How to Recover a User Profile in Windows XP

You can fix a corrupt profile.

The user profiles stored on a Windows XP computer make it easy for multiple users to access the same PC. While most of the time those user profiles do not cause any problems, there are times when a computer crash, power failure or other problem renders one or more of the profiles corrupt and unusable. Since so much user-specific data is stored in those profiles, you need a way to recover that information as quickly as possible.

Things You'll Need

• Computer
• Administrative access

Instructions

1. Log on to your computer with an account that has administrative privileges. Admin rights are needed to work with another user's profile.

2. Click the Start button and choose Control Panel from the list. Double-click the User Accounts icon and choose Create a new account. Provide a name for the account and click Next. Make sure the account type is Computer Administrator and click the Create Account button.

3. Log off the computer and log in with the account you just created. Log off again and log on to the account with the corrupt or damaged profile.

4. Right-click My Computer and choose Properties from the menu. Click on the Advanced tab and choose the Settings button under User Profiles. Choose the corrupt user profile and click Copy To.

5. Click the Browse button and navigate to the Documents and Settings folder. Select the new account. Click Yes at the prompt.

References

• Microsoft Support: How to Recover the Damaged User Profile