Fix Desktop Refers to A Location That Is Unavailable: If you are receiving the following error message when you start your PC “C:\Windows\system32\config\systemprofile\desktop refers to a location that is unavailable” then this indicates incorrect desktop location. When you log in to your account, you will discover that all of your desktop icons and apps are not present, instead, you will have a completely blank desktop and the following error pops up:

“ C:\Windows\system32\config\systemprofile\Desktop refers to a location that is unavailable. It could be on a hard drive on this computer, or on a network. Check to make sure that the disk is properly inserted, or that you are connected to the Internet or your network, and then try again. If it still cannot be located, the information might have been moved to a different location. “

Fix Desktop Refers to A Location That Is Unavailable - 1

Now there is no particular cause for this error message but you can face this issue when your system crashes abruptly damaging system files, corrupting user profile, or a corrupting Windows update etc. So without wasting any time let’s see how to actually Fix Desktop Refers to A Location That Is Unavailable with the help of the below-listed troubleshooting guide.

  • Fix Desktop Refers to A Location That Is Unavailable
  • Method 1: Reset Desktop to Default Location
  • Method 2: Registry Fix
  • Method 3: Copy Desktop Folder Back to Its Location
  • Method 4: Perform System Restore
  • Method 5: Create a New User Account

Fix Desktop Refers to A Location That Is Unavailable

Make sure to create a restore point just in case something goes wrong.

Method 1: Reset Desktop to Default Location

1.Press Windows Key + R then type the following and hit Enter:

C:\users%username%

Open user folder using %username% - 2

2.Right-click on the Desktop folder and select Properties.

Right-click on Desktop folder then select Properties - 3

3.In Desktop Properties switch to Location tab and click on Restore Default button.

Switch to Location tab in Desktop Properties then click on Restore Default - 4

4.Click Apply followed by OK.

5.Reboot your PC to save changes and see if you’re able to Fix Desktop Refers to A Location That Is Unavailable Error.

Method 2: Registry Fix

1.Press Windows Key + R then type regedit and hit Enter to open Registry Editor.

Run command regedit - 5

2.Navigate to the following registry key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders

3.Make sure to select User Shell Folders then in the right window pane double-click on the Desktop.

Select User Shell Folders then double-click on Desktop key - 6

4.Now in the value data field make sure the value is set to:

%USERPROFILE%\Desktop

OR

C:\Users%USERNAME%\Desktop

Enter %USERPROFILE%\Desktop  in the Desktop registry key - 7

5.Click OK and close Registry Editor.

6.Reboot your PC to save changes.

Method 3: Copy Desktop Folder Back to Its Location

1.Press Windows Key + R then type the following and hit Enter:

C:\users%username%

Open user folder using %username% - 8

2.See if you can find two Desktop folders, one empty and other with your desktop contents.

3.If you do, then delete the desktop folder which is empty.

4.Now copy the desktop folder which contains your data and navigate to the following location:

C:\Windows\system32\config\systemprofile\

5.When you navigate to the systemprofile folder it will for your permission, simply click Continue to access the folder.

When you navigate to systemprofile folder simply click continue to access the folder - 9
  1. Paste the Desktop folder into the systemprofile folder.
Paste the Desktop folder into the systemprofile folder - 10

7.Restart your PC to save changes and see if you’re able to Fix Desktop Refers to A Location That Is Unavailable Error.

Method 4: Perform System Restore

1.Press Windows Key + R and type” sysdm.cpl ” then hit enter.

system properties sysdm - 11

2.Select System Protection tab and choose System Restore.

system restore in system properties - 12

3.Click Next and choose the desired System Restore point .

system-restore - 13

4.Follow the on-screen instruction to complete system restore.

5.After reboot, you may be able to Fix Desktop Refers to A Location That Is Unavailable Error.

Method 5: Create a New User Account

1.Press Windows Key + I to open Settings and then click Accounts.

From Windows Settings select Account - 14

2.Click on Family & other people tab in the left-hand menu and click Add someone else to this PC under Other people.

Family & other people then click Add someone else to this PC - 15

3.Click I don’t have this person’s sign-in information in the bottom.

Click I don’t have this person’s sign-in information - 16

4.Select Add a user without a Microsoft account in the bottom.

Select Add a user without a Microsoft account - 17

5.Now type the username and password for the new account and click Next.

