Draft only — NOT SUBMITTED

Subject: Supported recovery after LoadUserProfile owner exits without UnloadUserProfile

On Windows, an application successfully called LoadUserProfile for a local non-administrator account. The application process terminated before calling UnloadUserProfile. The returned PROFILEINFO.hProfile and the application's retained user-token handle are no longer available. A later read-only check reports Win32_UserProfile.Loaded=true and the user's HKU and HKU_Classes hives present.

Does Microsoft provide a supported, non-destructive recovery procedure for this case?

Specifically:

1. Can an appropriate profile ownership/reference be reacquired through a documented API without a new logon/profile load? If so, which API, provenance checks, handles and access rights are required?
2. Does any documented lifecycle mechanism release an outstanding profile load after its owning process has exited? How should completion be verified?
3. If no such route exists, please identify the supported recovery options and their prerequisites explicitly.

We need to preserve the profile files/settings and existing evidence. We are not authorized to substitute a newly opened registry handle, directly unload registry hives, alter privileges/security policy, restart/log off, or perform a new logon/profile load as an experiment. Please distinguish a documented supported procedure from an undocumented workaround.

OS edition/build and relevant sanitized event records can be provided after separately approved collection. No live machine state is being changed while awaiting clarification.