If you're sharing a Windows PC with family unit or friends, then it makes sense to have dissimilar user accounts. Unless yous want to share your personal settings (similar your desktop groundwork or browser bookmarks), creating a new user account gives each user their ain separate profile.

Unfortunately, your Windows user contour (containing your personalization information) tin can sometimes become corrupted. If yous want to remove information technology, yous can delete the user business relationship entirely. Alternatively, you can delete the user profile in Windows ten without deleting the user itself, forcing Windows to regenerate your settings instead. Here'south how.

User Accounts vs. User Profiles in Windows 10

For nigh users, there isn't a distinction between a Windows user business relationship and a Windows user profile. Yet, if you lot're looking to remove a user account (rather than just the user profile), and so it's important to understand the distinction.

A Windows user business relationship is the account you sign in with. It has your name, your settings, your desktop image, and all the other features that makes your PC your own—at least when yous sign in. However, Windows needs to save these settings in a location and format that information technology knows to await for and expect.

These settings grade the user profile for that account. When you create a new account, Windows automatically generates a new user profile to match, using standard settings to create your background, theme, user folder (containing your desktop and document folders), and more.

If you decide to delete a user account, Windows should remove the user profile with it. Occasionally, withal, Windows will exit the files and settings on your PC, which can accept up additional deejay infinite. You'll need to remove your user contour manually if this is the example.

You lot may decide to delete a user profile in Windows 10 without removing the user business relationship. This is a more than technical method, just can help to resolve user sign in issues or missing personalization features (such as a custom groundwork disappearing after sign out).

Removing a user profile on an active account forces Windows to treat it like new. Windows will generate a new user contour folder (with default settings and files) to supplant the deleted profile when you adjacent sign in.

Removing a User Account in Windows Settings

Deleting a user business relationship from Windows 10 should, in most cases, delete the matching user profile. If the business relationship is a local account (unlinked to a Microsoft account, for case), this should erase whatever personalization settings and files.

If it doesn't, however, then you can safely remove the contour data by deleting the profile folder in the C:\Users\ folder later. You can only do this for an account you lot're currently signed out of as you tin can't delete the account you're currently using.

  1. To outset, right-click the Start menu and select the Settings option.
  1. In the Windows Settings carte du jour, select Accounts > Family & Other Users to see a list of active user accounts on your PC. From at that place, select one of the accounts listed under the Other Users or Your Family categories, and then select Remove to remove that user account. If the account you lot're deleting is a linked Your Family unit account (such equally a restricted kid business relationship), you lot may need to unlink it in your Microsoft Family settings online get-go.
  1. Windows will ask you for confirmation. To remove the account (and the matching user profile), select the Delete account and data button.
  1. Deleting the user account should delete the user profile, just if it doesn't, you lot tin remove information technology manually. To practice this, open Windows File Explorer and employ the address bar to access the C:\Users folder. If you lot see a folder matching the deleted user account, right-click it and select the Delete option.
  1. Windows will place the user profile folder in the Recycle Bin. If the folder is too full for Windows to place in the Recycle Bin, follow the additional on-screen instructions to confirm the deletion. If Windows places the folder in the Recycle Bin, however, right-click the Recycle Bin icon on the desktop, then select the Empty Recycle Bin option.

Deleting a User Contour Using the System Properties Menu

While rare, a Windows user profile tin can sometimes become corrupted. This could stop you lot from signing in entirely, or cause errors and bug that make it difficult to use, such as missing user personalization or a slow sign in.

If this happens, you'll demand to delete your user profile, forcing Windows to regenerate it with standard settings when you next sign in. Yous may too decide to practice this if you want to quickly render your user business relationship to default settings.

  1. To begin, sign in with a second user business relationship with authoritative privileges, ensuring that you sign out of the user profile you lot wish to delete first. Right-click the Outset menu and select the Run choice. Alternatively, press the Windows Key + R keys on your keyboard.
  1. In the Run dialog box, type systempropertiesadvanced, so select OK. This will open up the Organization Properties carte.
  1. In the Advanced tab of the Arrangement Properties menu, select the User Profiles > Settings option.
  1. A listing of available user profiles on your PC will appear in the User Profiles window. Select the contour you wish to delete, so select the Delete option.
  1. Windows will ask for confirmation, so select OK to ostend.

One time confirmed, Windows will delete the user profile, leaving the user business relationship itself intact. When you lot next sign in, Windows will create a new user profile, including a new C:\Users user folder.

Removing Windows 10 User Accounts

Deleting a user profile in Windows 10 tin help to restore your account if information technology becomes corrupted and you're prevented from signing in. If that happens, it could point to wider problems with your Windows installation, requiring yous to cheque for file arrangement errors. Yous may also desire to support Windows starting time earlier you make changes.

If you've set Windows without a Microsoft business relationship, any personalization settings yous apply will disappear once you remove the profile. Y'all can link a Microsoft account to your user profile get-go to sync your personalization settings and, if you don't like your sign in name, you lot can change your username next.