If you stumbled upon the NTUSER.DAT file on your Windows PC, you are probably wondering what this file is. It is a file that is created for every user, and it contains the preferences and settings of the user. Now, each time you make some change on your PC, whether it is a change in performance or appearance, Windows will store that info in the registry and create an NTUSER.DAT file.
So, let’s say you install a new app or make other changes. As soon as you do that, the info will be stored in the registry, and the NTUSER.DAT file will be created. Every time you log in, Windows will load the file, and all the changes you made will be right where you left them.
If you have never seen this file before and want to do that, simply open File Explorer and type %userprofile% into the address bar.
If you don’t see the file, it is because it is hidden by default.
To be able to see it, you will have to check the option to see “hidden files.” Click on View in File Explorer and click on the option Hidden files. Once you enable the option, the NTUSER.DAT file will show up.
What’s essential for you to understand is that you should never delete this file. If you do that, you will run into many different issues. First, Windows won’t be able to load your preferences and settings, but not just that. You won’t be able to sign in to your account. For these reasons, do not delete the NTUSER.DAT file. Leave it as it is. If you think that you can gain some space on your PC by deleting this file, you should be aware that these files are small, usually between 3 and 20 Mb. Again – leave it as it is.
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