Lost domain...reconnect...lost my profile

[Jim Walsh]

Our network had a crash of the domain controller server. When the server was
rebuilt, I needed to reconnect my WinXP machine to the network. The process
required me to leave the domain (join a workgroup), and then rejoin the
domain.

However, in this process, I have apparently lost my profile on my computer.
When I log in, using the same username/password as I did before everything
of mine is lost, e.g. desktop wallpaper, desktop icons, start menu,
toolbars, I assume my Outlook address book, etc.

I can see under documents and settings a folder which must contain at least
some of my old profile.

Surely, there must be a simple way for me to restore this.

I appreciate your help.

Thanks,
Jim

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Our network had a crash of the domain controller server. When the server was
rebuilt, I needed to reconnect my WinXP machine to the network. The process
required me to leave the domain (join a workgroup), and then rejoin the
domain.

However, in this process, I have apparently lost my profile on my computer.
When I log in, using the same username/password as I did before everything
of mine is lost, e.g. desktop wallpaper, desktop icons, start menu,
toolbars, I assume my Outlook address book, etc.

I can see under documents and settings a folder which must contain at least
some of my old profile.

Surely, there must be a simple way for me to restore this.

I appreciate your help.

Thanks,
Jim

- Log on under a suitable admin account.
- Copy the orphaned profile folder to your new profile folder.

 

[Shenan Stanley]

Our network had a crash of the domain controller server. When the
server was rebuilt, I needed to reconnect my WinXP machine to the
network. The process required me to leave the domain (join a
workgroup), and then rejoin the domain.

However, in this process, I have apparently lost my profile on my
computer. When I log in, using the same username/password as I did
before everything of mine is lost, e.g. desktop wallpaper, desktop
icons, start menu, toolbars, I assume my Outlook address book, etc.

I can see under documents and settings a folder which must contain at
least some of my old profile.

Surely, there must be a simple way for me to restore this.

Take ownership of the old profile folder (that you found - it is the entire
thing, BTW) and copy your favorites, my documents, etc from it to your new
profile.

Otherwise - as far as settings and all that goes, your likely better off not
trying to reconnect to that profile.

 

[Jim Walsh]

Pegasus & Shenan

Thanks for replying to my posting. You both have proposed the same solution.

Actually, before posting my message, that is what I did. I logged in using a
separate administrative account, and then copied the entire contents of the
old profile folder (in Documents and Settting) over the new profile folder.
I do note that it would not let me copy NTUSER.* over.

When I then logged off and logged back into my usual account, the only
profile-related item that seemed to be fixed was my desktop icons. My Recent
Documents part of the Windows menu was empty. When I started Outlook, it
brought up a wizard to help me configure it since it apparently was not
using my previous settings.

I must be missing something. Please continue to help.

Thanks,
Jim

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

You should do this:
1. Reboot
2. Log on as an administrator
3. Open a Command Prompt
4. Navigate to c:\Documents and Settings
5. Use xcopy.exe to copy the profile folder:
xcopy /s /h /c OldProfileName NewProfileName

Remember that GUIs are fine for having a pretty
user interface. When it comes do dealing with nuts
and bolts, a Command Line command is often
far more powerful.

 

[Shenan Stanley]

You should do this:
1. Reboot
2. Log on as an administrator
3. Open a Command Prompt
4. Navigate to c:\Documents and Settings
5. Use xcopy.exe to copy the profile folder:
xcopy /s /h /c OldProfileName NewProfileName

Remember that GUIs are fine for having a pretty
user interface. When it comes do dealing with nuts
and bolts, a Command Line command is often
far more powerful.

Will that (if need be) give the user the full permissions needed to use that
profile?

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Will that (if need be) give the user the full permissions needed to use that
profile?

--
<- Shenan ->
--
The information is provided "as is", it is suggested you research for
yourself before you take any advice - you are the one ultimately
responsible for your actions/problems/solutions. Know what you are
getting into before you jump in with both feet.

No. If there is a permissions issue then the OP has to set them
separately as required, using Windows Explorer or cacls.exe.

 

[Jim Walsh]

Thanks again to Pegasus and Shenan for continuing to follow up with my
posting.

I've clarified some of this for myself. There are some profile-like things
that don't seem to be in that Documents and settings folder. So, this kind
of fudged my view of things.

For example, the desktop wallpaper is actually stored in the registry. So,
even though I copied over the contentsof my previous profille folder into my
new profile folder, the desktop wallpaper did not return to my previous
wallpaper. Similarly, the account settings used by Outlook are apparently
stored in the registry. So, when I started Outlook, it had no accounts, and
no folders. It offered to create new accounts and folders. I needed to Open
the PST file that I had copied into the new profile folder. And, as far as I
know, I had to manually enter the e-mail account info. I would appreciate
any info on how that can be copied over. We all forget our e-mail passwords.

So, what else is not contained in my profile folder? Start menu: My Recent
Documents. Where is that? Office Toolbar? Launch bar buttons, etc.

I continue to appreciate any help you can give here.

Thanks,
Jim

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

The registry settings you refer to are contained in the hidden files in
your profile folder. You can easily confirm it:
1. Set up the profile for user XXX exactly the way you want it,
including wall paper, keyboard speed, dial-up settings, Outlook etc.
2. Reboot the PC, then log on as administrator.
3. Goto the Control Panel / System / Advanced / User Profiles,
then copy the profile for XXX to the Default User profile folder.
4. Delete the profile folder for YYY (if it exists).
5. Log on as YYY. You will find that you have inherited every
setting from Step 1 above, including those that you thought
could not be inherited (e.g. the wallpaper).