Issues signing into Microsoft HP account

[Oduval]

I have an HP envy laptop that is giving me issues logging in. 

When I try to login to my account it takes longer than usual to load and I'm met with a "preparing Windows" message while this is happening. Once it finally loads I get a "could not sign into account" error message and it loads me into a blank account.

I've tried restarting the laptop but I keep getting the same result (sometimes without the message saying it couldn't login to my account, but it still logs me into a blank account with different wallpaper and settings). I can still access the files on my original account by going to >file explorer>this pc>users so everything appears to still be here. I just can't run any of the programs that I have installed on my profile. 

Any idea what could be causing this problem and what can be done to resolve it? 

[A_Gayathri]

Hi @Oduval,

Welcome to The HP Support Community.  

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.

I understand you are facing an issue with your HP Envy laptop is having issues logging into your user profile, and it's defaulting to a temporary profile. This is likely related to a corruption or issue with your user profile, which can prevent proper login. Fortunately, the fact that you can access your files indicates they are still intact, but the temporary profile means your usual settings and programs aren't loading correctly.
 

Here’s what you can try to resolve the issue:

1. Check for Profile Corruption

• Access Event Viewer:
  1. Press Windows + R, type eventvwr, and press Enter.
  2. Navigate to Windows Logs > Application.
  3. Look for errors related to user profile service (e.g., "The User Profile Service failed the logon"). This will confirm if the profile is corrupted.

2. Restart in Safe Mode

• Boot into Safe Mode to see if the issue persists.
  1. Press Windows + I to open Settings.
  2. Go to Update & Security > Recovery.
  3. Under Advanced Startup, click Restart now.
  4. Once restarted, choose Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings, and select Safe Mode.
  5. Log into your account in Safe Mode. If the issue doesn’t occur, it’s likely a program or service causing the problem during normal boot.

3. Repair User Profile Using Registry Editor

• If the profile is corrupted, you can attempt to fix it through the registry:
  1. Press Windows + R, type regedit, and press Enter.
  2. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList.
  3. Look for two identical profile keys, one of which may have a .bak extension.
  4. Rename the one without .bak by adding .bak, and remove .bak from the other.
  5. Restart your laptop and try logging in again.

4. Create a New Local User Account

If the above steps don't resolve the issue, you may need to create a new user profile and transfer your files over:

1. Press Windows + I, go to Accounts > Family & other users.
2. Click Add someone else to this PC.
3. Create a new local account, sign in to that account, and transfer your files from the old profile via File Explorer.

5. Run System File Checker (SFC) and DISM

Corrupted system files might also cause the problem:

1. Press Windows + X and select Command Prompt (Admin).
2. Type the following commands, pressing Enter after each:
   • sfc /scannow
   • DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
3. Wait for the scans to complete and then restart your computer.

6. Reset Your PC Without Losing Files

If nothing works, consider resetting the PC while keeping your files:

1. Go to Settings > Update & Security > Recovery.
2. Under Reset this PC, select Get started and choose Keep my files.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions to reset Windows.

I hope this helps. 

Take care and have a good day.

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. 

[Oduval]

Thanks for the reply and tips; after failing to resolve the issue I found a video on YouTube that suggested doing a system restore. That seems to have resolved the issue, for now at least. I will keep these tips you posted in case the issue returns and system restore doesn't work. 

Thanks again!