Reset domain user profile Windows 10
If you’re looking for how you can remove a user and their files from a domain-joined PC without wiping the device, then you’re at the right place. In this post, we will show you how to easily delete a Domain User Profile in Windows 11/10. Show For one reason or the other, you may want to delete a domain user profile or account on a Windows 11/10 PC – for example, you may have a laptop that was used temporarily that you want to repurpose for another user by removing the old user profile and the associated user’s files (including email) to save space on the laptop before the new user logs in and their files begin downloading. When a Windows machine is joined to a domain such as Active Directory, several Windows UIs relating to accounts are changed (e.g., netplwiz) since the Windows login experience changes once bound to a domain. When attempting to delete an account, there are three areas to address viz: user profile directory, user registry keys, and user credentials (for local accounts). So, to fully delete a domain profile on a Windows 11/10, you can use either of the methods below.
Let’s see the description of the process involved in both methods listed above. Make sure to log in as administrator (Domain or Local) on the computer you want to delete the account from before you proceed. 1] Via User Profiles settings in System PropertiesThis is a quicker method as both the user profile directory and the user Registry keys can be deleted in one easy step via the User Profiles settings in System Properties. Do the following:
Keep in mind that if the system is no longer connected to the domain, then you would not be able to log into that account after the deletion is done so make sure you have an admin account or domain connectivity to disjoin the laptop and/or create a new admin user. Read: User Profile Service failed the logon, User profile cannot be loaded 2] Via File Explorer and Windows RegistryThis method requires you to manually delete the folder for the user account/profile located in the C:\Users folder. Once done, you can proceed to make changes to the registry by deleting the user branch SID to clean up the last of the user profile. Do the following:
C:\Users
Before you continue with the registry operation below, make sure you back up the registry or create a system restore point as necessary precautionary measures.
wmic useraccount get name,sid
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList
The next time you log in to your account on the computer, a new default user profile will be created automatically, provided the domain account hasn’t been deleted on the domain itself. Read: Profile not deleted completely, Error – The directory is not empty That’s it! These posts might interest you:
How do I delete a domain profile?To delete a domain profile on a Windows 11/10 PC, follow these steps:
How do I remove a computer from a domain?To remove a computer from a domain, follow these steps:
How do I completely remove a user from Active Directory?To delete an Active Directory domain user account, open the Active Directory Users and Computers MMC snap-in, right-click the user object, and select Delete from the context menu. Click Yes on the Are you sure you want to delete this object? prompt to confirm the deletion. Read:
Does Active Directory have a recycle bin?The Active Directory Recycle Bin facilitates the recovery of deleted Active Directory objects without requiring restoration from backup, restarting Active Directory Domain Services, or rebooting domain controllers (DCs). |