User's SID Remains in Registry After Logoff

ID: Q187453

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0, Terminal Server Edition

IMPORTANT: This article contains information about editing the registry. Before you edit the registry, make sure you understand how to restore it if a problem occurs. For information about how to do this, view the "Restoring the Registry" Help topic in Regedit.exe or the "Restoring a Registry Key" Help topic in Regedt32.exe.

SYMPTOMS

This issue has multiple symptoms including:

The user's policy is no longer applied when the user logs on to the server.

The system administrator cannot delete the user's profile using the System Properties/User Profiles utility because the Delete button is unavailable.

The user's SID remains in HKEY/USERS even if the user is not logged on to the server.

CAUSE

Programs or services that leave a handle open to the user's registry cause the unload of the hive not to succeed.

RESOLUTION

WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that problems resulting from the incorrect use of Registry Editor can be solved. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

For information about how to edit the registry, view the "Changing Keys And Values" Help topic in Registry Editor (Regedit.exe) or the "Add and Delete Information in the Registry" and "Edit Registry Data" Help topics in Regedt32.exe. Note that you should back up the registry before you edit it. If you are running Windows NT, you should also update your Emergency Repair Disk (ERD).

In Registry Editor (Regedt32.exe), select the user's SID and then click Unload Hive.

Additional query words:

Keywords : kbbug4.00
Version : winnt:4.0
Platform : winnt
Issue type : kbprb