How to fix error error-user-profile-load in Windows 11

Solution Steps

1. 1 First, try restarting your PC. Sometimes the profile fails to load due to a temporary glitch. If the error persists, proceed.
2. 2 Log in with another administrator account (if you have one). If you don't have another account, you can boot into Safe Mode: Restart your PC and press F8 (or Shift + F8) repeatedly before Windows starts. In Safe Mode, you may be able to log in with the built-in Administrator account (if enabled).
3. 3 Once logged in, back up your files from the problematic profile. Navigate to C:\Users\[YourUsername] and copy important files to an external drive or another location. This ensures you don't lose data.
4. 4 Now, fix the profile in the registry. Press Windows key + R, type 'regedit', and press Enter. Navigate to 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList'. Look for a folder that starts with 'S-1-5-21-' and has a long number. Find the one that corresponds to your user account (you can check the 'ProfileImagePath' value to see the username). If there are two folders with similar names, one ending in '.bak', the profile is corrupted. Rename the one without .bak to .bak (e.g., add .old), and then rename the .bak one to remove the .bak. This tells Windows to use the backup profile.
5. 5 Close the Registry Editor and restart your PC. Try logging in again. If the error still occurs, you may need to create a new user profile. Go to Settings → Accounts → Family & other users → Add account. Create a new user account, log into it, and then copy your files from the old profile (which you backed up) to the new profile's folders.
6. 6 If you cannot access the registry or create a new account, you can use System Restore: Press Windows key + R, type 'rstrui', and press Enter. Choose a restore point before the error started and follow the prompts.