"Windows cannot load the locally stored profile" for a domain user

[yerk55]

This one is driving me mad. Ok, here’s the situation:

PC with XP SP2, joined to a domain. There are 2 users that use this
machine, both log in with their Active Directory logons. Melissa can
log in fine and has never had a problem with this machine.

Linda, however, used the machine fine for a week or so, then would
get the error:
"Windows cannot load the locally stored profile. Possible causes of
this error include insufficient security rights or a corrupt local
profile. If this problem persists, contact your network
administrator."
...when trying to log in.

So my first instinct was to blow away her locally cached profile. I
did so under System properties, Advanced tab, User Profiles settings,
and deleted her profile. I verified that her profile’s directory was
gone under C:\Docuemts and Settings\

I had Linda log back in (still we her domain logon), to create a new
local profile. It worked fine for a few days, then the same error.

Ok, so next I get the idea to clone her local profile using Melissa’s,
since Melissa has never had any issues logging in.

I go System properties, Advanced tab, User Profiles settings, click on
Melissa’s account, then Copy To. In the “Copy Profile To” I browse to
C:\Documents and settings\Linda as the target. In the “Permitted to
use” section, I went in and added Machine\Everyone

This seemed to work fine. Linda logged in, and sure enough she had the
same desktop as Melissa and all worked fine…. for about a week. Now
she’s getting the same error.

What can I try next?

Again, this isn’t a local user account, so there’s nothing to delete/
recreate there.
I’ve tried deleted her locally cached profile and letting recreate
itself.
I’ve tried cloneing her locally cached profile from another domain
user who has no troubles.
And it's just the one user. Tried several other domain logons on this
machine, all seem to be fine.

I would be really grateful in advance for any suggestions! TIA

 

[yerk55]

Forgot to add:

all users are set to have local admin rights on this macine (added
machine\Everyone to local Admin group)

 

[Bob I]

Perhaps the user is killing power before the system is done saving settings?

 

[yerk55]

It seems they leave it powered on at all times. Just logging in and
out as needed

 

[Tim Meddick]

I had this exact thing happen on my standalone PC the other day!

I only have one active profile on the PC (besides Administrator), and all
my user settings have taken me over three years to accumulate. - I was
"gutted"!!

Luckily, I make regular backups of my "ntuser.dat" file in my profile's
folder, and was able to restore it, overwriting the affected "ntuser.dat"
profile, and all was back to normal on reboot. (Did this using Recovery
Console).

I believe it was caused by one part of the boot / logon process working
faster than another part of it, causing the profile's data file
[ntuser.dat] to become "locked by another process".

I have the following registry setting, so I was surprised at such an
occurrence, as I believe that having this setting would make the
possibility of such a thing happening even more remote.:-

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\system]
"RunLogonScriptSync"=dword:00000001

It had never happened before, and I don't expect it to ever reoccur again.

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London.