Win10 Clean Install Creates Extra Profile

scop8 · 18 Feb 2018

Hello,

I did a clean install of Win10 x64 after completely wiping the HDD clean using diskpart...clean all.

Everything installed ok it seems, but for an extra mysterious profile, so there are three where there always used to be two in any installation:

Default Profile - always there before, cannot 'change type' or 'delete', can only 'copy to'
DEKTOP - ....\[my user name] - always there before, can only 'change type', not 'delete' or 'copy to'

and the new one between them:

DESKTOP - ...\defaultuser0 - which allowed the 'delete' option.

When I went into C: - Users -- it had all three, so I clicked on the new one above and it stated I needed elevated permissions to access. I clicked 'cancel' and it just... disappeared. It is now also gone in System Properties - Advanced - User Profiles.

I have no idea whether this is 'normal', if there is anything else I should do or check, or if the installation is buggy. Suggestions? Thanks very much.

Kari · 19 Feb 2018

The defaultuser0 is a temporarily system account. When your installation is finished and OOBE (Windows Welcome) starts asking for your region, keyboard layout and you to create initial user account, Windows 10 is already fully functional. To function, it needs a user account which at this point you have not created yet.

To be able to function, Windows 10 creates a temporary user defaultuser0. This temporary user account allows Windows to function, OOBE to continue letting you to select your region and setup your initial user account. When done, the account defaultuser0 will become useless, is no longer needed. It will be automatically deleted latest at first reboot.

The presentation in following quote is from our thread Tips and tricks - You saw it first on TenForums. Watch it in full screen to see embedded screenshots:

Kari said:

I think this qualifies for "You saw it first on TenForums", have not seen DEFAULTUSER0 user profile explained anywhere else, documentation totally missing on Microsoft sites.

Kari