Last night I tried to reset my PC’s local C drive (which contains Windows 10 and some personal files) but afterwards I kept getting a log in error (this says: The User Profile Service service failed the sign-in. User profile cannot be loaded).
My intention was to get rid of any bloatware slowing down my PC because I’ve just installed some new parts, and upgrade to Windows 11 after the reset. I have a C and D drive but I backed up all important things on external removal hard drives so I don’t have an issue wiping everything and starting from scratch … I just can’t seem to do it.
Here’s the following things I did to try and remedy this, based on advice from tech-savvy friends and forums:

  1. Restarting a bunch of times.
  2. Booting into safe mode to restart and trying every option there (use a USB device - more on that later, troubleshoot: start up repair says it can’t find an issue, troubleshoot: UEFI Firmware goes no where, troubleshoot: command prompt - more on that later, troubleshoot: system restore says there isn’t a restore point, troubleshoot: uninstall updates both options have error messages, troubleshoot: system image recovery says there isn’t a system image file).
  3. Shutting down and waiting a bit to restart.
  4. Reinstalling windows locally because when I try to do it via cloud I get an error.
  5. Tried to follow this advice [https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/windows-10-the-user-profile-service-service-failed/ca6ce5f8-4482-40bc-8b0d-7dcc442f0998\] but method 1 step 2 comes up as invalid. Also method 2 comes up as invalid.
  6. Tried to follow this advice [https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/fix-a-corrupted-user-profile-in-windows-1cf41c18-7ce3-12f9-8e1d-95896661c5c9\] but I don’t have a start menu so cannot run mmc.
  7. Tried to follow this advice [https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/troubleshoot-problems-signing-in-to-windows-298cfd5f-df1f-c66b-36ad-f2a61a73baad\] but unable to create temporary profile or sign in with different account.
  8. Changed my BIOS boot priority to be the USB, which got me to a Windows installer screen but no drives could be found so nothing could move forward. Also when I F8 legacy boot it just loops through a restart with the same log in error page.
  9. Created Windows 10 installation media using my Macbook Pro laptop and a 32 GB FAT32-formatted USB. Will not install or run using command prompt, will not be found during the Windows installer screen.
  10. Created Windows 11 installation media using my Macbook Pro laptop and a 32 GB FAT32-formatted USB. Will not install or run using command prompt, will not be found during the Windows installer screen.
  11. Tried to create a new account and give that admin access using command prompt. It says successful but then when I close and go to log in, there is nothing there and I have to create it all again, just for it to disappear again.
  12. Tried to check the status of my drives in command prompt but it says there is nothing at all. Also get a lot of error messages from command prompt in general when I’m try to use it.

I’ve used a selection of USB 3.0 and 2.0, connected directly to the motherboard and part of the PC case, but none of that works for the installation media. I don’t have a disc reader so can’t do that.
If the UEFI boots, I can see my drives but clicking every option says nothing is found. Except the USB drive which says I have to format it to use it (even when I format it, then it is empty and I have to read the installer). I have no idea what the Boot Drive is, I’ve never seen that before. And when I go into my C drive and D drive, the contents have been switched (I store personal files on C and games on D, but C appears to now have my games and D my files, even though it’s all meant to have been wiped).
The PC is connected to the internet via ethernet cable so not sure why there is a cloud error to try installing Windows that way.
Truly I am running out of brain cells to figure this out.

  • pcbeg@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    I have seen same problem when windows was prepared on MacOS (there was post few days ago), like some of default drivers was missing. Use windows pc and microsoft media creation tool.

  • The_Great_Worm@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    Have you thought of hardware problems? try unplugging the sata cable from both the motherboard and harddrive, and unplugging the power on both ends.

    then plug it all back in, try booting. You have ruled out a bad connection.

    Next try another sata cable, maybe its broken. Try another sata port on the motherboard.

    Try and attach it to another machine, maybe through a usb external drive. See if it shows up.

    • laytons-aid@alien.topOPBEnglish
      1·
      1 year ago

      Thanks for this, I’ll see if my friend tomorrow can help me with this as I’m not the most confident with handling hardware plus I have no other Windows machines to use for testing.

  • Scragglymonk@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    would reset the pc and bios to factory defaults, then reinstall windows on boot drive

    pull the leads out of the non windows drives until sorted

    C:\ is boot drive, ie what windows boots / loads / starts from

    won’t hurt to take out the components and even to remove cpu cooler and apply fresh thermal paste once the old paste is cleaned off

    • laytons-aid@alien.topOPBEnglish
      1·
      1 year ago

      Doing this now 👍 however I don’t think the last line will be helpful since I literally installed a new MOBO, CPU + cooler with thermal paste on Sunday night and everything worked perfectly until I tried to reset.

    • laytons-aid@alien.topOPBEnglish
      1·
      1 year ago

      I’ll be visiting a friend tomorrow who has a Windows PC and can check I am using a working USB

  • laytons-aid@alien.topOPBEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    UPDATE: problem is now solved and windows 11 is installed. All it took was a USB made by a PC rather than my Mac 🥳 thank you everyone for your advice, it made me feel much less scared and confused by the repeating error ❤️