How to Restore the Last User Tile When It Goes Blank on Windows 11

When you open the Start menu on Windows 11, the last user tile at the bottom left may appear as a blank square or circle instead of showing your profile picture or initials. This blank tile does not affect login or account functions, but it disrupts the visual consistency of the interface. The issue typically occurs after a Windows update, a corrupted user profile cache, or a misconfigured Group Policy setting. This article explains the exact causes of the blank user tile and provides four reliable methods to restore it.

Why the Last User Tile Goes Blank on Windows 11

The last user tile displays your current profile picture or initials in the Start menu and the sign-in screen. Windows 11 stores this image in a specific cache folder under each user profile. When the cache becomes corrupted, the tile fails to render and appears as a blank square or circle.

Three main factors cause this corruption:

Windows Update Overwrites Profile Image Data

Feature updates and cumulative updates sometimes reset or overwrite the AccountPicture folder that holds the user tile images. After a restart, Windows cannot locate the image file, so it displays a blank tile.

Corrupted AccountPicture Cache

The AccountPicture folder inside AppData\Local\Temp stores resized versions of your profile picture. If any of these files become corrupted due to a system crash or disk error, the tile stops loading.

Group Policy Blocks User Tile Display

In managed work or school devices, an administrator may enable the policy “Turn off user tiles” in Group Policy. This policy hides the tile entirely or forces it to show a blank placeholder. Local policies can also be accidentally configured to block the tile.

Steps to Restore the Last User Tile When It Goes Blank

1. Take a new profile picture in Settings
   Press the Windows key and type “Your info” to open Settings > Accounts > Your info. Click the camera icon under “Create your picture” and select “Take a photo” or “Browse for one.” Choose any image, apply it, and then sign out and sign back in. This forces Windows to regenerate the cache files in the AccountPicture folder.
2. Delete the AccountPicture cache folder
   Press Ctrl+R, type %localappdata%\Temp, and press Enter. Find the folder named AccountPicture and delete it. Windows recreates this folder automatically the next time you sign in. If the folder is missing, skip this step.
3. Clear the user tile cache via Command Prompt
   Open Command Prompt as Administrator. Type del /f /s /q %userprofile%\AppData\Local\Temp\AccountPicture\ and press Enter. Then type reg delete "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\AccountPicture" /f and press Enter. Restart your PC.
4. Disable the Group Policy that blocks user tiles
   Press Windows+R, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter. Navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar. Double-click “Turn off user tiles.” Set it to “Not Configured” or “Disabled.” Click OK, then run gpupdate /force in Command Prompt.

If the Last User Tile Still Shows Blank After the Main Fix

User tile remains blank after taking a new picture

If the tile stays blank even after you set a new profile picture, the corruption may extend beyond the cache. Try creating a new local user account and migrating your files. Open Settings > Accounts > Family and other users > Add account. Once the new account is created, sign into it and check the tile. If it works, transfer your documents and settings to the new account.

Blank tile appears only on the sign-in screen

When the tile is blank only at the sign-in screen but shows correctly in the Start menu, the issue is with the lock screen cache. Press Windows+R, type netplwiz, and press Enter. Select your user account, click Properties, and ensure the “User name” field matches your Microsoft account email. Click OK, sign out, and sign back in.

Blank tile occurs after every Windows update

If the blank tile reappears after each update, the update process may be corrupting the AccountPicture folder. Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter: Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters > Windows Update > Run. After the scan, restart your PC and repeat the cache deletion steps above.

Profile Picture vs User Tile: Display Behavior Differences

Item	Profile Picture (Settings)	User Tile (Start Menu)
Location	Settings > Accounts > Your info	Bottom-left corner of Start menu
Image source	Microsoft account or local account settings	AccountPicture cache folder
Refresh method	Upload a new image	Delete cache or take new picture
Common failure	Image fails to upload	Blank tile due to corrupted cache

You can now restore the blank last user tile on Windows 11 by clearing the AccountPicture cache or taking a new profile picture. If the issue persists, check Group Policy or create a new user account. For ongoing problems, run the Windows Update Troubleshooter before each major update to prevent cache corruption.