How to Fix Temporary Profile in Windows 7

 

 

Sometimes Windows 7 OS may not read your correct user profile properly, instead, load with temporary profile which will look completely different.  If you are not aware of temp profile or missed to see the pop-up message at bottom right side of the screen, then really you will be surprised to see completely different and new desktop without your files,folders,shortcut icons and any customized settings.This guide shows how to fix temporary profile issue on Windows 7.

“You have been logged on with Temporary profile”- that’s the famous message from Windows 7. Even though this article was published back in 2010, I’m rewriting this again on August 2012 with more information, inputs, related links and the experience I had on this issue for last two years in domain and workgroup environment.

Why Windows 7 Loads with Temporary Profile?

Obviously, your profile (the files and folders located under C:\Users\user_name) is corrupted. There is another chance which is a delay in reading your profile files due to Antivirus scan or something else during boot up. Usually after typing your user name and password Windows tries to read and load your profile, if it gets corrupted or delay in reading, Windows will load with temp profile to give temporary access on computer.

How to Fix Windows 7 Temp Issue on Workgroup and Domain Environment

1) Before do anything, restart the computer 2 or 3 times to see whether it’s going back to your old correct profile. Go to next step if this doesn’t work.

2) Rename the temp profile registry and revert back the old registry settings for the correct profile. This method works most of the time for me in Workgroup and domain environment.

a)      Log in with temp profile.
b)      Start registry editor by typing regedit in find box of Windows 7.
c)      Navigate the following location.

d)      You will see similar keys under profile list, but one with .bak, as shown below.

e)      The key with .bak is for the correct old profile. Currently your Windows 7 computer logged in with fresh (temporary) profile with same key. So, rename the new profile key ( which is not having.bak) and remove .bak from correct profile key. See below.

f)      That’s it. Log off and log in (or restart) with your user name and password. You must get your correct profile with icons and profile settings back in Windows 7, if you are lucky enough.

Still if Windows 7 computer loads with temporary profile and creates a registry key with .bak, that means user profile is really corrupted and Operating System is not reading it properly.

 

3) Few times this method worked for me,  repair the corrupted files. Usually the corrupted ‘Ntuser’ files cause this issue. So, run the check disk for partition which is having user profile.

After restarting for check disk, if you see corrupted entries and repairing process inside your user profile folder, then you can hope for good news here. If it finds and repairs any files especially Ntuser files, you may get your old Windows 7 profile back.

If above steps do not help you out, then we need to create a new profile with new user name.

Basically we need to create a new user account, login with it and transfer the data from old user profile to new user profile. It is easy in workgroup environment as you can create new user name locally, but it is tricky in domain environment. Because, the existing user account is already there on domain server and nothing wrong with it. Also, creating a new different domain user account will cause issues on corporate emails, domain groups membership and shared permissions.

So, we need to treat both cases separately.

4) Create new user name in non domain (workgroup environment) from control panel or computer management.  Make sure to add the new user to administrators group.

Login with new user name and start copying your old data from old profile. I normally copy below data,

a) My Documents (Music, videos and downloads)
b) Desktop
c) Favorites
d) Any outlook PST files (find more information about location of PST files here)

But Microsoft suggests to copy entire old user profile (except 3 files) as shown in this official site link.

 

5) New user profile in domain environment.

Since we can’t delete and create new domain user account for this purpose, we will play around with client computer only. Let’s completely remove the user profile and re create again.

Copy the important user data (a to d in above step 4) or entire folders from corrupted profile to new location. Double-check that you have copied all required folders and files from old profile, because we are going to delete it now.

Go to Advanced settings of System as shown below, click on Settings (user profiles), select the corrupted user profile which is not loading properly in Windows 7, then press Delete button. Delete button will be enabled only if you login with different user account.

This will remove the entire user profile and related user SID from computer including the registery keys we talked about earlier. You can cross check the proper removal of user account (SID) by checking the C:\Usersfolder. Once it is remove properly, restart the computer and login with same user name (which was not loading earlier). The computer should create a new user profile as this is the first time the user is logging on. You need to copy back your old important data to new profile and set email outlook etc..if required.

