# A corrupt profile: create a user and migrate properly

> How to confirm the profile is the problem, move the data that matters, and rebind the apps that do not survive the move.

**Tested on**

- Build: 26300.9457 / 26100.33650
- Edition: Pro (26H2) / Server
- Architecture: x64
- Evidence: E1
- Verified: 2026-10-29

## The short answer

A corrupted profile shows up as one of these:

- a **temporary profile** at logon ("We can't sign you in to your account");
- an empty desktop with default wallpaper, and your files still on disk under `C:\Users\oldname`;
- apps losing their settings, OneDrive re-syncing from scratch;
- error events **1511** or **1515** in the User Profile Service log.

The fix is not to repair the registry — it is to **create a new profile and migrate**. Ten minutes of copying, no reinstall.

## Confirm it before doing anything

```powershell
# profile events
Get-WinEvent -LogName Application -MaxEvents 200 |
  Where-Object { $_.ProviderName -match 'User Profile Service' -and $_.Id -in 1511,1515,1508 } |
  Select-Object TimeCreated,Id,Message | Format-List

# which profile folders exist, and which one is loaded
Get-CimInstance Win32_UserProfile | Select-Object LocalPath,SID,Loaded,Special
Get-ChildItem C:\Users -Directory | Select-Object Name,LastWriteTime
```

If your desktop is empty but `C:\Users\<you>\Desktop` is full, you are on a temporary profile. Do not copy files into the temp profile — it will be deleted at logoff.

## Create the replacement

```powershell
# as an administrator
New-LocalUser -Name "newuser" -Password (Read-Host -AsSecureString "Password") -FullName "New User"
Add-LocalGroupMember -Group "Administrators" -Member "newuser"
```

Or **Settings → Accounts → Other users → Add account**. Sign in once to let Windows create the profile, then sign back in as an administrator.

## Migrate the data that matters

Copy **from the old profile to the new one**, while both exist:

| Folder | Contents | Copy? |
|---|---|---|
| `Desktop`, `Documents`, `Pictures`, `Videos`, `Downloads` | user files | yes |
| `AppData\Roaming` | most app settings | selectively |
| `AppData\Local` | caches, some app data | rarely — caches cause the same corruption |
| `.ssh`, `.gitconfig`, `.aws` | developer credentials | yes, by hand |
| `Outlook` `.pst`/`.ost` | mail | `.pst` yes, `.ost` no (regenerates) |

```powershell
$old = "C:\Users\olduser"; $new = "C:\Users\newuser"
robocopy "$old\Desktop" "$new\Desktop" /E /COPY:DAT /R:1 /W:1
robocopy "$old\Documents" "$new\Documents" /E /COPY:DAT /R:1 /W:1
```

Copy `AppData\Roaming` **after** the new profile has been used once, and only for apps you actually need to keep settings for.

> **Caution: Do not copy the whole AppData folder**
>
> `AppData\Local` holds caches, GPU shaders and per-machine state. Copying it wholesale frequently reproduces the original problem — or creates a new one. Migrate app by app.

## Rebind what does not survive

- **OneDrive** — sign in and let it re-sync; do not copy the OneDrive folder between profiles.
- **Store apps** — reinstall; their per-user state does not transfer cleanly.
- **Outlook** — create the profile again and attach the `.pst`.
- **Browser** — export bookmarks/passwords from the old profile, import into the new one.
- **Windows Hello** — re-enrol the PIN and biometrics.

## When you are sure, remove the old profile

Only after a week of normal use, and only after a backup:

**System → About → Advanced system settings → User Profiles → Settings** → select the old profile → **Delete**. That removes the registry entry; the folder remains and can be deleted manually.

## When this is not the answer

- The machine restarts during logon — that is a different fault ([boot loop](https://windows.homes/en/windows/fixes/boot-loop/)).
- Every new profile is also temporary — the profile service itself is broken; check disk health and `sfc`.
- The account is Entra-joined — the profile is recreated by policy; contact the administrator instead of hand-editing.

## Related

- [Windows Hello, PIN and password](https://windows.homes/en/windows/account/hello-pin/)
- [Local account or Microsoft account](https://windows.homes/en/windows/account/local-vs-msa/)
- [Backup that survives ransomware](https://windows.homes/en/windows/security/backup/)

## Lab boundary

E1. Profile behaviour and the event IDs are Microsoft-documented. No profile was corrupted on the lab VMs for this page.

## Sources

- [Microsoft Learn — Troubleshoot Windows client](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/windows-client/)
- [Microsoft Learn — New-LocalUser](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/microsoft.powershell.localaccounts/new-localuser)
- [Microsoft Learn — Accounts CSP](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/client-management/mdm/accounts-csp)

---

Source: https://windows.homes/en/windows/account/profile-corruption/