Forum Discussion
"The specified user does not have a valid profile" error on apps downloaded from Microsoft Store
- May 22, 2018
I solved the problem by moving the folder with the install files from the WindowsApps (which is hidden by default) into a user folder (e.g. Documents) and start the executable from there.
WindowsApps directory seems to have insufficient permissions for standard users after the OS Release in April . At least ubuntu is now running again without any problem. I am using 1803 Build 17134.1
I faced this same issue many a times recently, i read the current best answer but changing installation location might be not very practical for normal user's because they might face other issue's
So in search of alternate solution i tried to access the read write permission of that folder and i found that while assigning the full access to the user i found out that the window showed an alert "Access Control Entry is Corrupt" you can see more on that on this forum https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/access-control-entry-is-corrupt/4e3d5500-5c7d-4839-be4f-c269705561ca and to fix the problem the forum redirected to me another microsoft support page https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/use-the-system-file-checker-tool-to-repair-missing-or-corrupted-system-files-79aa86cb-ca52-166a-92a3-966e85d4094e by following this System File checker i was able to elimate the problem of valid profile.
So this method worked for me;
Please reach out for any queries related to this step.
Hope this will help!!!
- httphitchhikerSep 09, 2025Copper Contributor
Not sure if there's a way to change the post marked as answer, but this is the real solution. The accepted post would require gradually moving over most of your programs' install files, including some of the Windows one.
The more comprehensive solution, summarized from link for posterity, is:
- Open Command Prompt as Administrator (search cmd, right click)
- Run DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup /Restorehealth
- After it completes, run sfc /scannow
This solves the broken profile, rather than repeatedly mitigating its symptoms.