Move User Profiles and Home Folder to new server

[silverreefcasinoIT]

Hello,

I am trying to move users "Profiles" and "Home Folders" from a server that
is running critical low on disk space to a new server. I have Windows 2000
server standard edition.

I have successfully hacked through this process by using the following
steps:
* Having the user log out
* Change the AD user properties "Profile Path" and "Home Folder Path" to the
new servers UNC path
* Take Administrator ownership of all the user files in order to set
Administrator full control
* Move all files and folder of the users "Home Folder" to the new server
(except for "My Pictures" which is locked by permissions)
* Have the user log back in.

I will admit there are gapping holes in my Window 2000 administrator
knowledge, however I just cannot seem to find any concise information on how
to manage this task.

My Questions are:
1) Is there is an easier way to move profiles and home folder between
servers?
2) Is there an entirely better method of managing profiles, folders, shares
so that I don't have to bind them to a specific server's UNC so that when
moving them I don't end up breaking links, shortcuts, etc.

Thanks you in advance for your response

Jonathan

 

[Herb Martin]

Hello,

I am trying to move users "Profiles" and "Home Folders" from a server that
is running critical low on disk space to a new server. I have Windows 2000
server standard edition.

I have successfully hacked through this process by using the following
steps:
* Having the user log out
* Change the AD user properties "Profile Path" and "Home Folder Path" to the
new servers UNC path
* Take Administrator ownership of all the user files in order to set
Administrator full control

This part sounds wrong -- you probably have this already
and if you don't then better would be to have the user GRANT
it to you before logging out, so that the user permissions would
remain.

* Move all files and folder of the users "Home Folder" to the new server
(except for "My Pictures" which is locked by permissions)

You could get that one too if you wanted but it's just a choice.

You can also use the /o (ownership/security) switch in XCOPY
to keep the permissions.

* Have the user log back in.

If done as above you would now own the user's files which
is generally a poor practice but perhaps not critical.

I will admit there are gapping holes in my Window 2000 administrator
knowledge, however I just cannot seem to find any concise information on how
to manage this task.

My Questions are:
1) Is there is an easier way to move profiles and home folder between
servers?

This works. As long as you have a COPY of the users files you
can even do it in the other order (change and let the user create
a new profile on the new server but then overlay the backup copy.)

2) Is there an entirely better method of managing profiles, folders, shares
so that I don't have to bind them to a specific server's UNC so that when
moving them I don't end up breaking links, shortcuts, etc.

This method is just fine -- the definitive answer is USMT --
User State Migration Tool.

It moves all sorts of other settings like Outlook files, Outlook
Express news groups and email, and is even extensible.

Thanks you in advance for your response

 

[jas0n]

Hello,

I am trying to move users "Profiles" and "Home Folders" from a server that
is running critical low on disk space to a new server. I have Windows 2000
server standard edition.

I have successfully hacked through this process by using the following
steps:
* Having the user log out
* Change the AD user properties "Profile Path" and "Home Folder Path" to the
new servers UNC path
* Take Administrator ownership of all the user files in order to set
Administrator full control
* Move all files and folder of the users "Home Folder" to the new server
(except for "My Pictures" which is locked by permissions)
* Have the user log back in.

I will admit there are gapping holes in my Window 2000 administrator
knowledge, however I just cannot seem to find any concise information on how
to manage this task.

My Questions are:
1) Is there is an easier way to move profiles and home folder between
servers?
2) Is there an entirely better method of managing profiles, folders, shares
so that I don't have to bind them to a specific server's UNC so that when
moving them I don't end up breaking links, shortcuts, etc.

Thanks you in advance for your response

Jonathan

i havent done this yet myself but if faced with it i think id follow
this way:-

all users log out
use ntbackup to backup the home folders and profile folders
restore these folders using ntbackup to the new location on the new
server including security info
use admodify 1.6 to edit 'all' relevant user profile information for new
location of profiles and home folders in one go.

then ask users to reboot and log back on and hope !!

btw, would this method work as expected?!