With User Profile Synchronization Service in SharePoint 2010, you have the ability to import user profiles from a separate data source such as the Active Directory into SharePoint. Unlike in previous editions of SharePoint, for 2010, profile synchronization uses the Forefront Identity Management services. In our new two-part series, we’ll show you how to use this feature to import and update user profiles in SharePoint 2010.

Before you configure the User Profile Synchronization Service in SharePoint 2010, however, you will need to start the service. When you go to Central Administration > Services on Server, you may notice the status is shown as either Starting or Stopped. In this article, we’ll show you how to resolve this issue and update the status so that the User Profile Synchronization Service is started.

Before you begin, you will need to verify a couple of things in your SharePoint environment. To do this, go to Central Administration > Security > Configure service accounts:

• Make sure that the Service account is a Farm account.
• The Service account on the server should be the Local Administrator.
• The Service account should have log on locally user rights on the server.

In the event that your user does NOT have log on locally rights, you will need to follow these steps:

• Go to the Start menu and select > Run > secpol.msc
• From the Local Security Policy window, select Security Settings > Local Policies > User Rights Assignment > Allow log on locally.
• Right-click Allow log on locally and select Properties to add a user.
• Next, go to the Start menu and select > Run > gpupdate
• Refresh the policy change.

Once you are logged on locally, you will need to make sure that the Service account has Full Control permissions on Administrators and Permissions for User Profile Service Application.

In the event that your user does NOT have Full Control permissions on Administrators and Permissions for User Profile Service Application, you will need to do the following:

• Go to Central Administration and select Application Management > Manage Service Applications > User Profile Service Application
• From the Administrators for User Profile Service Application menu, check the appropriate Permissions for user checkboxes.
• Click OK.
• From the Connections Permissions for User Profile Service Application menu, check the appropriate Permissions for user checkboxes.
• Click OK.

Once all of the above has been completed and verified, you will be able to start the User Profile Synchronization Service.

To begin, go to Central Administration and select Application Management > Manage Services on Server > User Profile Synchronization Service.

Click Start.

Fill in the appropriate credentials.

The User Profile Synchronization Service will now be successfully started.

Want more on User Profile Synchronization Services?  If so, we invite you to check out part two of our series:

How to Sync User Profile Information using the Profile Synchronization Feature in User Profile Sync for SharePoint 2010