How to Recover Deleted User Profile Folder in Windows 10 & 11?

User Case

What Happens When You Delete a User Profile in Windows 10?

A user profile in Windows 10 serves as your personalized workspace within the operating system, storing all your unique configurations and personal data. This includes your desktop background and icons, important documents and pictures, downloaded files, application settings, browser bookmarks, and custom configurations for both Windows and installed programs. Every time you log in, Windows loads this specific profile to maintain your individualized computing experience.

Each time you log in, Windows loads your specific profile to maintain your personalized computing environment. deleting a user profile has several immediate consequences including:

1. Loss of Personal Files

All documents, pictures, music, and other data stored in the profile's folders (Desktop, Documents, Downloads, etc.) are removed.

2. Reset of Custom Settings

Windows reverts to default settings for: Desktop appearance (wallpaper, icons) ; Start menu layout and application preferences.

3. Application Configuration Issues

Programs may lose their user-specific settings and some apps may require reconfiguration or reinstallation.

4. Login Changes

The user account still exists in Windows and next login creates a fresh, empty profile.

While the profile is deleted from the system, the actual files may still exist on the hard drive until overwritten. So, next critical question is: how to recover deleted user profile in Windows 10 or Windows 11.

How to Recover Deleted User Profile Windows 10?

If you’ve deleted a user profile in Windows 10 or 11, don’t panic—your files and settings may still be recoverable. Here are the most effective methods to restore a deleted user profile:

Method 1. Recover User Profile via System Restore

If you have created a system restore point before accidentally deleting user profile folder in Windows 10 or Windows 11, you can take the following steps to return your system to its previous state and recover the lost user profile account.

Step 1. Search for "Create a System Restore Point" in the Start menu. Click "Open" then.

Step 2. Click on "System Restore".

Step 3. Choose a system point which is created before the user profile is removed by accident.

Step 4. Follow the onscreen instructions to finish the system recovery.

If you cannot boot into Windows as usual due to the deleted user profile, please reboot your PC into WinRE mode using installation or setup media, and perform the system restore: In WinRE, open "Troubleshoot", go to "Advanced Options", and choose "System Restore". Pick the desired restore point and follow the prompts to complete the restoration.

Method 2. Restore Deleted User Profile via Registry Editor

If a Windows user profile is accidentally deleted but its folder (C:\Users\) still exists, you can manually restore it by editing the registry.

Step 1. Find out your SID (Security Identifier): Open Command Prompt as administrator; in the elevated Command Prompt window, type the "whoami /user"command and hit Enter. Then this command will query the system to your SID of the current user account.

Step 2. Copy your SID: Once the SID appears, manually copy the full SID string and paste it into a text document for later use.

Step 3. Open Registry Editor: press "Win+R", input "regedit" and press on "Enter".

Step 4. Navigate to the profile list:

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList

Step 5. Locate the deleted user profile: here, you’ll see SID (Security Identifier) keys (e.g., "S-1-5-21-...").

Once you have located the correct SID in the Registry Editor, take one of the following 3 actions based on your actual situation to restore the deleted user profile in Windows 11 or Windows 10.

• Delete the Duplicated Folder

If the SID is listed twice, one endingwith .BAK (backup/valid entry) and one withoutextension (the problematic entry). then you need to delete the folder without the BAK extension.

• Rename the BAK folder

Right-click the SID folder that has the BAK extension and select "Rename".Remove the .bak from the end and hit "Enter" to save the change.

• Change the Folder Path and State

Select the SID folder under the ProfileListand double click the "ProfileImagePath" string from the right-hand pane.Enter the correct path of your user profile (such as C:UsersEmily) and click on "OK" to save changes.

Double click the "State" string from the right-hand pane, and then change its Value data to "0"and click on "OK".

Double click the "Flags", change its Value data to "0"and click on "OK" as well.