I hope these tips help to fix temporary profile issue on Windows 7.

Creating Disks and Volumes Using the DiskPart Command

The following examples show how to create basic and dynamic disks using the DiskPart command.

Example 1: Creating basic disks using the DiskPart command.

1. Select a disk, whether it is Raw or dynamic disk, and convert it to basic storage type.

   X:\windows\system32\DR>diskpart
   

   Display existing disks.

   DISKPART>list disk
   

   DISKPART>list volume
   

   Create the boot and system volume on disk 0
   

   DISKPART>select disk 0
   

   (Optional) Convert to GPT style, if needed

   DISKPART>convert gpt
   

2. Create basic volumes for the System and Boot volume.
   Create System volume

   DISKPART>create partition primary size=100
   

   Create Boot volume

   DISKPART>create partition primary
   

   DISKPART> list volume
   

3. Mark system partition as active.

   DISKPART>list partition
   

   DISKPART>select partition 1
   

   DISKPART>active
   

   Check the status of the system volume.

   DISKPART> detail partition.
   

   Note: Use active command only for the system partition.
4. (Optional) Assign the volume a drive letter and format it.

   DISKPART>list volume
   

   DISKPART>select volume 2
   

   DISKPART>assign letter=C
   

   DISKPART>format quick
   

Example 2: Creating a System and a Boot dynamic volume using the DiskPart command.

1. Select a disk, whether it is Raw or Basic disk, and convert it to a dynamic storage type.

   X:\windows\system32\DR>diskpart
   

   Display existing disks.

   DISKPART>list disk
   

   DISKPART>list volume
   

   Create the boot and system volume on disk 0.
   

   DISKPART>select disk 0 
   

   (Optional) Convert to GPT style if needed.

   DISKPART>convert gpt
   

   DISKPART>convert dynamic 
   

2. Create simple dynamic volumes for the System and Boot volume.
   Create a system volume.

   DISKPART>create volume simple size=100 
   

   Create a boot volume.

   DISKPART> create volume simple   
   

   Display created volumes.

   DISKPART> list volume
   

   Prepare volume 0 as the system volume.

   DISKPART>select volume 0 
   

   DISKPART>retain
   

   Prepare volume 1 as the boot volume.

   DISKPART>select volume 1
   

   DISKPART>retain  
   

   DISKPART> select disk 0
   

3. (Optional) Mark the system partition as active.
   Display partitions.

   DISKPART>list partition
   

   DISKPART>select partition 2
   

   DISKPART>active  
   

   Check the status of the system volume.

   DISKPART> detail partition 
   

   
4. (Optional) Assign the volume to a drive letter and format it.

   DISKPART>list volume
   

   DISKPART>select volume 1
   

   DISKPART>assign letter=C
   

   X:\windows\system32\DR>format C: /q
   

   Note: If you created a UEFI System partition, format it to a FAT32 file system before you can restore data. You do not need to run the retain command.

Example 3: Creating a non-system/boot disk volume using the DiskPart command.

1. Select disks and convert to a Dynamic storage type.

   X:\windows\system32\DR>diskpart
   

   Display current disks and volumes.

   DISKPART>list disk  
   

   DISKPART>list volume
   

   Convert each disk except Disk 0 to dynamic disks.

   DISKPART>select disk 1
   

   DISKPART>convert dynamic 
   

   DISKPART>select disk 2
   

   DISKPART>convert dynamic 
   

   DISKPART>select disk 3
   

   DISKPART>convert dynamic 
   

2. Create RAID-5 volumes on each disk. Similarly, you can create simple, stripe, or other dynamic disk types.

   create volume raid disk=1,2,3
   

   
3. (Optional) Assign the volume to a drive letter and format it.

