Windows 8.1 - Windows account unlinked from Users Folder

Question

Background: I installed a new SSD in my laptop to run some tests, and connected my usual primary SSD via USB to copy files back and forth. After completing my tests, I then re-installed my usual SSD and booted expecting to log into my usual windows linked account. After login, only half the programs loaded and I got some errors indicating files were inaccessible. I rebooted which caused an unexpected windows update which failed. After another reboot, I was logged into a temporary account and could not access any files under my profile in C:\Users\Dan.

I then swapped back to my new SSD, connected my usual SSD via USB, and ran chkdsk /f on the corrupted usual ssd drive. Looked like it reset thousands of security IDs on files back to default. This seems to have worked, since the files under C:\Users\Dan are now accessible again.

Now: After booting off my fixed usual SSD, I login with my MS linked account (using MS email/pass) and successfully get in. Now I am logged in as C:\Users\Temp.

I can access all files under C:\Users\Dan and everything appears to be there (e.g. Desktop has all my old files), but they are not linked to my currently logged in account. In Task Manager, the Users tab shows my MS email as my user account. The Start Menu shows Dan in the upper right corner. Under Accounts, I have no local accounts and it shows my MS email as "Your account"

Question: My suspicion is that the security ID reset performed by chkdsk somehow unlinked my account. How do I log into the profile stored at C:\Users\Dan and ideally re-link it my MS account? I was thinking about making a local Dan account, but I don't want to overwrite anything that's already there.

Answer 1

Once I figured out I was signed in as a Temporary profile, I found this handy post which includes numerous fixes for Temporary account issues. http://www.sysprobs.com/fixed-temporary-profile-windows-8-and-8-1-problem

One thing is I should have run sfc instead of chkdsk. Perhaps that would have avoided many issues.

Ultimately, I fixed the issue by editing the registry. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList included 2 entries for my Windows login. One with .bak which was my old C:\Users\Dan and the current one pointed to C:\Users\Temp. I renamed the current one, and removed the .bak from the old one, rebooted and my account is now relinked.