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Preserving user profiles


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Posted

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

  • Replies 7
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Guest Danny Sanders
Posted

Re: Preserving user profiles

 

Is this a domain?

 

DDS

 

"John" <John@nospam.infovis.co.uk> wrote in message

news:ONe62BtXIHA.1164@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

> 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

>

Posted

Re: Preserving user profiles

 

Yes

 

"Danny Sanders" <DSanders@NOSPAMciber.com> wrote in message

news:OEekfOtXIHA.3652@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

> Is this a domain?

>

> DDS

>

> "John" <John@nospam.infovis.co.uk> wrote in message

> news:ONe62BtXIHA.1164@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

>> 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

>>

>

>

Guest Danny Sanders
Posted

Re: Preserving user profiles

 

Are they roaming profiles or local?

 

DDS

 

"John" <John@nospam.infovis.co.uk> wrote in message

news:ORzF2QtXIHA.4880@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

> Yes

>

> "Danny Sanders" <DSanders@NOSPAMciber.com> wrote in message

> news:OEekfOtXIHA.3652@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

>> Is this a domain?

>>

>> DDS

>>

>> "John" <John@nospam.infovis.co.uk> wrote in message

>> news:ONe62BtXIHA.1164@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

>>> 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

>>>

>>

>>

>

>

Posted

Re: Preserving user profiles

 

Local but can be made roaming if that helps.

 

Thanks

 

Regards

 

"Danny Sanders" <DSanders@NOSPAMciber.com> wrote in message

news:u8JluwtXIHA.1164@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

> Are they roaming profiles or local?

>

> DDS

>

> "John" <John@nospam.infovis.co.uk> wrote in message

> news:ORzF2QtXIHA.4880@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

>> Yes

>>

>> "Danny Sanders" <DSanders@NOSPAMciber.com> wrote in message

>> news:OEekfOtXIHA.3652@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

>>> Is this a domain?

>>>

>>> DDS

>>>

>>> "John" <John@nospam.infovis.co.uk> wrote in message

>>> news:ONe62BtXIHA.1164@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

>>>> 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

>>>>

>>>

>>>

>>

>>

>

>

Guest Danny Sanders
Posted

Re: Preserving user profiles

 

It ain't pretty

See:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/324734/en-us

 

hth

DDS

 

"John" <John@nospam.infovis.co.uk> wrote in message

news:eTVTbAuXIHA.4140@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...

> Local but can be made roaming if that helps.

>

> Thanks

>

> Regards

>

> "Danny Sanders" <DSanders@NOSPAMciber.com> wrote in message

> news:u8JluwtXIHA.1164@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

>> Are they roaming profiles or local?

>>

>> DDS

>>

>> "John" <John@nospam.infovis.co.uk> wrote in message

>> news:ORzF2QtXIHA.4880@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

>>> Yes

>>>

>>> "Danny Sanders" <DSanders@NOSPAMciber.com> wrote in message

>>> news:OEekfOtXIHA.3652@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

>>>> Is this a domain?

>>>>

>>>> DDS

>>>>

>>>> "John" <John@nospam.infovis.co.uk> wrote in message

>>>> news:ONe62BtXIHA.1164@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

>>>>> 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

>>>>>

>>>>

>>>>

>>>

>>>

>>

>>

>

>

Guest Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]
Posted

Re: Preserving user profiles

 

John <John@nospam.infovis.co.uk> wrote:

> 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/details.aspx?familyid=1B286E6D-8912-4E18-B570-42470E2F3582&displaylang=en

 

 

Roaming profile & folder redirection article -

http://www.windowsnetworking.com/articles_tutorials/Profile-Folder-Redirection-Windows-Server-2003.html

 

 

 

>

> Thanks

>

> Regards

>

> "Danny Sanders" <DSanders@NOSPAMciber.com> wrote in message

> news:u8JluwtXIHA.1164@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

>> Are they roaming profiles or local?

>>

>> DDS

>>

>> "John" <John@nospam.infovis.co.uk> wrote in message

>> news:ORzF2QtXIHA.4880@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

>>> Yes

>>>

>>> "Danny Sanders" <DSanders@NOSPAMciber.com> wrote in message

>>> news:OEekfOtXIHA.3652@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

>>>> Is this a domain?

>>>>

>>>> DDS

>>>>

>>>> "John" <John@nospam.infovis.co.uk> wrote in message

>>>> news:ONe62BtXIHA.1164@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

>>>>> 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

Guest Anteaus
Posted

RE: Preserving user profiles

 

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.


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