If you accidentally deleted your user profile or removed a user account in Windows. Follow the 5 feasible methods on this page to recover deleted User Profiles in Windows 11/10/8/7 easily.
Have you ever encountered a situation where your Windows 10 user profile disappeared and worried about losing all your important data? When a user profile is deleted, Windows removes it from the login screen. In this case, you can’t log in to Windows. Also, Windows might create a temporary profile, which you can use for one session.
Therefore, you'll need to recover the lost profile data eventually. How to recover deleted user profiles in Windows 10/11/8/7? Can deleted Windows profiles be recovered? Yes, you can recover deleted profiles.
We will show you how to undelete profiles in Windows and recover your precious data in this guide. Here are 5 effective methods, from using built-in Windows features to third-party software like MyRecover. So, let’s get started and get your lost user profiles back!
Let's break down the common reasons why this might happen and how to prevent it.
π§¨Accidental Deletion: Sometimes, user profiles get deleted by mistake. This can happen if you or someone else with access to the computer accidentally clicks the wrong button or follows the wrong instructions.
π System Errors and Corruptions: Unexpected power outages, hardware failures, or software crashes can corrupt user profiles. When this happens, Windows might delete or reset the profile.
π‘ Software Updates and Upgrades: Sometimes, updating or upgrading Windows or other software can cause user profiles to be deleted or reset. This usually happens due to compatibility issues or errors during the update process.
π Malware and Viruses: Malware and viruses can infect your computer and delete user profiles. These malicious programs often target user data and settings.
π±π Manual Cleanup and Disk Management: In an effort to free up space or organize storage, you might accidentally delete user profiles. This can happen during disk cleanup or when removing unused files.
π Profile Corruption: Profiles can become corrupted due to improper shutdowns, software conflicts, or file system errors. When this happens, Windows might delete or create a temporary profile.
When you accidentally delete profiles in File Explorer, they go to the Recycle Bin. You can easily restore them from there if you have administrative privileges or have enabled Safe Mode.
If the profiles are permanently deleted or the Recycle Bin is emptied, it gets tricky. How to restore a Windows profile? Here are 5 methods to help you recover your user profile in such cases.
β Note: In the following methods, if you do not create a restore point or enable the built-in backup function before the profile gets deleted, please go directly to Method 1, which is the most perfect and ultimate method.
This is the easiest and most effective way to recover deleted profiles in Windows 10/11/8/7. Choose MyRecover, an advanced data recovery software that helps you find permanently deleted user profiles and recover them with ease. It’s a safe and reliable tool with a fast scanning process and a high success rate.
Please free download and install MyRecover to undelete profiles in Windows 10/11/8/7 as soon as possible after the deletion. The free edition supports free data recovery of up to 500MB. Have a try!
Step 1.Run MyRecover on your computer. Hover the mouse over the location where your user profile resided before it got deleted. Then, click Scan.
π€ If you want to recover more than 500MB of data and enjoy unlimited file recovery, please upgrade to MyRecover Pro or Technician. The Technician is recommended for business users within one company.
Step 2.It will perform a Quick & Deep Scan of your drive to locate all the recoverable data automatically and thoroughly. In this process, you can use the Filter feature to locate your wanted user profiles quickly.
π€ Tip: Preview or filter your desired file based on Files Type, Size, Date, etc.
Step 3. All the lost files will be displayed. Choose the user profiles by clicking Recover X Files and save them to a new location.
System Restore is a handy Windows feature that can roll back your system to a previous state. If you have a restore point from before the profile was deleted, this method can work wonders. Here are steps to recover deleted user profiles in Windows 7/8/10/11 using System Restore.
Step 1. Press Windows + S and type “System Restore”. Select “Create a restore point”.
Step 2. Click on the “System Restore” button in the System Properties window. Follow the wizard and select a restore point from before the deletion. Click Next.
Windows sometimes creates shadow copies of your files, which can be used to restore previous versions of your user profile. This method works best if you have shadow copies enabled.
