You've Been Signed In with a Temporary Profile, Windows 10 & 11

How to Resolve the "You've Been Signed In with a Temporary Profile" Issue on Windows 10 & 11

One of the common issues many Windows 10 users face is the dreaded "You've been signed in with a temporary profile" message. This problem typically occurs when Windows fails to load your user profile correctly and instead creates a temporary profile for you to use. While this allows access to the system, it limits your ability to save files and settings, which can be frustrating.

The temporary profile issue can arise due to various reasons such as corrupted user profiles, incomplete updates, or incorrect system configurations. Fortunately, there is a relatively simple way to resolve this issue without needing to reinstall your operating system. In this guide, I’ll walk you through the necessary steps to fix this problem using Command Prompt and Windows Registry Editor.

Understanding the Issue: Why Does the Temporary Profile Problem Occur?

When you log into your Windows 10 system, the operating system loads your user profile, which contains personalized settings, files, and preferences. If the operating system encounters any issue while accessing or loading this profile (due to system errors, update failures, or even malware), it may fall back on a temporary profile. This profile is a basic and generic version of your original user account.

A key reason why this issue occurs is due to the corruption of the profile's Security Identifier (SID) in the Windows Registry. The SID is a unique string of numbers and letters that Windows assigns to each user profile for identification. When this SID is incorrectly linked or corrupted, the system cannot load your actual profile, resulting in the creation of a temporary one.

Let’s break down the steps to fix this issue manually by modifying the Windows Registry and using command-line tools.

Step-by-Step Solution to Fix Temporary Profile Problem

Step 1: Open Command Prompt with Administrator Rights

To fix this problem, we first need to find the Security Identifier (SID) of the affected user profile. Start by opening the Command Prompt with administrative privileges.

• Press Windows + X and select Command Prompt (Admin) or Windows PowerShell (Admin) from the list.
• If prompted by User Account Control (UAC), click Yes to allow the program to make changes.

Step 2: Find the Security Identifier (SID)

In the Command Prompt window, run the following command to display your current user's SID:

whoami /user

 

This command will output the username along with the SID for the profile currently in use. Take note of the SID, as you’ll need it for the next steps.

Additionally, if you need to locate the SID of another user (for instance, if you are trying to fix another account), you can run the following command, replacing BBHUJEL with the username of the profile you are troubleshooting:

wmic useraccount where name='BBHUJEL' get sid

This will return the SID associated with the specified user account. Once you have the correct SID, you can proceed to the next step.

Step 3: Open the Registry Editor

Now that you have identified the problematic user’s SID, it’s time to modify the Windows Registry to resolve the issue.

• Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog box.
• Type regedit and hit Enter to open the Registry Editor.
• If prompted by UAC, click Yes to grant permission.

Step 4: Navigate to the Profile List in the Registry

Once inside the Registry Editor, navigate to the following key by expanding the folders in the left-hand pane:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList

The ProfileList folder contains subfolders corresponding to the SIDs of all user profiles on the system.

Step 5: Find and Modify the Correct SID

In the ProfileList folder, look for the folder whose name matches the SID you identified earlier. You might notice two similarly named SID folders – one with a .bak extension and one without. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Check ProfileImagePath: Inside the folder, locate the ProfileImagePath entry. Double-click it to ensure it points to the correct path for your user profile, such as:

C:\Users\BBHUJEL

If the path is incorrect, modify it to reflect the correct directory.

2. Delete the .bak Key: If you see two similar SIDs (one ending with .bak), the one without .bak is likely the temporary profile. In such cases:

• Right-click the folder with .bak and select Delete to remove it.

If there is only one SID folder (with .bak), rename it by removing the .bak extension:

• Right-click on the folder and select Rename.
• Remove the .bak from the end of the SID string and press Enter.

3. Verify the Flags: Once you have deleted or renamed the .bak folder, check the State and RefCount entries in the SID folder. Both should be set to 0. If they aren’t, double-click the entry and modify the value to 0.

Step 6: Restart the System

Once you’ve completed the registry modifications, close the Registry Editor and restart your computer.

Upon reboot, Windows should now load your actual user profile instead of creating a temporary one. Your files, settings, and customizations should be restored as they were before the issue occurred.

Prevention Tips to Avoid Future Profile Corruptions

While it’s not always possible to avoid profile corruption, there are a few preventative measures you can take to minimize the chances of encountering this issue again:

Regularly Back Up Your User Profile: Using tools like Windows Backup or third-party software, create regular backups of your user profile data to avoid permanent data loss.

Keep Your System Updated: Make sure that Windows 10 and all installed software are up to date. Many profile issues are caused by incomplete or failed updates, so ensuring your system is current can prevent these problems.

Check for Disk Errors: Running regular disk checks can help identify and repair file system errors that might lead to profile issues. You can run a disk check by opening a Command Prompt and typing:

chkdsk /f

Use System Restore: System Restore is a powerful tool that allows you to roll back system changes in case something goes wrong. Keeping System Restore enabled and creating restore points before major updates or installations can help recover your system from many problems, including profile corruption.

Conclusion

The "You've been signed in with a temporary profile" issue can be a frustrating roadblock for Windows 10 users, but with the right approach, it’s relatively simple to resolve. By following the steps above and making a few changes to the Windows Registry, you can restore access to your original profile and prevent the issue from recurring. Additionally, implementing preventive measures such as regular backups and updates can help ensure a smooth, trouble-free experience with Windows 10 moving forward.