user profile cannot found

Question

so yesterday i did a bios update and when the update got done and i went back to my lock screen it said user profile not found and i tried to go into my trouble shoot settings but my keyboard and mouse wouldnt work while i was in it and i don’t know what to do

Answer 1

Hello! This error means Windows cannot load your user profile after the BIOS update. You can fix the input issue first by using different USB ports, preferably USB 2.0 on the back of the PC, so you can access recovery. Then from the sign in screen hold Shift and select Restart, go to Troubleshoot, Advanced options, then run Startup Repair.

If that fails, use System Restore to go back to a point before the update. If no restore point is available, select Reset this PC and choose Keep my files, this reinstalls Windows and fixes the profile without deleting personal files.

Just to ask, do your keyboard and mouse work in BIOS or are they not responding there too?

Answer 2

The BIOS update likely did not directly break the profile, but now there are two separate issues:

1. Windows cannot load the user profile.
2. USB keyboard and mouse do not work in the recovery/troubleshoot environment.

Handle them in this order.

1. Fix USB keyboard/mouse in recovery Because the keyboard and mouse do not work in Troubleshoot/Advanced options, this matches a known issue where USB devices stop working in Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) after certain Windows updates.

To restore USB input in WinRE, install the servicing update that fixes the USB issue from within normal Windows (where the keyboard and mouse still work):

1. Sign in to Windows normally if possible.
2. Open Settings > Update & Security (or Windows Update on Windows 11).
3. Select Check for updates and install all available updates.
4. Make sure the specific fix update for USB in recovery is installed (for example, updates such as KB4090913 in older builds or KB5070773 for newer builds are used to restore USB functionality in recovery).
5. Restart the PC and test Troubleshoot > Advanced options again to confirm the keyboard and mouse now work.

If USB devices also fail inside Windows (not only in recovery):

1. Test the keyboard and mouse on another PC to confirm they work.
2. On the affected PC, go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and install all updates to refresh USB and chipset drivers.
3. Or open Device Manager, locate the keyboard and mouse under Keyboards and Mice and other pointing devices, and use Update driver on each.
4. Repair the “user profile not found / cannot be loaded” problem Once input works in recovery, repair the profile issue. The error corresponds to Windows being unable to load the local profile (often due to corruption or file/registry issues).

Use System Restore from Windows Recovery Environment:

1. Boot to Advanced startup (Shift + Restart from the sign-in screen, or power‑cycle the PC three times to trigger recovery).
2. Go to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > System Restore.
3. Choose a restore point from before the BIOS update / before the problem started.
4. Let the restore complete and restart.

If System Restore is not available or does not fix it, create a new local user profile and move data:

1. Sign in with another account that still works (Administrator) or enable an admin account from recovery if available.
2. Create a new local user account.
3. Sign in with the new account.
4. Copy personal files from the old profile folder (under C:\Users\<oldname>) to the new profile’s folders (Documents, Desktop, etc.).

If the profile is completely unusable and there is no other admin account, use recovery to reset Windows while keeping files:

1. Boot to Troubleshoot > Reset this PC.
2. Choose Keep my files.
3. Follow the prompts to reinstall Windows while preserving personal data. Apps and settings will be removed.

This sequence restores USB input in recovery first, then uses recovery tools to roll back or rebuild the damaged user profile.

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References:

• USB devices may stop working after installing the February 13, 2018 update (KB4074588)
• Mouse and keyboard problems in Windows
• "Unable to log you on because your profile could not be loaded, please contact your administrator" error when you try to log on to a computer in Windows Vista, in Windows Server 2008, in Windows 7 or in Windows Server 2008 R2
• October 14, 2025—KB5066835 (OS Builds 26200.6899 and 26100.6899)
• Stuck on Choose an Option when booting to safe mode - Microsoft Q&A