Step 1. Open File Explorer and go to C:\Users. Right-click on the deleted user profile folder (if it still exists) and select Properties.
Step 2. Go to the Previous Versions tab. Select a version from before the profile was deleted and click Restore.
File History in Windows helps you recover deleted or lost files, including user profiles. If you've accidentally deleted your user profile, you can easily recover your user profile using File History.
Step 1. Press the Windows key, type "Control Panel," and open it. Navigate to "System and Security" and click on "File History".
Step 2. Click on "Restore personal files" on the left side. Browse to C:\Users\ and locate the folder of the deleted user profile.
Step 3. Choose the correct folder and click the green "Restore" button to bring it back to its original location.
Step 4. Go to C:\Users to see if the profile folder is restored. Log out and then log in to the restored user profile to ensure it's working properly.
The "ProfileList" registry key in Windows is essential for managing user profiles. It stores information like Security Identifiers (SIDs), profile paths, and other settings. If your user profile gets corrupted, you can use the Registry to recover it.
However, if the profile is deleted, its SID will be removed from the Registry, and you won't be able to recover the data. It can be risky to modify the register. Before beginning, please back up the Registry.
Step 1. Open Command Prompt with administrative privileges. Type whoami /user and press Enter. You'll see the SID of the current account.
Step 2. Type regedit in the Search box and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.
Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList. You'll see a list of SIDs.
Step 3. Check for Duplicate SIDs:
If the SID is listed twice, delete the folder without the .BAK extension. Right-click the folder and click Delete. Confirm by clicking Yes.
If the SID is listed once with a .BAK extension, click Rename, and remove .BAK. Press Enter to save.
If there are no duplicate SIDs and no .BAK extensions, skip this step.
Step 4. Click the folder that matches your SID. Double-click ProfileImagePath and input the correct path for your user profile in Value Data and click "OK". (To check the right path of your user profile, press Win + R, input: C:\Users and press Enter. You will see your user profiles.)
Step 5. Double-click State on the right-hand pane, change the Value data to 0, and click OK.
Step 6. Then, close the Registry Editor and restart your PC, sign into your user account and everything should have been restored to normal.
While it is great to know how to recover deleted profiles, it is better to prevent such problems from happening in the first place. Here are some tips to help you avoid profile deletion:
Accidentally deleting a user profile in Windows can be a stressful experience, but it’s not the end of the world. With the right methods, you can recover deleted user profiles and data easily.
It's highly recommended to use MyRecover to undelete profiles in Windows quickly and perform file recovery as soon as possible after the file deletion. It can also help you recover deleted files in Windows 10/11. Free download and enjoy this tool!
To prevent future errors, don't forget to regularly build restore points and take a file backup.
1. What happens when you delete a Windows user profile?
When you delete a Windows user profile, all associated data, settings, and customizations for that user are removed from the system. This includes documents, application data, and configurations specific to that user account.
2. Can I recover a deleted user profile in Windows 10 without third-party software?
Yes, you can recover a deleted user profile in Windows 10 using built-in tools like System Restore and Previous Versions. These tools allow you to revert your system to a previous state where the user profile existed.
3. How do I recover a deleted user in Microsoft Admin?
To recover a deleted user in Microsoft Admin, you need admin permissions in Microsoft 365. Go to the Users > Deleted users page in the admin center. Select the user you want to restore, and then click on "Restore user."
4. Where are user profiles stored?
User profiles are stored in the file system within the Profiles directory. Each user has a separate folder that contains their documents, configuration files, and other personal data.
5. How to restore a deleted user account in Windows 10?
If you accidentally deleted your user profile or removed a user account in Windows, you can also follow the methods on this page.
6. What is MyRecover and how does it help in recovering deleted profiles?
MyRecover is a data recovery tool that helps recover lost or deleted information from various storage media, including deleted user profiles in Windows. It offers a user-friendly interface and comprehensive scanning capabilities.