How do I delete a user profile on a Windows 7 machine that is part of a domain?

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.

MartinHN

Posted 2009-10-30T11:00:03.887

Reputation: 1 023

Rename the folder in users first – None – 2012-09-20T07:31:32.657

Answers

133

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

Markus

Posted 2009-10-30T11:00:03.887

Reputation: 1 394

2Does the command delete only preferences or it also deletes documents? – Paulo Avelar – 2015-09-21T16:46:39.533

@PauloAvelar I second this – audiFanatic – 2016-04-13T13:43:30.837

2I 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 – 2018-10-13T04:53:54.877

To clear user local profile via registry:

Click Start → Run → Regedit
Navigate to the following registry key :HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList
Under ProfileList navigate to binary key’s like this: S-1-5-21-3656904587-1668747452-4095529-500
On the right side under ProfileImagePath you'll see the profile path.
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%

Cyrus

Posted 2009-10-30T11:00:03.887

Reputation: 341

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 – 2019-08-20T20:47:19.790

I have developed an unofficial successor to Microsoft's Delprof called Delprof2. It is syntax compatible to the original but more powerful.

Helge Klein

Posted 2009-10-30T11:00:03.887

Reputation: 439

1Hi 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 – 2015-07-30T08:17:23.490

Great piece of software! – Zac B – 2012-05-30T14:57:31.940

Fantastic! Have been looking for a delprof replacement. – pelms – 2012-07-05T09:18:45.803

GPO: Computer Configuration \ Policies \ Administrative Templates \ System \ User Profiles This seems the perfect answer for deleting old domain users enter image description here

emirjonb

Posted 2009-10-30T11:00:03.887

Reputation: 610

there was a bug that has been fixed by microsoft http://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/983544

– emirjonb – 2015-03-13T11:56:55.403