New Domain Name

[Guest]

Hi,

We are changing our domain name and I have a question regarding my
workstations. Presently my workstations log on to mydomain.ca and we will
change to mydomain.local. Is it easier to switch my workstation to Workgroup
and then reconnect to new domain and transfer Files and Settings to new
profile?

Thanks
Danny

 

[Shenan Stanley]

We are changing our domain name and I have a question regarding my
workstations. Presently my workstations log on to mydomain.ca and
we will change to mydomain.local. Is it easier to switch my
workstation to Workgroup and then reconnect to new domain and
transfer Files and Settings to new profile?

Easier than what?
1/2 the 'easier than' equation given.

Is that the 'easiest' method? Not in my mind.

Is it easier than some of the other ways I can think of? Sure.

Can even the 'more difficult' ways I can think of than the one you have
given be simplified to be 'just as easy' with scripting, etc? Sure.

 

[Guest]

Which method would you recommend?

Easier than what?
1/2 the 'easier than' equation given.

Is that the 'easiest' method? Not in my mind.

Is it easier than some of the other ways I can think of? Sure.

Can even the 'more difficult' ways I can think of than the one you have
given be simplified to be 'just as easy' with scripting, etc? Sure.

 

[Shenan Stanley]

We are changing our domain name and I have a question regarding my
workstations. Presently my workstations log on to mydomain.ca and
we will change to mydomain.local. Is it easier to switch my
workstation to Workgroup and then reconnect to new domain and
transfer Files and Settings to new profile?

Easier than what?
1/2 the 'easier than' equation given.

Is that the 'easiest' method? Not in my mind.

Is it easier than some of the other ways I can think of? Sure.

Can even the 'more difficult' ways I can think of than the one you
have given be simplified to be 'just as easy' with scripting, etc?
Sure.

Which method would you recommend?

Depends on how many you need to do and how much help you have...

Making sure the user(s) in question had accounts in the new domain first, if
not DHCP (or just if the DNS entries are specified on the machine) I would
write a script to run as an administrator of the machine to:

- change the DNS entries and the DNS Suffic Search order for the new domain
- Setup any trusted 'zones' necessary
- using VBScript - join the domain (directly) - placing the computer in the
correct OU
- run gpupdate /force a few times (5 or so in a row) and then...
- reboot and logon the new domain as a domain admin, making sure group
policies had applied to the machine.
(I might even rename the machine using netdom after it joined the domain
(using netdom) - if it didn't meet any standard naming scheme I used
normally.)

Then the manual part would be logging off, log in as the new domain user
account of user that utilizes this particular machine. That would create a
new user on the machine. I would then reboot, log on as the administrator
again and change the registry entry for the user I just created to point to
the old profile they used to utilize and make sure that the new account had
full rights (file and directory) permissions to everything in the old
account directory. Log off, log on as the new user in the new domain and if
the permissions for the user are the same as they were before the move (user
level hopefully) - life will be good.

USMT is also an option if you are doing more users/more moves than just a
few or you have no help and need this done quickly, etc. However - the
whole exporting/importing of profiles can be TIME CONSUMING - depending on
the amount of crud said user has collected.

There's probably easier methods. There may even be faster methods. In some
cases we have told users that they should have everything saved on 'x
network drive' before the move that they want to keep and everything else
will go away. Then run the script to move the machine to the new domain and
show the user their saved stuff. (Sometimes you might feel generous and
later remotely copy their IE Favorites and other app bookmarks to their new
profile too. heh)

 

[Guest]

Hi Shenan,

Thanks for the tips, this is very helpful to me. Fortunately I only have 5
computers to mograte so it shouldn't take to long. Which registry keys for
profile switch should I modify?

Thanks
Danny

 

[Mario Schmidt]

Hi,

We are changing our domain name and I have a question regarding my
workstations. Presently my workstations log on to mydomain.ca and we will
change to mydomain.local. Is it easier to switch my workstation to Workgroup
and then reconnect to new domain and transfer Files and Settings to new
profile?

For only 5 computers, for nearly the exact same destination domain name,
is all this really worth the hassle?

 

[Guest]

I don't want to waste time with user profiles. I think changing registry
settings for new profile is a great idea. What would you recommend?

 

[Shenan Stanley]

Thanks for the tips, this is very helpful to me. Fortunately I only
have 5 computers to mograte so it shouldn't take to long. Which
registry keys for profile switch should I modify?

In Registry Editor, navigate to the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList

1. Locate the NEW user profile folder.

NOTE: When you open the ProfileList folder, you see several folders, each of
which belongs to a different user. These folders are named according to the
user security IDs (SIDs) and not according to the user names.

To locate the user profile folder, use one of the following options:

. For each folder, click the folder, and then look for the
ProfileImagePath value that contains the path to the NEW user profile (such
as
%SystemDrive%\Documents and Settings\username).
-or-
. In Registry Editor, press CTRL+F to start the Find tool. Type the NEW
user
name in the Find what box, click to select the Data check box under Look at,
and then click Find.

2. After you locate the subkey folder for the NEW user profile, double-click
the ProfileImagePath value.
3. In the Value data box, change the path so that it points to the profile
folder that *was* their profile in the old domain, and then and click OK.
4. Quit Registry Editor.

Do *not* forget to change the file/folder permissions on the old profile
folder before the user tries to logon again.

 

[Mario Schmidt]

I don't want to waste time with user profiles. I think changing registry
settings for new profile is a great idea. What would you recommend?

What I want to say is: "Why even bother?"

IMHO there is no real need for a domain rename in your case.

 

[Guest]

Active Directory claims to allow for flexible management, but in some
respects it is a "red-hot branding-iron" for your computers. Once installed
it is VERY difficult to change many aspects of the setup without starting
again from scratch.

For a system your size, MyLogon would definitely be a better choice. At
least you can try it without becoming 'locked-in' as you do with the AD.

-------------------------------
An alternative Network-Logon for Windows: http://mylogon.net

Danny schrieb wrote :

There is no real need for a domain name.