copying a user profile - XP Pro

C

cscus00

I'm attempting to copy a user profile in XP pro SP2, however the [copy
to] option is greyed out for the profile I want to copy.

All solutions I have found end at "log off the user profile" or "force
a logoff if you used fast user switching". The problem is - I'm not
logged into that account and I don't use fast user switching.

The option to copy the account in question remains greyed out (as if
logged on) if I'm using the default admin account, a 2nd admin account
I created expressly to do the copy and a third admin account I created
just to be sure. It is also greyed out when I'm logged in to the one
I'm trying to copy. In each instance, the option to copy is available
for all the other accounts in the list (exept the loged-in one as it
should)

I thought the "private" status of the profile might afect the copy, so
I removed the password and removed the "private" status for all the
"docs&settings/user/.../" folders - still the same problem.

I know I can copy the profile pieces manually, but we're moving our
office to a domain controller, and I would like a solution in case I
run into this again.

What am I missing?
 
R

Ronnie Vernon MVP

When you copy a user profile to another user account, you cannot be logged in with either account that you are copying to or from.. You must do the copying from a third user account.

How to Copy User Data to a New User Profile:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/811151
 
S

Shenan Stanley

I'm attempting to copy a user profile in XP pro SP2, however the
[copy to] option is greyed out for the profile I want to copy.

All solutions I have found end at "log off the user profile" or
"force a logoff if you used fast user switching". The problem is -
I'm not logged into that account and I don't use fast user
switching.

The option to copy the account in question remains greyed out (as if
logged on) if I'm using the default admin account, a 2nd admin
account I created expressly to do the copy and a third admin
account I created just to be sure. It is also greyed out when I'm
logged in to the one I'm trying to copy. In each instance, the
option to copy is available for all the other accounts in the list
(exept the loged-in one as it should)

I thought the "private" status of the profile might afect the copy,
so I removed the password and removed the "private" status for all
the "docs&settings/user/.../" folders - still the same problem.

I know I can copy the profile pieces manually, but we're moving our
office to a domain controller, and I would like a solution in case I
run into this again.

What am I missing?

Reboot.
Log on as an administrative level user that is neither the one being copied
or the one being copied to.
Try your copy again.

See Ronnie Vernon's link.
 
C

cscus00

Thanks for ther replies, but as I said in my initial post:

a) "I'm not logged into that account"

and

b) "The option to copy the account in question remains greyed out (as
if logged on) if I'm using the default admin account, a 2nd admin
account I created expressly to do the copy"

Is there a solution other than logging off and using another admin
level account?
 
S

Shenan Stanley

cscus00 said:
I'm attempting to copy a user profile in XP pro SP2, however the
[copy to] option is greyed out for the profile I want to copy.

All solutions I have found end at "log off the user profile" or
"force a logoff if you used fast user switching". The problem is -
I'm not logged into that account and I don't use fast user
switching.

The option to copy the account in question remains greyed out (as if
logged on) if I'm using the default admin account, a 2nd admin
account I created expressly to do the copy and a third admin
account I created just to be sure. It is also greyed out when I'm
logged in to the one I'm trying to copy. In each instance, the
option to copy is available for all the other accounts in the list
(exept the loged-in one as it should)

I thought the "private" status of the profile might afect the copy,
so I removed the password and removed the "private" status for all
the "docs&settings/user/.../" folders - still the same problem.

I know I can copy the profile pieces manually, but we're moving our
office to a domain controller, and I would like a solution in case I
run into this again.

What am I missing?
When you copy a user profile to another user account, you cannot be
logged in with either account that you are copying to or from.. You
must do the copying from a third user account.

How to Copy User Data to a New User Profile:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/811151

Shenan said:
Reboot.
Log on as an administrative level user that is neither the one
being copied or the one being copied to.
Try your copy again.

See Ronnie Vernon's link.
Thanks for ther replies, but as I said in my initial post:

a) "I'm not logged into that account"

and

b) "The option to copy the account in question remains greyed out
(as if logged on) if I'm using the default admin account, a 2nd
admin account I created expressly to do the copy"

Is there a solution other than logging off and using another admin
level account?

The 'reboot' is important.

If you logged on as either the user whose profile you are copying or
the user you are copying the profile to -- even if you are not currently
logged in as that user -- some of that user's files may *still* be
reported as 'in use' and the option to copy that profile may be
greyed out or your copy may be incomplete.

Also - with Ronnie's given solution - you don't use the "Copy to"
method anyway - not the one that is used to create default user
profiles and such...

The long and short of it is...

You have to have three users - all three of which have been logged
on at least once - in order to copy a users profile from one to another.
The exception to that would be if you were creating the default user
profile - in which case you only need two users that have been
logged into at least once.

In the scenario you seem to be trying to accomplish...

User A is setup the way you desire and is the one you want to copy.
User B is an administrative level user account.
User C is the account you want to replace with the profile from User A.

First - reboot and log in/out as all three users.
This just ensures they all have profile directories and are configured
in the registry.
Second - reboot (again) and log on as User B.
Now - as you are logged in as the administrative level user and neither
of the other two users have been logged into in this session (since the
last reboot), do the following:

a. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
b. Double-click System.
c. On the User Profiles tab, click the user profile that you wish to
copy, and then click Copy To.
d. In the Copy To dialog box, under Copy profile to, click Browse,
click the \Documents and Settings\{Username_you_wish_to_copy_to}
folder, and then click OK.
e. Under Permitted to use, click Change, click Everyone (or just the
username of the user you are copying to for more security), and then
click OK.

The key - pointed out before - a reboot and neither account (the one you are
copying or the one you are copying to) can have been logged into *since* the
last reboot to be *sure* nothing in them is in use. I guess even then -
depending on your services setup and scheduled tasks - something from that
user profile could be in use - so it is not foolproof.
 

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