New Domain old profile

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jeff Arch
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Jeff Arch

Is there a relatively simple way of keeping a user's profile intact if
they are going from a workgroup to a domain? The new domain is SBS 2003
and all of the workstations are win2k pro. Is it just a matter of copying
everything except the ntuser.dat? Thanks in advance.
 
Jeff Arch said:
Is there a relatively simple way of keeping a user's profile intact if
they are going from a workgroup to a domain? The new domain is SBS 2003
and all of the workstations are win2k pro. Is it just a matter of copying
everything except the ntuser.dat? Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

You could do this:
1. Log on as a local administrator.
2. Rename the folder "Default User" to "Default User.org".
3. Rename JSmith to "Default User".
4. Log on as JSmith. He will inherit all former settings.
5. Restore "Default User".
 
Jeff said:
Is there a relatively simple way of keeping a user's profile intact if
they are going from a workgroup to a domain? The new domain is SBS
2003 and all of the workstations are win2k pro. Is it just a matter
of copying everything except the ntuser.dat? Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

IIRC, if you're migrating from a workgroup to an SBS2003 domain, using the
/connectcomputer wizard to join the computers to the domain, may do this for
you automatically - note that you can't run this if you've already manually
joined the computers to the domain, though.

I suggest you post in microsoft.public.windows.server.sbs for help...
 
In the local registry under HKCU \ Software \ Microsoft \ WindowsNT \ CurrentVersion \ ProfileList
you will find the information on each user profile that computer "knows" about, which
includes the local profile folder for that user account. (The main subkeys under this
key are named in the form: {S-<random-numbers>}, but not to worry. Just know there is
one subkey for each different account that has ever logged in.)

So first, log in as the new domain user and note the profile folder name Windows is using.
It will usually be something like "C:\Documents and Settings\newuser.domain". (The DOS
variable %USERPROFILE% will tell you, as will looking at My Documents' properties.)

Now, if you log in as administrator (NOT the user), look in the registry key above
for the subkey that corresponds to that user -- you find it simply by looking for the value
in "ProfileImagePath" that you noted above. It should be obvious.

Just change the folder name in ProfileImagePath to the name of the old folder, and then
give the new domain account full NTFS permissions to the old folder tree. Log in as the user
and the local machine now maps your profile to that folder. You can delete the now-defunct
profile that Windows created if you worry about such things.

Renaming or copying profile folders is not to be recommended IMO. While it will generally
work OK, user profiles imbed their own path in various places in the user registry, and this
can give rise to some odd, hard-to-diagnose problems down the line.

Steve Duff, MCSE, MVP
Ergodic Systems, Inc.
 
In the local registry under HKCU \ Software \ Microsoft \ WindowsNT \ CurrentVersion \ ProfileList
you will find the information on each user profile that computer "knows" about, which
includes the local profile folder for that user account. (The main subkeys under this
key are named in the form: {S-<random-numbers>}, but not to worry. Just know there is
one subkey for each different account that has ever logged in.)

So first, log in as the new domain user and note the profile folder name Windows is using.
It will usually be something like "C:\Documents and Settings\newuser.domain". (The DOS
variable %USERPROFILE% will tell you, as will looking at My Documents' properties.)

Now, if you log in as administrator (NOT the user), look in the registry key above
for the subkey that corresponds to that user -- you find it simply by looking for the value
in "ProfileImagePath" that you noted above. It should be obvious.

Just change the folder name in ProfileImagePath to the name of the old folder, and then
give the new domain account full NTFS permissions to the old folder tree. Log in as the user
and the local machine now maps your profile to that folder. You can delete the now-defunct
profile that Windows created if you worry about such things.

Renaming or copying profile folders is not to be recommended IMO. While it will generally
work OK, user profiles imbed their own path in various places in the user registry, and this
can give rise to some odd, hard-to-diagnose problems down the line.

Steve Duff, MCSE, MVP
Ergodic Systems, Inc.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I figured there was a better method than just copying files. My
experience with windows server software is limited, that's why I wasn't
sure.
 
IIRC, if you're migrating from a workgroup to an SBS2003 domain, using the
/connectcomputer wizard to join the computers to the domain, may do this for
you automatically - note that you can't run this if you've already manually
joined the computers to the domain, though.

I suggest you post in microsoft.public.windows.server.sbs for help...
Click to expand...

Thanks, and I didn't realize that there was an SBS NG. I posted here
because the workstations are win2k pro. I'll make sure to post further
questions on the SBS group.
 
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