How to recreate a user profile folder on Windows 8

Unlike previous versions of Windows, Windows 8 does not allow you to rename the user profile folder, making it difficult to recreate the user profile if corrupted.

To workaround this issue, login as the local use who has administrative permissions in the computer

Open Registry Editor

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

Navigate each sub key and check the ProfileImagePath to find the correct key

Right click the sub key and Export

Delete the key and reboot the computer

Now login as the user whose profile was corrupted.

You should now see a new profile folder under C:\users\