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How can I delete the local user profile on a Windows 7 machine that is connected to a Windows Server 2008 domain?

DelProf doesn't seem to exist on Windows 7.

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  • Rename the folder in users first
    – user160316
    Sep 20, 2012 at 7:31

4 Answers 4

Reset to default
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You can do it with the User Profiles dialog in System Properties:

  • Log in as different user (with admin privileges) than you want to delete
  • Open Properties for Computer
  • Advanced system settings (on the left side)
  • Settings for User Profiles (in the middle)
  • Select the profile you want to delete and click the delete button

Deleting local user profiles

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  • 2
    Does the command delete only preferences or it also deletes documents?
    – Paulo Avelar
    Sep 21, 2015 at 16:46
  • @PauloAvelar I second this
    – audiFanatic
    Apr 13, 2016 at 13:43
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    I am following the steps above, but for the specific profile that I am trying to delete - the delete button is disable. What could be the reason for this? I have logged into an account different from the one that I want to delete.
    – Moiz Tankiwala
    Oct 13, 2018 at 4:53
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To clear user local profile via registry:

  1. Click Start → Run → Regedit

  2. Navigate to the following registry key :HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList

  3. Under ProfileList navigate to binary key’s like this: S-1-5-21-3656904587-1668747452-4095529-500

  4. On the right side under ProfileImagePath you'll see the profile path.

  5. Chose the one with the desired user and delete the long registry key like: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList

You will then need to either rename (preferable), or delete the user profile on disk under C:\Users\%username%

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  • 2
    This official Microsoft KB156826 confirms what you're saying, but goes further saying you can remove ProfileList key in regedit to delete ALL profiles if you desire which is a little surprising to me!
    – gregg
    Aug 20, 2019 at 20:47
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I have developed an unofficial successor to Microsoft's Delprof called Delprof2. It is syntax compatible to the original but more powerful.

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  • Great piece of software!
    – Zac B
    May 30, 2012 at 14:57
  • Fantastic! Have been looking for a delprof replacement.
    – pelms
    Jul 5, 2012 at 9:18
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    Hi Helge, I tested your tool but there is a problem about "not old enough" user thing. The antivirus scan make 1 year old users seems that is active. Is something I'm missing or we can't do anything about it?
    – emirjonb
    Jul 30, 2015 at 8:17
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GPO: Computer Configuration \ Policies \ Administrative Templates \ System \ User Profiles This seems the perfect answer for deleting old domain usersenter image description here

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