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How do I remove my Microsoft account from the registry?

Published in Registry Editing 2 mins read

Removing a Microsoft account from the registry involves deleting the associated profile. However, be extremely cautious when editing the registry, as incorrect changes can damage your system. Back up your registry before proceeding.

Here's how to remove your Microsoft account's profile from the Windows Registry:

  1. Open Registry Editor:

    • Press Win + R to open the Run dialog box.
    • Type regedit and press Enter.
    • Click Yes if prompted by User Account Control.

  2. Navigate to the ProfileList:

    • In the Registry Editor, navigate to the following key:

      HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList

  3. Identify the Profile to Delete:

    • Under the ProfileList key, you'll see several subkeys with long names consisting of alphanumeric characters. These are SIDs (Security Identifiers) representing user profiles.

    • To identify which SID corresponds to the Microsoft account you want to remove, click on each SID key.

    • Look for the ProfileImagePath value in the right pane. This value shows the path to the user profile folder. Compare this path with the user profile folder you want to remove (e.g., C:\Users\YourUsername).

    • Important: If you are unsure which SID belongs to the correct user account, you can check the RefCount value (if present) within each SID key. If the account is still in use, RefCount will likely be a non-zero number. A deleted account might have a RefCount of 0.

  4. Delete the Profile Key:

    • Once you've identified the correct SID key, right-click on it and select Delete.
    • Confirm the deletion by clicking Yes.

  5. Close Registry Editor:

    • Close the Registry Editor.

  6. Restart your computer:

    • Restarting helps the changes take effect.

Warning: Deleting the wrong profile can cause issues with other user accounts or system functionality. Always double-check the ProfileImagePath before deleting any key. It is crucial to create a registry backup before making changes. To create a registry backup, in the Registry Editor, go to File > Export, choose a location to save the backup, give it a name, and click Save.

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