No matter the reasons behind your decision to change or reset all the preferences and settings for all apps and Windows for a particular user, we’ll guide you through the task of how to delete the user profile without deleting the user account.
Note: If you are searching for a step-by-step road map for deleting a user account, then read up on our How to Enable or Disable a User Account in Windows 10 article.
The magic of removing the user profile and still keeping the user account in place is that a new profile is automatically created for the same user account when you sign back in. To check out the account details, you go to the local drive C: \ and then double-click Users (C: \ Users \). Among the folders, you pick up the one that matches the respective username to go through its hidden folders and subfolders — AppData, Desktop, Documents, Downloads, Pictures, etc.
Before deleting the required user profile, we recommend that:
- You don’t try to remove the profile you’re currently using.
- You’ve signed in with a different user account having administrator rights.
- You copy the user directory (extracting if need be).
What Are the Methods to Delete User Profile (Windows 10)
Firstly, we’ll introduce you to the two methods to delete user profile:
Method 1. How to Delete User Profile (Windows 10) via Advanced System Properties
- Step 1. Open Advanced System Properties Window
- Step 2. Move to the User Profiles section
- Step 3. Select and Delete User Profile
Method 2. Delete User Profile in Windows 10 Manually
- Step 1. Open the File Explorer window
- Step 2. Open the Users folder
- Step 3. Delete the Required User Profile
- Step 4. Open Register Editor
- Step 5. Navigate to ProfileList
- Step 6. Remove ProfileImagePath linked to the Deleted User Profile
Method 1. How to Delete User Profile (Windows 10) via Advanced System Properties in 3 Steps
Step 1. Open the Advanced System Properties Window
Press the keyboard shortcut Windows + R to open the Run command window immediately. After you’ve typed SystemPropertiesAdvanced into the box, click OK, or press Enter to run Advanced System Properties.
Step 2. Move to the User Profiles section
In the System Properties window (the Advanced tab), we first spot the User Profiles section and then hit the Settings button.
Step 3. Select and Delete User Profile
Now is the time to select the user profile in the User Profiles window and remove it from the list. After pressing Delete, you’ll have to confirm your action by pressing Yes in the prompt.
Once the user signs back into the system, the user profile will be restored with the default settings in place.
Delete User Profile in Windows 10 Manually in 6 Steps
Step 1. Open the File Explorer window
We go to File Explorer (also referred to as Windows Explorer or This PC) and double-click on the icon.
Step 2. Open the Users folder
Among the folders in the C drive (C:), we need to find Users and click on the icon.
Step 3. Delete the Required User Profile
Firstly, you right-click on the user profile you plan to remove, then among the offered operations, select Delete.
Step 4. Open Registry Editon
Use the keyboard shortcut Win + R. In the Run dialog box, type the command regedit and press Enter (click on the OK button).
Step 5. Navigate to ProfileList
In the address bar of Registry Editor, place the following Registry Key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList
Step 6. Remove ProfileImagePath linked to the Deleted User Profile
Under Profile List in the left pane, there are the subkeys, by clicking on which we need to detect the ProfileImagePath string value linked to the deleted user profile. Once we locate the required ProfileImagePath in the right windowpane, we need to remove it from the list.
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