windows-logoMy computer is having an identity crisis; I’m having a nervous breakdown.

The time had come. No longer can I put off the burning need to discuss such an important matter as this.

Today we will discuss the need for even a single-person Windows PC to be set up with two separate user ids.

It might seem like overkill; at the very least an unnecessary precaution. It’s not.

Today, I arrived at the office early in the bright, sunny morning, eager(ish) to start my week and be very productive.

Then I got the following error after typing in my Windows user password: “The User Profile Service failed the logon. User profile cannot be loaded.”

Enter stage left a mass of brewing thunderclouds to mar the aforementioned sunny skies.

It is important to note that this error is almost identical to one I received no less than two months ago. Two months ago, when I had to re-install my newly-installed computer for this reason alone.

The difference today, is that I already learned this lesson!

Today I had an alternate, never-used, sitting-idly-on-standby user id all set up and ready to go… and I logged into it with no problems or errors in sight.

Twenty minutes later, having moved my files over from the previous user id (yes the files are still accessible to Administrator accounts!) and having made some basic configurations to Windows & Firefox, I’m back on track.

Lesson of the Day: Click on Start, then click on your user id icon/picture, and from there “Manage Another Account”. Now you can “Create a new account” and set it up however you like (with Administrator privileges).

It will take you 2 minutes. And to save even more time, you can wait, and thank me later when it saves you 3 days worth of time that you would otherwise have spent searching for solutions or re-installing.

Remind me again why I use Windows?

Update: The next day, with no changes on my part, I successfully logged into my original user id. Operating systems are strange creatures.