Logging into your Windows computer for something important only to find that you’ve been signed in with a temporary profile can be a frustrating experience. It can disrupt your workflow and leave you wondering what went wrong.
Below, we explore the causes of Windows signing you in with a temporary profile and provide you with a range of practical fixes to resolve this issue.
Why Is Windows Signing You In With a Temporary Profile?
Now that you’re aware of the common causes, let’s explore troubleshooting methods that can help resolve this issue, regardless of its source.
1. Apply a Registry Fix
The Registry Editor in Windows stores various settings and configurations for user profiles. If the registry entries related to your profile become corrupted or altered, the User Profile Service (which is responsible for loading user profiles and settings during the login process) may fail to load your profile as intended.
Thus, the first thing that we recommend doing upon facing this problem is applying a Registry fix. To proceed with this method, you must have administrative access to the system. If the temporary profile Windows has signed you in with does not have administrative access to the system, you need to first change this configuration.
Simply head over to the Settings app and navigate toAccounts>Family & other users. Expand the dropdown for the current profile and click on theChange the account typebutton. In the following prompt, expand the dropdown for Account type and chooseAdministrator.
Once this is done,create a Registry backup. This is essential before altering the Registry Editor settings, just to be safe.
After creating a Registry backup, follow these steps:
Finally, close the Registry Editor and restart your computer. Hopefully, upon restarting, you will be logged in with your targeted user profile successfully.
2. Fix Any Corruption in Your User Account
If the Registry Editor fix did not help, then the next thing you should try is fixing any issues within the user account that might be contributing to the problem.
There are several ways to fix a corrupt user account but below are some most effective tips you can attempt to fix the issue. To begin, launch the system with Safe Mode. Once you are in the Safe Mode, try these solutions:
3. Create a New User Account Temporarily
If none of the methods have proven effective, we recommend contacting the official Microsoft support team with a description of the problem. They can help pinpoint the exact cause and provide a corresponding solution.
Keep in mind that this process may take some time. In the meantime, considercreating a new user account in Windowsto ensure your work is not disrupted.
Regain Access to Your Windows User Account
Not being able to access your main account and dealing with a temporary user profile can be frustrating. Hopefully, the solutions we have listed above in this guide will help you fix the issue once and for all. Once you’ve regained access to your user account, it’s a good practice to keep regular backups of your important data and settings to prevent any future inconveniences.
