Cannot create or rename a user account in Windows 7 HP x64
Hi. I have Windows 7 Home Premium x64 with one single account with Administrator rights (it's been set up in the computer shop). It turned out that I cannot create a new user account with it. I try to create one from Control Panel / User accounts menu / Manage other user account. It asks me to enter a name of the account and its kind, after it is done and Create button is pressed it returns to the User accounts list, which stays blanc (no account created). No error messages or warnings. I cannot even just change the name of my exsisting account, it looks almost the same: it asks for a new name and when the the name is typed in and Rename button is pressed it returns to the previuos screen where I can see that the name remains unrenamed. The only thing I can do with my account is to change its image for Logon screen. :) Please help me to fix this issue.
September 30th, 2010 1:34am

For me that sounds, as if your account is not a local administrator. What happens, if you open a cmd prompt (right click and select As Administrator, if you are not administrator, you will be prompted for credentials) and type following commands: net localgroup administrators Is your account listed here? net user newusername password /add Does this create a new user with the mentioned user name and the password written instead of the word password? Best greetings from Germany Olaf
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September 30th, 2010 4:06am

Thank you for your reply. Hmm.. In Control Panel one can see Administrator word near the account name. I will try the commands you suggested later, now I'm on another PC. Perhaps I should activate built-in Administrator account to fix this issue?
September 30th, 2010 4:18am

I'd be wary of the installation. Is this a trusted shop? Did you receive the installation dvd with the computer? It's behaving like an image with modified policies and who knows what else or a bad installation.
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September 30th, 2010 8:03am

Well, I tried the commands. net localgroup administrators - yes, my account is listed along with the built-in Administrator account net user newusername password /add - yes, a new user is created, but it can be only seen in Logon screen and Parental control (I found out as well that I can create a new account with Parental control) list of accounts in Account management window is still empty. By the way, the same thing is for built-in Administrator account. I've seen the description of the like problem with Windows 7 while searching for the answer in Google, but there was no solution given. I need only to rename my account, is there any way to make it with command line?
September 30th, 2010 11:49pm

Yes, the shop is trusted , I suppose. I have a notebook with pre-installed Windows 7, so I have only restore DVDs, which I have burned myself. There are no other problems except the problem in question.
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September 30th, 2010 11:51pm

If the notebook is not new with a manufacturer installed operating system, then you should return to the shop to address this issue. Microsoft licensing requires a System Builder to support the product. Something is wrong. This issue should not exist. Don't waste time on it. If it is new, contact the manufacturer for warranty support.
October 1st, 2010 5:53am

I did what you said in the prompt and my message is: The specified local group does not exist What do i do, I created a user account before, but for some reason i cant any more. I even try to change a name on a other user account, and it does no change.
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October 5th, 2010 6:14pm

The command prompt has been opened As Administrator? Also try to add a new user account to the Administrators group with the net localgroup command and login with that account to exclude any issues with your user profile. If this also does not help, I would follow the recommendation and reinstall Windows from the scratch, since malware as the cause for these issues cannot be excluded. Between, renaming an existing account can have unwanted side effects, since the renaming operation works for the displayed user name, but does keep the old name internally. Best greetings from Germany Olaf
October 6th, 2010 8:33am

Hi.... I have the same problem with my laptop and my netbook. Same OS in my laptop and Win7 Starter in my netbook. The only way I found to address this issue was as following: - Start your computer in 'Safe Mode' - Logon as 'Administrator' (preferred, but also works with all local users) - Go to control panel and 'User Accounts' - Create the new user with administrator rights - Then close Admin session - Logon as the new user - Once logged on, and desktop and icons shows up for you, is done. - Then, close new user session or restart your computer normally This started to happen to me after a Windows 7 update for 'Service Pack 1'. It seems to be an error in this update because the normal process to create a new user only creates the name in the list but no folders and other files necessary to start sessions. The profile is not fully created by the normal process. Then you need to start the process in SAFE MODE, because it only loads the very basic functions for the OS, no drivers, no services, no antivirus.... Hope this can help...! Thanks. A.V.
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June 22nd, 2011 11:03am

Unhide the system and hidden files. In User folder, you should see a hidden Default folder. If it is missing or corrupted, you have to copy another one from another Win 7 PC. The windows 7 version is NOT important. You should now be able to login to the newly created account without getting the 'profile cannot be loaded' error.
August 4th, 2011 2:10pm

hello Olaf hope you are still around .. I have a similar problem ... arrived to it by migrating my old desktop xp-users to a new laptop w/ windows 7. cannot create new administrator users and cannot set a password that works for existing ones i tried openning the cmd window , and even though all users appear in the right lists ( administrators & users ), cannot create a user or set a pw for an existing one . after running the command net user username password, i get a 'error code 5' followed by 'access denied' suggestions are more than welcome regards from Peru, land of the inkas, the cebiche and the pisco
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February 27th, 2012 10:29pm

You need to right click cmd prompt and select Run as Administrator from Context menu. Best greetings from Bellevue Olaf
February 28th, 2012 1:41am

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