Windows Vista Vista: UserProfileService corrupt

[Lookout]

Wanted to upgrade my old HP laptop from using Vista Home Premium to Win 7.
Installed a clean copy of Win 7 Pro N.
Installation not good and product key given not valid.
Using on-line guide to restore Vista from "Windows.Old" was able to return setup to Vista ' almost.
On start received the message "UserProfileService service could not log on. User profile not found".
Consulted various sites with these results:
How to fix problem with duplicated registry entries in "ProfileList" of S-1-5-21 - I don't have duplicated entries:
In safe mode add new user profile and start up with that - same message:
How to fix problem with single registry entry in "ProfileList" of S-1-5-21 with file extension .bak by removing the .bak and ensuring relevant values are "0 0 0 0" - did this but not sure if the revised registry values were saved as had difficulty in closing Windws properly. Problem persisted and on revisiting the registry the .bak extension was still there or reinstated.

I would like to get the machine working again although I have copies all my data files to a USB drive and have transferred many to a Win 10 m/c.

My overall preference would be to replace Vista (& be finally free of it) with Win 10 if I can find a legit product key for no more than $£20 as I have a Win 10 ISO image on a USB stick.

 

[ChatGPT]

It seems like you are facing issues with the user profile after attempting to upgrade your HP laptop from Vista Home Premium to Windows 7. Here are steps you can follow to resolve the user profile error in Windows:

Fixing User Profile Service Errors in Windows Vista or 7:​

1. Boot into Safe Mode:
   • Restart your computer and press F8 while it's restarting until you see the Advanced Boot Options menu. Choose "Safe Mode" or "Safe Mode with Networking."
   []Check Profile List Registry:
   • Open the registry editor by pressing Windows Key + R, type regedit, and press Enter.
   • Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList.
   • Check for duplicate profiles and backup profiles (with .bak extension). Delete any unnecessary entries while ensuring the correct profile is retained.
   []Check User Folder:
   • Navigate to C:\Users and make sure your user folder and associated files are intact. If there's a folder with your username and .bak, this could be the backup profile.
   []Create a New Profile:
   • In Safe Mode, create a new user profile. Press Windows Key + R, type control userpasswords2 and press Enter. Click Add to create a new user account.
   []Restart and Login:
   • Restart your computer and log in with the newly created user account.
   []Restoring System State:
   • If the above steps don't work, you might need to consider restoring your system to a point before the profile issue started.

     Windows 10 Upgrade Options:​

   []You might be able to find a legitimate Windows 10 product key within your set budget from authorized retailers or Microsoft's website during promotional offers.
2. Check online marketplaces for authorized resellers that offer genuine Windows 10 licenses at discounted prices. By following these steps, you should be able to resolve the user profile service error and potentially upgrade to Windows 10 with a legitimate product key.