Now type the username and password for the new account and click Next - 18

Log in to the new user account then:

1.Open the File Explorer then click on View > Options.

change folder and search options - 19

2.Switch to the View tab and checkmark Show hidden files, folders, and drives.

show hidden files and operating system files - 20
  1. Uncheck Hide protected operating system files (Recommended).

4.Click Apply followed by OK.

5.Navigate to the following location:

C:\Users\Old_Username

Note: Here C is the drive on which Windows is installed and Old_Username is the name of your old account username.

6.Select all the files from above folder except the following:

Ntuser.dat Ntuser.dat.log Ntuser.ini

Copy the following files NTUSER.DAT, ntuser.dat.log, and ntuser.ini - 21

7.Now press Windows Key + R then type the following and hit Enter:

C:\users%username%

Open user folder using %username% - 22

Note: This will be your new user account folder.

8.Paste the copied content here and reboot your PC.

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That’s it you have successfully Fix Desktop Refers to A Location That Is Unavailable Error but if you still have any questions regarding this guide then feel free to ask them in the comment’s section.

Fix Unable to Set Default Printer Error 0x00000709: If you’re facing error message “Operation could not be completed” with error code 0x00000709 then this means you’re unable to set default printer on Windows 10. The main issue is just a registry entry because of which the default printer is automatically set to the previous printer. The full error message is listed below:

Operation could not be completed error (0x00000709). Double check the printer name and make sure that printer is connected to the network.

Fix Unable to Set Default Printer Error 0x00000709 - 23

The problem is that Windows 10 has removed the Network Location aware feature for Printers and because of which you cannot set the default printer of your choice. Anyway, without wasting any time let’s see how to Fix Unable to Set Default Printer Error 0x00000709 with the help of the below-listed troubleshooting guide.

  • Fix Unable to Set Default Printer Error 0x00000709
  • Method 1: Disable Windows 10 to Automatically Manage your Printer
  • Method 2: Manually Set the Default Printer
  • Method 3: Registry Fix
  • Method 4: Create a New User Account

Fix Unable to Set Default Printer Error 0x00000709

Make sure to create a restore point just in case something goes wrong.

Method 1: Disable Windows 10 to Automatically Manage your Printer

1.Press Windows Key + I to open Settings then click Devices.

click on System - 24

2.Now from the left-hand menu select Printers & scanners.

  1. Disable the toggle under “ Let Windows manage my default printer. “
Disable the toggle under Let Windows manage my default printer setting - 25

4.Close everything and reboot your PC.

Method 2: Manually Set the Default Printer

1.Press Windows Key + X then select Control Panel.

2.Click Hardware and Sound and then select Devices and Printers.

Click Devices and Printers under Hardware and Sound - 26

3.Right-click on your printer and select Set as a default printer.

Right-click on your Printer and select Set as default printer - 27

4.Restart your PC to save changes and see if you’re able to Fix Unable to Set Default Printer Error 0x00000709.

Method 3: Registry Fix

1.Press Windows Key + R then type regedit and hit Enter.

Run command regedit - 28

2.Now navigate to the following registry key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows

3.Right-click on Windows key and select Permissions.

Right-click on Windows registry key then select Permissions - 29

4.From Group or Usernames select your administrator account and checkmark Full Control.

Checkmark Full Control for Administrators in Windows key - 30

5.Click Apply followed by OK.

6.Next, select the Windows registry key then in the right window pane double-click on Device key.

7.Under the value data field type in your printer name and click OK.

Under the value data field type in your printer name and click OK - 31

8.Exit everything and reboot your PC to save changes.

9.If even after restarting you are unable to set default printer then delete the device key in Registry Editor and again restart your PC.

Method 4: Create a New User Account

1.Press Windows Key + R then type netplwiz and hit Enter to open User Accounts.

netplwiz command in run - 32

2.Now click on Add in order to add a new user account.

select the user account which is showing the error - 33

3.On the How will this person sign in screen click on Sign in without a Microsoft account.

On the How will this person sign in screen click on Sign in without a Microsoft account - 34

4.This would display two options for signing in: Microsoft account and Local account.

Click on Local account button at the bottom - 35

5.Click on Local account button at the bottom.

6.Add Username & password and click Next.

Note: Leave the password hint empty.

Add Username & password and click Next - 36

7.Follow-on screen instruction to create a new user account.

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That’s it you have successfully Fix Unable to Set Default Printer Error 0x00000709 but if you still have any queries regarding this guide then feel free to ask them in the comment’s section.