Preserving user profiles

[John]

Hi

I have several win xp pro pcs connected to a windows server. I need to
replace the server with a new windows server. Is there a way to preserve the
old win xp user profiles between the two servers so I don't have to recreate
them? I am going to use the same usernames as previous server if that would
help.

Thanks

Regards

 

[Danny Sanders]

Is this a domain?

DDS

 

[John]

Yes

Is this a domain?

DDS

 

[Danny Sanders]

Are they roaming profiles or local?

DDS

Yes

 

[John]

Local but can be made roaming if that helps.

Thanks

Regards

 

[Danny Sanders]

It ain't pretty
See:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/324734/en-us

hth
DDS

 

[Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

Local but can be made roaming if that helps.

It does. Here's my boilerplate on roaming profiles...

General tips:

1. Set up a share on the server. For example - d:\profiles, shared as
profiles$ to make it hidden from browsing. Make sure this share is *not* set
to allow offline files/caching! (that's on by default - disable it)

2. Make sure the share permissions on profiles$ indicate everyone=full
control. Set the NTFS security to administrators, system, and users=full
control.

3. In the users' ADUC properties, specify \\server\profiles$\%username% in
the profiles field

4. Have each user log into the domain once from their usual workstation
(where their existing profile lives) and log out. The profile is now
roaming.

5. If you want the administrators group to automatically have permissions to
the profiles folders, you'll need to make the appropriate change in group
policy. Look in computer configuration/administrative templates/system/user
profiles - there's an option to add administrators group to the roaming
profiles permissions.

Notes:

* Make sure users understand that they should not log into multiple
computers at the same time when they have roaming profiles (unless you make
the profiles mandatory by renaming ntuser.dat to ntuser.man so they can't
change them). Explain that the "last one out wins,"
when it comes to uploading the final, changed copy of the profile.

* Keep your profiles TINY. Via group policy, redirect My Documents at the
very least - to a subfolder of the user's home directory or user folder.
Also consider redirecting Desktop & Application Data similarly..... so the
user will have:

\\server\home$\%username%\My Documents,
\\server\home$\%username%\Desktop,
\\server\home$\%username%\Application Data.

Alternatively, just manually re-target My Documents to
\\server\home$\%username% (this is not optimal, however!)

If you aren't going to also redirect the desktop using policies, tell users
that
they are not to store any files on the desktop or you will beat them with a
stick. Big profile=slow login/logout, and possible profile corruption.

* Note that user profiles are not compatible between different OS versions,
even between W2k/XP. Keep all your computers. Keep your workstations as
identical as possible - meaning, OS version is the same, SP level is the
same, app load is (as much as possible) the same.

* Do not let people store any data locally - all data belongs on the server.

* The User Profile Hive Cleanup Utility should be running on all your
computers. You can download it here:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...6D-8912-4E18-B570-42470E2F3582&displaylang=en


Roaming profile & folder redirection article -
http://www.windowsnetworking.com/ar...e-Folder-Redirection-Windows-Server-2003.html

 

[Anteaus]

I thinka point of clarification here is that if the profiles are non-roaming
then they aren't on the server anyway, they are in the local "Documents ansd
settings" folders of the clients. Only the useraccounts are on the server.

The issue that you will meet is that if a computer is joined to a new
domain, then users in that domain are effectiely treated as new users.
Therefore they get a new, blank profile.

The best way to avoid this is to make the new server a secondary controller
within the same domain, then once it has synchronised with the existing
server, promote it and turn off the old one. That way, the accounts belong to
the same domain so it's a much simpler handover.

If you can't do this, then you need to follow a fairly involved process of
transferring the profiles, on each computer.

BTW, it is because of issues like this that I generally don't use domain
topology on small sites.