Microsoft KB Archive/816593

= HOW TO: Identify a Damaged User Profile and Create a New Profile in Windows 2003 =

Article ID: 816593

Article Last Modified on 10/30/2006

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition (32-bit x86)
 * Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition (32-bit x86)
 * Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition (32-bit x86)
 * Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Web Edition
 * Microsoft Windows Server 2003, 64-Bit Datacenter Edition
 * Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Enterprise x64 Edition

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For a Microsoft Windows 2000 version of this article, see 305506.



IN THIS TASK

 * Summary
 * Identify a Damaged Profile
 * Delete and Re-create a Profile

Summary
This article describes how to determine whether a user profile is damaged and how to create a new profile if the profile is damaged.

User profiles automatically create and maintain the desktop settings for each user's work environment on the local computer. A user profile is created for each user when the user logs on to a computer for the first time.

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Identify a Damaged Profile
To determine whether a user account has a damaged user profile, follow these steps:

 Create a new user account. Give it the same rights and group memberships or associations as the account that has the profile that you suspect may be damaged. Copy the user settings in the suspect profile to the profile of the newly created user account. To do this, follow these steps:  Click Start, point to Control Panel, and then click System. Click Advanced, and then under User Profiles, click Settings. Under Profiles stored on this computer, click the suspect user profile, and then click Copy To. In the Copy To dialog box, click Browse. Locate the :\Documents and Settings\  folder, where   is the drive where Windows is installed, and where   is the name of the newly created user profile, and then click OK.</li> Click OK, click Yes to overwrite the folder contents, and then click OK two times.</li></ol> </li> Use the newly-created user account to log on. If you experience the same errors that led you to question the suspect user profile, the user profile is damaged. If you do not experience any errors, it is the user account that is damaged.</li></ol>

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Delete and Re-create a Profile
If the user profile is damaged, you must delete the profile, and then create a new profile for that user. To this, follow these steps:


 * 1) Using an administrator account, log on to the computer that contains the damaged user profile.
 * 2) In Windows Explorer, locate the  :\Documents and Settings\  folder, where   is the drive where Windows is installed and where   is the name of the damaged user profile.
 * 3) Click the folder, and then press DELETE.
 * 4) Click YES, and then log off.
 * 5) Use the account that had the damaged user profile to log on. A new user profile is created for the user.

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Keywords: kbhowto KB816593

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