails for these reasons:
- The PC was switched off or crashed while the profile was being saved.
- Antivirus software was scanning the profile during sign-in.
- An update or disk error damaged the profile’s registry file.
- The default profile template is corrupted, affecting new accounts.
A single failure after an improper shutdown often corrects itself after a restart.
Quick Fixes to Try First
Start with restarts and Safe Mode.
- Restart the PC and try signing in again. Do this twice.
- On the sign-in screen, hold Shift, select the power icon, and choose Restart.
- Choose Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart and press 4 for Safe Mode.
- Sign in to Safe Mode with the same account. If it works, restart normally and test.
- In the recovery menu, try System Restore to a date before the error began.
Simply signing in once in Safe Mode is sometimes enough to repair the profile’s state.
Advanced Steps for Stubborn Cases
Create a fresh profile and move your files.
- Sign in with another administrator account, or use Safe Mode.
- Open Settings > Accounts > Family & other users and add a new user. Change its account type to Administrator.
- Sign in to the new account to confirm it loads.
- Open C:\Users, then the old profile folder, and copy Documents, Pictures, Desktop, Downloads, and other personal folders into the matching folders of the new profile.
- Run sfc /scannow from an administrator Command Prompt.
Experienced users can repair the original profile in the registry under the ProfileList key, where a duplicated entry ending in .bak indicates the problem. That method needs care and a registry backup.
Before You Go Further: Keep Your Files Safe
Copy your files before deleting the old profile, and check the copies open correctly. Do not copy hidden files such as NTUSER.DAT, which carry the corruption with them. Incorrect registry edits can stop every account from loading.
Conclusion
This sign-in error indicates damaged profile records, not lost files. Restarts and Safe Mode cure mild cases, and a new account with copied files is a dependable solution for the rest.