Join domain - keep user's profile/settings

[goombawaho]

Hi. This might be a stupid question, but I don't see a CLEAN way to accomplish this. I have a bunch of users (15) that are not on a domain. They will be getting a SBS server and will need to join that domain.

The question is, how do I have their PC join the domain and keep their old profile (desktop icons, favorites, my documents folder)?? It's a big change if they get a whole new profile.

I don't seem to find an elegant way of doing this without copying the entire documents and settings\old user to documents and settings\new user

 

[FireMike84]

To my knowledge I am not sure a way of doing it that wouldn't require coping the files. If all they want are their documents, desktop, and favorites then just copy those three folders to their new profile.

c:\douments and settings\username\desktop
c:\douments and settings\username\favorites
c:\douments and settings\username\username's documents

The files shouldn't take long to copy since you are just coping them to a different location on the same drive and you will probably have to go to each computer any way to change them over from workgroup to domain.

Hope this helps,

Mike Walton
Network+ CCENT
Free Tech Articles at

http://www.mikenetpc.com

 

[IllogicallyLogical]

- How do I copy a user profile in Windows XP? Why is the COPY TO button grayed out?

http://www.petri.co.il/copy_user_profiles_in_windows_xp.htm

Joey
CCNA, MCSA 2003, MCP, A+, Network+, Wireless#

 

[dippncope]

right click on my omputer, properties, advance, user profiles click on settings select local account "yourpcname\accountname" click on copy to, browse to documents and setting and pick account you want to copy it to. If the user id's are the same it should show up as accountname.domain

 

[johngoebel]

It's quite simple to migrate the profile, see

http://www.opensubscriber.com/message/samba@lists.samba.org/2866267.html

for instructions. I have done this on about 12 machines and it works very well. One thing the article didn't mention; in one case I had to do the migration in safe mode because XP kept saying that another process was using a file.
As always, make a backup of the registry or create a restore point before doing this!
Regards,
John

 

[Zelandakh]

You do need to change the permissions though!!

 

[wahnula]

Here's an alternative method: "Migrate a user profile in 7 easy steps"

http://msmvps.com/blogs/clustering/archive/2004/10/06/15096.aspx

Tony

Users helping Users...

 

[johngoebel]

Yes indeed you do need change the permissions, that's why the article at [URL unfurl="true"]http://www.opensubscriber.com/message/samba@lists.samba.org/2866267.html[/url] gives explicit instructions for doing so.

 

[goombawaho]

So, there's nothing so simple as NOT having a new profile created - that's going to happen no matter what and then you have to do some type of copy.

I was trying to avoid the creation of a new user, but it appears that's part of the process. I'll scope out your suggestions.

 

[Davetoo]

Seems like a lot of work...IIRC, I just logged onto the machine with the users domain account, then logged off, logged on as the local admin, went to the User Profiles section of the computers Property, and used the COPY TO option along with the Permitted to use option and copied their old local profile to their new domain account profile.

I'm Certifiable, not cert-ified.
It just means my answers are from experience, not a book.

There are no more PDC's! There are DC's with FSMO roles!

 

[Davetoo]

Missed the post before mine...yes, you have to create a domain account for each user.

I'm Certifiable, not cert-ified.
It just means my answers are from experience, not a book.

There are no more PDC's! There are DC's with FSMO roles!

 

[wolluf]

what domain resources do these users need?

I ask as you could create domain users that mirror their current local users (ie, same username/password). Then after machines join domain, leave them logging on locally so they keep their existing profiles. But because of the user correlation they will have same level of access to domain resources as their mirror domain users (so can access shares, printers etc). if that's all they need...

 

[JJSRich]

We've recently switched domains and had to migrate ~20 users across. The process is much the same.

We used the outline of

http://msmvps.com/blogs/clustering/archive/2004/10/06/15096.aspx

to do the job. Gotta remember to show hidden files and folders or else the permissions may not propagate.

As another warning, you may need to re-configure Outlook and import their .pst files. I didn't notice any pattern as to when it was necessary.

The registry hack and permission change is quite effective, Our average was 15 minutes per machine using the above method, but you do need to know the users email password, or have the ability to change it.