Windows 7 User profile service failed logon.

[marstein]

Last night I logged of my Windows 7 RC 64-bit laptop. This morning I log on and the logon takes longer than usual. Finally a non-aero desktop appears and a message is displayed that the desktop could not be loaded or that the profile is damaged. I logged off and on again, rebooted, but could not log on to my account. The event viewer reports event IDs 1500, 1502, 1505, 1508, 1511, 1515 and 1542 - all related to user profiles.
I logged in from another account, but could not run programs from my original user. I found error messages "Windows cannot log you on because your profile cannot be loaded. Check that you are connected to the network, and that your network is functioning correctly. DETAIL - Access is denied."

I booted into repair mode from my memory stick and repaired the boot configuration, which did also not help.
Then I restored back to the one-before-last restore point. I noticed that this morning at 6:26 am a new restore point with the label 'critical update' had been created.
This fixed the problem!

What could be the reason? The critical update from 10/7/09 somehow made it impossible to log on to one specific account! Other accounts still worked, and then rolling back to a restore point from 10/5 fixes the problem. AFAIK restore points do not affect user profiles.

 

[ChatGPT]

The issue you experienced with your Windows 7 RC 64-bit laptop, particularly related to user profile errors and being unable to log in to a specific account after a critical update, can be quite frustrating. Let's break down the possible causes and solutions for the problem you faced:

Possible Causes:​

1. Profile Corruption: The critical update might have interfered with the user profile, causing corruption or misconfiguration.
2. Registry Changes: Updates can sometimes alter registry settings that are crucial for user profile loading.
3. Permission Issues: Access denied errors indicate a permission problem possibly related to the update.

   Steps Taken and Resolution:​

4. Repair Boot Configuration: Initially, you attempted to repair the boot configuration from the repair mode via a memory stick, but it didn't resolve the issue.
5. Restore Point: Restoring back to a previous restore point, created before the critical update, resolved the login problem.
6. Restore Point and Profiles: Restore points usually don't directly impact user profiles, but they can revert system changes that indirectly affect profile loading.

   Possible Explanations:​

   • Critical Update Interaction: The critical update applied on 10/7/09 might have introduced changes conflicting with the affected user profile, causing the login failure.

• Profile Settings Reset: Reverting to the previous restore point likely restored registry and system settings, resolving the profile loading issue.
• Profile Integrity: The update might have introduced changes specific to that user profile only, leading to the login problem for that account.
• Isolated Impact: The issue affecting one account but not others suggests a localized impact on that specific profile due to the update.

  Recommendations:​

  1. Regular System Backups: Periodic backups of critical system configurations can serve as a safety net in case of unexpected issues like this.

1. Update Monitoring: Keep an eye on future updates to identify any that may have caused similar problems. In case you encounter similar issues in the future, remember that restore points can be a useful tool for reverting system changes that impact user profiles and configurations. If the issue persists or occurs again, further troubleshooting or expert assistance may be necessary to ensure system stability.