I've got a Windows XP machine that's been quite happily running XP without problems, as the only user it's booted straight into the desktop. Having moved in with my partner I set up a second user account and now Windows boots to the logon screen waiting for a user account to be selected. So far so good. The problem is that upon selecting an account (after a cold boot) Windows often (but not always) pops up an error requester stating that "Windows cannot locate the locally stored profile" along with possible reasons for the error, it then goes on to load a temporary profile. I usually have to reboot the machine (sometimes several times) until Windows does locate the profile.

The thing is, the profiles are stored on the same harddrive as part of the same Windows installation that Windows itself has quite happily been loading from in order to get to the login screen. Once Windows finds the relavent profile everything goes without a hitch.

There is a Microsoft Knowlege Base article relating to this 'error' but it's specifically about a profile directory having been deleted (the remedy for which is to logon as an administrator and create a new profile) I can't find anything relating to a perfectly good profile that Windows simply can't find. Does anyone know of a way I can fix this?

Same problem here.

When the screen savers kicks in,, then move mouse the user select screen is there. Have to select user etc.

Pain in the Arse.

not fun, though I've only seen it at work with machine on the domain, I usually create a new profile and delete the old one(after recovering the data). Run chkdsk to confirm you've not got no corrupted files and make sure your upto date with the MS updates.
Seem to cure it 9/10 though if anyone has a 'proper' solution I'd be interested too.

redthunder, you could always disable the option on the screensaver "on resumer, password protect"

It's *possible* that you have a dodgy block in the directory assigned to the user, I would follow zippy's suggestion and run a chkdsk, do a defrag as well.

Roll back using System restore to before it started happening?