   DISKPART>list volume
   

   DISKPART>assign letter=E
   

   X:\windows\system32\DR>format E: /q
   

Example 4: Creating UEFI system volume and boot volume

1. Select disks and convert to the GPT type.

   X:\windows\system32\DR> diskpart
   

   Display the existing disks.

   DISKPART>list disk
   

   DISKPART>select disk 0 
   

   To create UEFI partition, disks must be converted to GPT type first.

   DISKPART>convert gpt
   

2. Create the UEFI System partition.
   Create the UEFI partition.

   DISKPART>create partition efi size=100
   

   Create the MSR partition.

   DISKPART> create partition msr size=128
   

   Create the primary partition.

   DISKPART> create partition primary
   

   DISKPART>convert dynamic
   

   DISKPART>list volume 
   

   
3. Retain the boot volume.

   DISKPART>select volume 1
   

   DISKPART>assign letter=C
   

   DISKPART>retain
   

4. (Optional) Format the system volume to FAT32.
   Prepare volume 2 as system volume.

   DISKPART>select volume 2
   

   DISKPART>format fs=fat32 quick
   

   DISKPART>list partition
   

   
   Note: You only need to retain the boot volume. To restore data to the UEFI partition, the master server should be UEFI partitioned.

Example 5: Creating Mirrored system volume and boot volume.

The following steps describe how to create mirrored disks on UEFI volume. For more information about mirrored disk on UEFI volume refer to Microsoft document at this link: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/951985

1. Select disk 0 and create the primary UEFI boot/system volume.

   DISKPART>list disk
   

   DISKPART>select disk 0 
   

   DISKPART>convert gpt
   

   DISKPART>create partition efi size=100
   

   DISKPART> create partition msr size=128
   

   DISKPART> create partition primary 
   

   DISKPART>convert dynamic
   

   DISKPART>list volume 
   

   DISKPART>select volume 1
   

   DISKPART>assign letter=C
   

2. Select disk 4 as the secondary disk to create boot/system volume.

   DISKPART>list disk
   

   DISKPART>select disk 4 
   

   DISKPART>convert gpt
   

   DISKPART>list partition
   

   (Optional, delete existing partition) Select partition 1 on disk 4, and then delete it with the override command.

   DISKPART> Select partition 1
   

   DISKPART> Delete partition override
   

   DISKPART>create partition efi size=100
   

   DISKPART> create partition msr size=128
   

   DISKPART>list partition
   

   DISKPART>convert dynamic
   

3. Establish a mirror from the boot volume to the secondary drive.

   DISKPART>select volume C
   

   DISKPART>add disk=4
   

   DISKPART>retain
   

4. (Optional) Format the system volume with FAT32.

   DISKPART>list volume
   

   DISKPART> select volume 1
   

   DISKPART> format fs=fat32 quick
   

   DISKPART> select volume 2
   

   DISKPART> format fs=fat32 quick

Deleting blocked caused by thumb.db on Windows 2008 as a file server

Would you consider completely disabling thumbnail generation a valid option? That would certainly work. Though it comes at the cost of some usability.

Group policy User User \ Administrative Templates \ Windows Components \ Windows Explorer

Turns off the caching of thumbnails in hidden thumbs.db files.

This policy setting allows you to configure Windows Explorer to cache thumbnails of items residing in network folders in hidden thumbs.db files.

If you enable this policy setting, Windows Explorer does not create, read from, or write to thumbs.db files. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, Windows Explorer creates, reads from, and writes to thumbs.db files.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here are my own detailed instructions, written against Windows 7 but likely the same for Vista:

1. Run "**gpedit.msc**" directly using the Start menu. (You may also be able to find an "**Edit group policy**" control panel searching by name, but I couldn't find its icon listed anywhere under "All Control Panel Items". Go figure!)
2. In the left-hand pane, expand User Configuration, then Administrative Templates, then Windows Components.
3. Under Windows Components what was just expanded, select Windows Explorer.
4. In the right-hand pane, sort by Setting, then scroll down and find the setting named "**Turn off the caching of thumbnails in hidden thumbs.db files**". Double-click it, set it to Enabled, and then clickApply.
5. Log off Windows, and then log back on again.

