P
PC FIX
Windows

User profile is corrupted and settings disappear after logging in

If “temporary profile” is recurring, it is better to narrow it down to user profile registry or file corruption or disk errors rather than changing multiple settings all at once. Please check separately the login method such as PIN/password, network, and user profile.

Solving Order
We've organized the methods starting with the simplest and least expensive ones. Please check the solutions one by one, starting from the top.

Do you have these symptoms?

  • temporary profile
  • Account profile corruption
  • Desktop settings disappear
  • user profile service failed

main causes

  • User profile registry or file corruption
  • disk error

How to solve

Please check them in order from the top. If the issue is resolved, you do not need to proceed to the next step.

1

Restart your PC and check network status

Rule out temporary Windows Hello status and online account sync issues.

Difficulty Easy time 5 minutes cost 0 won
  1. 1At the login screen, select Power → Restart.
  2. 2If you have a Microsoft account, check your Internet connection.
  3. 3If you have another sign-in option, such as a password instead of a PIN, try it.

confirmation point

See if your “temporary profile” symptoms decrease or disappear after these steps. If there is no change, the next step also checks for possible user profile registry or file corruption.

2

Use different sign-in options

You can separate PIN issues from account password issues.

Difficulty Easy time 5-10 minutes cost 0 won
  1. 1Select a sign-in option.
  2. 2Sign in with your account password or another supported method instead of your PIN.
  3. 3After logging in, reset your PIN.
3

Check the same symptom in safe mode

Safe mode loads only a minimal number of drivers and services, which is helpful in narrowing down the cause.

Difficulty Moderate time 10-20 minutes cost 0 won
  1. 1Go to Settings → System → Recovery → Advanced startup.
  2. 2After restarting, select Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup Settings → Restart.
  3. 3See if the issue reproduces in safe mode.

confirmation point

In safe mode, if normal, third-party drivers, services, and startup programs are suspected first.

4

Check if your user profile is corrupted

If the issue occurs only with a temporary profile or with a specific account, it may be a problem with the profile itself.

Difficulty Moderate time 20~60 minutes cost 0 won
  1. 1If you have another administrator account, log in.
  2. 2Create a new user account to see if the issue reproduces.
  3. 3Back up important files of the existing profile and then proceed with recovery.
5

Revert recent changes

If the problem started immediately after installing an update, driver, or new program, a recent change may be the cause.

Difficulty Moderate time 10~30 minutes cost 0 won
  1. 1Find out when the problem first started.
  2. 2If there are any programs, drivers, or updates that were installed just before, uninstall or roll them back one by one.
  3. 3Reboot every time you make a change and check for symptoms.

Frequently Asked Questions

We've put together a list of things we frequently check regarding this issue.

Related issues

If the symptoms do not match exactly, please check the issue below.

Windows

Unable to sign in to your Windows account

If you are seeing the “Windows won’t log in” symptom, possible causes include account authentication issues or a corrupted user profile. Please check separately the login method such as PIN/password, network, and user profile.

View solutions →
Windows

An error message appears saying that Windows Hello PIN cannot be used.

If “PIN cannot be used” repeats, it is better to narrow it down to TPM/Windows Hello data issues or authentication configuration errors after update rather than changing multiple settings all at once. Please check separately the login method such as PIN/password, network, and user profile.

View solutions →
Windows

Reset This PC Fails

If the current symptom is closer to “PC initialization failure,” first check the recovery environment, system file corruption, or disk error. Check system file recovery, storage device status, and recent system changes together.

View solutions →
Windows

Problems with corrupted Windows system files

If you are seeing “system file corruption” symptoms, possible causes include abnormal termination, disk errors, etc. Check system file recovery, storage device status, and recent system changes together.

View solutions →

Look for other symptoms too

If you enter the symptoms you are currently seeing in the PC FIX search box, we will find the related problem.

Search for other issues →