Transferring user settings/profiles to a new server.

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greg
Site Admin
Posts: 73
Joined: Mon Nov 28, 2005 3:01 pm

Transferring user settings/profiles to a new server.

Post by greg »

After installing a new server running Small Business Server 2003 for DNT, if was necessary to migrate all users from the old server running Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition to the new server with little or no changes to their profiles. I had already created all users accounts (domain user) on the server using current password.

1) Login locally to the workstation as administrator.
2) Unjoin from domain and set as member of Workgroup (name unimportant). Reboot.
3) Login locally to the workstation as administrator.
4) Rename users profile from user to user.orig
You are renaming the directory itself under documents and settings. You may wish to sort by date to help determine the correct one.
5) Join domain. Don't reboot yet.
6) Add domain user as local administrator. Reboot.
7) Login as user onto domain.
8) Reboot into Safe Mode as local administrator.
9) Locate old and new profiles. I opened one windows explorer for each. Be sure to modify the folder settings to view hidden and system files. View properties for the new profile directory. It should be only around 5MB in size.
10) Delete all files in the new profiles directory.
11) Move all files from old profile directory to new profile directory.

Now reboot and login as the user onto the domain and all should be well.
Greg Marlett
Forum Site Administrator
Pelstar Computer Systems
gmarlett@pelstar.com
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