Steps to fix 'The User Profile Service failed the logon' error on Windows 10

The "User Profile Service Failed the Logon" error occurs because the NTUSER.DAT file is corrupted, the registry entry or core system file is corrupted, or the User Profile Service is configured incorrectly. However, you can use the following steps to effectively diagnose and fix the problem.

Activate the integrated admin account using Windows Recovery Environment

The first thing you should do is enable the built-in admin account if you cannot log in with your account. All other fixes would not be possible without this hidden account.

There are many ways to enable the built-in admin account in Windows, but traditional methods will not work here. So, we will use Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) to open an instance of Command Prompt and modify the registry to enable the account.

Warning: Before proceeding with the steps mentioned below, manually back up the system registry to USB using the Export option in Registry Editor, if possible.

Follow these steps to activate the admin account:

Step 1. Click the Source icon.

Step 2. Hold the Shift key and click on the Restart option.

Step 3. After your PC restarts, click Continue.

Step 4. Select Troubleshoot.

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Step 5. Click Advanced Options > Command Prompt.

Step 6. Type regedit into the Command Prompt window and press Enter.

Step 7. Click on the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE key on the left.

Step 8. Click File > Load Hive.

Step 9. Select the This PC option.

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Step 10. Click Windows > System 32 > config.

Step 11. Find the SAM file and double click on it.

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Step 12. Name the key REM_SAM and click OK.

Step 13. Navigate to the following registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINEREM_SAMSAMDomainsAccountUsers�00001F4

Step 14. Double click on the binary value F.

Step 15. Go to entry 00000038 in the first row.

Step 16. Modify the value 11 in the second column of row 00000038 to 10.

Step 17. Click OK.

Step 18. Exit the registry editing window.

Step 19. Close Command Prompt.

Step 20. Click Continue to boot to the lock screen. You will see an additional admin account on the lock screen.

Boot into Safe Mode

After activating the integrated admin account, the first thing you should do is boot Windows into Safe Mode. Basically, Safe Mode starts Windows with the minimum features and programs needed to function.

Replace file NTUSER.DAT

The NTUSER.DAT file stores data about user accounts and if it is corrupted, you must replace this file. Log in to the admin account that you previously activated. Then repeat these steps:

Step 1. Press Win + E to open File Explorer.

Step 2. Click View > Show > Hidden items.

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Step 3. Open the Default folder. Click on the NTUSER.DAT file and rename it to 'NTUSER.DAT.OLD'.

Step 4. Click Backspace. Go to the Administrator folder and copy the NTUSER.DAT file.

Step 5. Access the Default folder again and paste the copied file there.

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Step 6. Restart your PC to apply the changes.

Use SFC to scan for damaged files

The most likely cause of the "User Profile Service Failed the Logon" error is corrupted user files. This can happen for a variety of reasons, from antivirus scanning at startup to a sudden power outage when powering on the computer.

Luckily, Windows has a number of built-in utilities that can help you automatically find and fix damaged Windows files. One such utility is called System File Checker (SFC) and it is executed using Command Prompt.

Restore the computer to its previous state

Windows has a useful feature called System Restore that allows you to roll back changes to your computer and restore it to an earlier point in time.

Before continuing, you should know that this feature is not enabled by default and you must create restore points manually unless you configure Windows to create restore points daily.

If you remember creating a restore point before the error appeared, follow these steps:

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1. Press Windows key + R to launch the Run dialog box.
2. In the Run box, type rstrui.exe and press Enter.
3. On the System Restore dialog box, click Next.
4. Choose a restore point from the list.
5. On the next window, double check everything and click Finish.
6. Windows will restore itself to the previous state and you can now log in without any trouble.

You should back up any important data or apps they may have installed after creating a restore point.

Change registry configuration

Another way to fix the "User Profile Service Failed the Logon" error is to make some changes to the registry. This is an advanced troubleshooting method and you should create a system restore point before continuing.

Do the following to configure the registry properly:

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Step 1. Boot into Safe Mode using the steps in the first part of this article.

Step Step Step Step Step Step Step Step 2. Press Windows key + R to open the Run prompt. Type regedit and press Enter.

Step 3. In Registry Editor, using the navigation bar on the left, go to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareMicrosoftWindows NTCurrent VersionProfile List

Step 4. Here, you will see two files with the same name, but one file will have the .bak extension.

Step 5. Right-click on the file with the .bak extension and select Rename. Delete the .bak extension but don't touch the file name and press Enter.

Step 6. Now, right-click on the original file without the .bak extension and add .bak to the end of the file.

Step 7. In the folder containing the file renamed from step 5, right-click State, then select Modify.

Step 8. Change the value in Value data from 8000 to 0 (zero).

Step 9. Then, right-click on the RefCount item and change the value in Value data to 0 (zero).

Step 10. Confirm changes and close Registry Editor.

Step 11. Restart your computer and log in.

What if you can't find the .bak file in Registry Editor?

This is unlikely, but your computer may not have created a file with the .bak extension. In this case, open Windows Explorer and go to:

C:UsersDefaultAppDataLocalApplication Data

If you find another folder named Application Data in the folder you are using, delete it and restart your computer. It will fix the problem.

Enable User Profile Service

In certain cases, the User Profile Service may be disabled. Usually, a third-party application is the culprit. Luckily, you can enable it by running a simple command in a Command Prompt window:

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1. Boot your computer into Safe Mode.
2. In the Start menu search bar, enter cmd. From the search results, right-click Command Prompt > Run as administrator.
3. In the Command Prompt window, type sc config ProfSvc start= auto and press Enter.
4. Then, type sc start ProfSvc and press Enter.
5. Close Command Prompt and restart your computer.

Some of these methods are also useful in diagnosing many other common Windows errors. So, it will be helpful to keep them in mind when you encounter other problems on your computer.

Good luck!

David Pac

Update 22 February 2024