Question:

How can I prevent data loss on user profiles after logging out?

I am experiencing a problem where any files or folders created by a user on their desktop or other locations are deleted when they log out of the computer. For example, if I create a notepad file on the desktop and save it, it disappears when I log out and log back in. This happens for any user on the computer. How can I fix this issue and ensure that the user data is preserved after logging out?

Answer:

If you are facing a situation where any files or folders that you create on your desktop or other locations are deleted when you log out of the computer, you may be using a temporary user profile. A temporary user profile is a profile that Windows creates when it cannot read your normal user profile correctly. This can happen due to various reasons, such as corrupted files, insufficient disk space, malware infection, or incorrect registry settings. A temporary user profile acts like a normal user profile, but it is not saved to the disk. Therefore, any changes that you make to the temporary user profile are lost when you log off.

To fix this issue and prevent data loss on user profiles after logging out, you need to restore your normal user profile. There are different methods to do this, depending on the version of Windows that you are using and the cause of the problem. Here are some general steps that you can try:

• Back up your data. Before you attempt to fix the issue, you should back up any important data that you have on the temporary user profile. You can use an external drive, a cloud service, or another computer to copy your files and folders. This way, you can avoid losing any data if something goes wrong during the process.
• Identify the cause of the problem. To find out why Windows is creating a temporary user profile, you need to check the Event Viewer. The Event Viewer is a tool that records various events and errors that occur on your computer. To open the Event Viewer, you can press Windows + R on your keyboard, type eventvwr.msc, and click OK. Then, you can navigate to Windows Logs > Application and look for any events with the Source as User Profile Service. These events will tell you the reason why Windows could not load your normal user profile. For example, you may see an event with the Event ID as 1500 and the Description as Windows cannot log you on because your profile cannot be loaded. Check that you are connected to the network, and that your network is functioning correctly. DETAIL – Only part of a ReadProcessMemory or WriteProcessMemory request was completed. This means that Windows could not read your user profile from the disk due to a memory error.
• Fix the cause of the problem. Depending on the cause of the problem, you may need to perform different actions to fix it. For example, if the problem is due to corrupted files, you may need to run a System File Checker scan to repair them. To do this, you can open a Command Prompt as an administrator, type sfc /scannow, and press Enter. This will scan your system files and replace any corrupted or missing ones. If the problem is due to insufficient disk space, you may need to free up some space by deleting unnecessary files, emptying the recycle bin, or using a disk cleanup tool. If the problem is due to malware infection, you may need to run a virus scan to remove any malicious software from your computer. If the problem is due to incorrect registry settings, you may need to edit the registry to fix them. However, editing the registry is a risky operation that can cause serious damage to your system if done incorrectly. Therefore, you should only do this if you are confident and have a backup of your registry. To edit the registry, you can press Windows + R on your keyboard, type regedit, and click OK. Then, you can navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SOFTWARE > Microsoft > Windows NT > CurrentVersion > ProfileList and look for any subkeys that have a .bak extension. These subkeys represent your normal user profile that is not being loaded. You can rename these subkeys by removing the .bak extension and rename the subkeys that do not have the .bak extension by adding the .bak extension. This will swap the temporary user profile with the normal user profile. Then, you can restart your computer and see if the issue is resolved.
• Restore your normal user profile. If you have fixed the cause of the problem, you should be able to log in with your normal user profile and see your files and folders. However, if you still see a temporary user profile, you may need to create a new user account and transfer your data from the old user profile to the new one. To create a new user account, you can go to Settings > Accounts > Family & other users and click on Add someone else to this PC. Then, you can follow the instructions to create a new user account with a different name and password. After that, you can log in with the new user account and copy your data from the old user profile to the new one. You can find your old user profile data in the C:\Users folder. You may need to enable Show hidden files, folders, and drives in the View tab of the File Explorer to see the old user profile folder. You can copy the files and folders that you want to keep, such as documents, pictures, music, videos, etc. You should avoid copying system files or settings, as they may cause conflicts or errors. After you have transferred your data, you can delete the old user profile and the temporary user profile from the C:\Users folder and the ProfileList registry subkey.

By

following these steps, you should be able to prevent data loss on user profiles after logging out and restore your normal user profile. However, if you are still having trouble or need further assistance, you can contact a professional IT service or visit the Microsoft support website for more help.