Backing up Profiles

[nightstar]

We are currently figuring out a way to backup a user's data in our
corporate setting of 100 people. At this time we do not have roaming
profiles as users here can have multiple huge files and we dont want to
take up valuable space and do not need backed up because the master
copy is already backed up.

What we have done:

- Created polices that all users must save any pivots in a Pivots
folder in their My Documents. This folder will be excluded.

- All audio, video, and photos will be excluded unless your in a
specific department or certain company status.

- Created weekly scheduled backup for the Documents and Settings folder
using the basic XP backup software on each system.

What we want to do:

- Only backup files in the My Documents or Desktop folders.

Sometimes we have new users on systems and we want this to be automatic
with no administration overhead.

More or less I want every My Documents and Desktop folder for every
user on the system and have the new user automatically added if he/she
logs in. Is this possible with the included backup software that comes
with xp.

Thanks.

 

[Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

In

We are currently figuring out a way to backup a user's data in our
corporate setting of 100 people. At this time we do not have roaming
profiles as users here can have multiple huge files and we dont want
to take up valuable space and do not need backed up because the master
copy is already backed up.

Maybe this seems OT.....but:

* I still suggest you use roaming profiles (that you keep tiny - frankly I'd
get another disk for this if you don't have enough room on the server as
is). Even if your users don't roam, it will save you a boatload of work when
a hard drive crashes, etc., or during any sort of workstation replacement.

* Get more disk space on your server if you don't have enough.

* Use folder redirection for Desktop and My Documents and point them at the
users' home directories

* Don't use offline files on your LAN-connected PCs

* You can specify what folders should not roam, via group policy - such as
My Pictures, My Music, etc. - the data in these folders will not be copied
to the server, ever.

* Avoid workstation backups. Seriously. It is not worth it. Treat
workstatoins as interchangeable, and don't store any data on them that would
sadden management if it were lost in a hard drive crash.

Group policy q's are best posted in m.p.windows.group_policy, for future
reference

 

[Doug Knox MS-MVP]

User State Migration Tool

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/evaluation/features/usmt.mspx

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...c9-f16c-4c52-a203-8daf944dd555&DisplayLang=en

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=windows+xp+usmt