When you completed all operations, close the Registry Editor and restore your computer. Then check whether the deleted user profile is back or not. If the user profile is still not recovered, explorethe following methods.

Method 3. Restore Deleted User Profile Folder From File History

The above two methods are focusing on recovering deleted user profile in Windows computer. If you need to recover personal files (Documents, Pictures, Videos, etc.) from a deleted user profile, File History (Windows' built-in backup feature) can help—provided it was enabled beforehand.

Step 1. Open "Settings" > "Update & Security" > "Backup" or "Files Backup".

Step 2 Click "More Options".

Step 3. Scroll down to the bottom and click "Restore files from a current backup".

Step 4. Choose the user profile folder and click on "Restore" button.

In addition to restoring user folders from File History control panel, you can also restore in Windows File Explorer: 1. Right-click the "C:\Users" folder and select "Restore previous versions."

2. Choose a shadow copy from before the deletion.

3. Click "Open" and copy the deleted user profile folder to a safe location.

Method 4. Restore Deleted User Profile Data via MyRecover

If File History was not enabled, or you need to recover permanently deleted files from a user profile (e.g., Documents, Downloads, Desktop items), third-party tools like MyRecover can help.

★This method is useful when:

Accidental User Profile Deletion/Loss: Entire C:\Users\ folder deleted manually or by cleanup tools. User data lost after OS upgrade/reinstallation.

Permanently Deleted Files (Shift + Delete): Files deleted via Shift + Delete (bypassing Recycle Bin)like removing data from USB flash drive, SD card, etc.Files lost after Recycle Bin emptying.

Formatted/Deleted Drive: Accidental disk/partition formatting or delettion (e.g., C: drive).Partition table corruption making user folders inaccessible.

System Crash/Blue Screen (BSOD): Windows fails to boot, making user files inaccessible.Corrupted OS with intact disk data.Creates bootable media to recover files without OS dependency.

Virus/Malware Attack: Ransomware encryption or virus deletion of user data. Hidden/locked files by malware.

RAW Drive/Unrecognized File System: Drive shows as "RAW" in Disk Management."File system not recognized" errors

To recover deleted user profile data using MyRecover, please first install it onto your computer and then following the steps.

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Step 1. Open the software, choose the C: drive and click on "Scan" button.

Step 2. It will scan the drive for all missing files. Once done, the software will display all recoverable files in the right list. Tick the target files or folder and click on "Recover".

Step 3 (optional). You can preview the files before final recovery.

Step 4. Choose a different drive to save the recovered user profile data.

When the recovery process is finished, you can check how many files have been restored successively and where you can access them. If your Windows cannot boot up, use MyRecover to create a bootable media and then recover files without booting into Windows.

Further Reading

The method 3 and method 4 aim to restore deleted user profile data, but not the account. If you want to recover deleted user profile account and the data, you have to take some extra steps to create a new user account and move recovered files into it.

Part 1. Create a New User Account

Run the command "net user administrator /active: yes"in the Command Prompt windowand hit Enter.This command willenable the hidden administrator account on your computer.

• Restart the computer.
• Go to "Settings"> "Accounts"> "Family & other users."

• Click "Add someone else to this PC" and follow the on-screen guidelines to complete the process.

Part 2. Move Recovered Data to the New User Account

• Restart your PC and log into the administrator account.
• Open Windows File Explorer, and navigate to C:/Users/new created account name.
• Copy and paste all the restored user profiles data into the new one.

Summary

In summary, recovering a deleted user profile on Windows 10 involves several approaches depending on your available backups and system configuration. First, use System Restore to roll back to a point before the deletion occurred. If that isn’t possible, you can repair the profile in the registry by restoring or renaming the appropriate SID keys and correcting their paths.

If you need only your personal files, leverage File Historyto restore the Documents, Pictures, and other folders.No built‑in backup exists? MyRecover canhelp recover deleted files without requiring any prior backup. Choose one method based on your requirements.