Help with profiles when joining a domain

[Fran]

I have a new client that I will be installing a Windows 2000 Server
machine in next week.

I want to join existing client (Win XP boxes) computers to the domain
without losing the user profile settings.

What is the best way for me to do this? They currently only have a
peer to peer network but they have established profiles and I hate to
recreate all that if possible.

-Fran-

 

[Paul Bergson]

Check this out:
http://msmvps.com/clustering/archive/2004/10/06/15096.aspx

--


Paul Bergson MCT, MCSE, MCSA, CNE, CNA, CCA

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

 

[Herb Martin]

I have a new client that I will be installing a Windows 2000 Server
machine in next week.

I want to join existing client (Win XP boxes) computers to the domain
without losing the user profile settings.

There is no reason you should lose those profiles -- but if the
users have a NEW account they will get a new profile.

Just copy the old profile over the new one. (You might want to
save a copy of the new one first.)

Although the above should work, the truly paranoid (read: truly
experienced) Admin will also copy the old profile to a separate
location before joining the machine to a new domain.

What is the best way for me to do this? They currently only have a
peer to peer network but they have established profiles and I hate to
recreate all that if possible.

You don't have to. Profiles are just "directory trees of files & folders"
-- mostly the NTUser.dat (the main file) and the Lnk files for shortcuts.

Xcopy OLDPROFILEPATH \SaveProfile\ /s /c /o

(should work)

The following might work to save a particular user's profile:

Xcopy "%userprofile%" \Save%username%\ /s /c /o

The following MIGHT work to get all profiles:

cd /d "%userprofile%"
cd ..
Xcopy *.* \SaveAllProfiles\ /s /c /o

You really should check errors and stuff though -- I included
"/c" continue on errors so they will be skipped and most things
will be captures but it does nothing for the skipped items (if any.)