Within Windows Explorer, you should now be able to delete the Thumbs.db files that you come across on the network (as long as another machine isn't currently locking the file), and the computer shouldn't create them again.

Also worth knowing: In Vista and Windows 7, Thumbs.db applies to network folders only. For local folders, Vista and Windows 7 instead save thumbnail cache information to a database in a local folder at "**%userprofile%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer**"

---

UPDATE: I just had to do this on another machine and was irritated by the steps, so I did a before/after comparison of a complete registry export. So, the registry equivalent for disabling Thumbs.db creation on network shares in Windows Vista and Windows 7 is:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer]
"DisableThumbsDBOnNetworkFolders"=dword:00000001 

If you place that content in its own text file (e.g. with Notepad) with a .REG extension, you can double-click to import on any Windows Vista or Windows 7 machine to apply the setting. Be careful editing your registry directly.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thumbs.db is a hidden file, so the easiest way to not see it as litter would be to simply tell Windows to not show hidden files. Of course if you use the command line a lot or have other hidden files you need to see then this won't help.

I found an article that mentions the ability to disable thumbnail caching by modifying a registry key. If the option to disable thumbnail caching is missing in Vista / Windows 7 then maybe you can still do it that way.

1. Open the Registry Editor (regedit.exe).
2. Navigate to the following registry branch:
   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\
3. On the right pane, double click on DisableThumbnailCache value, and set its value data as 1. If the registry key of DisableThumbnailCache does not exists, create a new DWORD value with that name.
4. Exit Registry Editor.
5. Logoff and login again, or restart the computer for the changes to take effect.

Another option may be to simply turn off the display of thumbnail previews in Windows Explorer:

1. Click on the Start button, then on All Programs, follow by Accessories.
2. Run Windows Explorer.
3. In Windows Explorer window, click on Organize button on the menu/shortcut bar.
4. In the pull down menu, click on Folder and Search Options.
5. Folder Options dialog window will appear. Click on View tab.
6. Under the Files and Folders tree heading, check (tick) the checkbox next to Always show icons, never thumbnails option.
7. Click the OK button.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Problem installing Net framework 4 on windows 7 (64bit)

"This issue is likely caused by a bad ACL on assembly\tmp folder. After installing updates, the ACL propagates to installed assembly folders in both 4.0 & legacy GAC.  If those updates were installed by WU or another user, the propagated ACL will prevent install of the same assembly by the current user.

A work around would be to reset the ACL on GAC dirs.

for /F %D in ('dir %WINDIR%\assembly %WINDIR%\Microsoft.NET\assembly /s /b /a:d') do takeown /F %D && icacls %D /reset /T"

After running that command, follow these steps:

Please follow these instructions exactly:

1. Download a fresh copy of the standalone installer for .NET Framework 4.0:

http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?displaylang=en&id=17718

2. Also, clear your %temp% directory and disable your AV software.

The %temp% directory is a reference to the Temp folder associated with the current user. To clear it, do the following:

Sign on to your system with the Administrator user account you will use to run the installer. Click the Start Orb and type %temp% in the search box. The search results will show the Temp folder you want. Click on the Temp folder to open it in Windows Explorer, then delete the entire contents.

3. Run the standalone installer from step 1 As Administrator.

Note: Just using an administrator account is NOT enough. To activate full privileges, you must right-click the installer, then select Run as administrator.

If the install fails, provide complete install logs as follows:

Please collect your install logs with this:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=E0DA314F-6216-4A18-BC6B-7D29CF83AF20&displaylang=e&displaylang=en

After you run Collect.exe, you'll find vslogs.cab in your %temp% directory. Please upload vslogs.cab to a public site, like SkyDrive, and post the link here.

If you are unable to remove and reinstall .NET Framework 4.0 successfully, then install the updates, you will have to consider an OS reinstall.

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