Join domain, retain user desktop
We are ready to move our first 25 desktop machines into a domain structure. We are using Windows 2000 server and professional. What is the quickest, easiest way to retain the user's desktop and settings when we join the local machine to the domain?
Software/Hardware used:
Software/Hardware used:
ASKED:
December 23, 2004 7:00 AM
UPDATED:
December 28, 2004 7:30 AM
Answer Wiki:
Are you using XP on the client?
This might help you
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/deploy/usermigr.mspx#EEAA
Merry Xmas
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You can log them into the domain under their domain account (which will create a new profile under documents and settings) Then right click my computer, properties, advanced tab, user profiles, and then copy the users local profile to the new domain profile.
nobby66: No, not XP, 2000 Pro. I looked at the articles and that program only seems to work with XP, so far as I can determine.
tmac: That is basically what we are planning on doing, copying My Documents, and a few other directories out of the current profile and moving them into the new profile. As an added bonus, the user names and passwords are being changed to match with those currently in AD for Exchange. So we need to copy first, join the domain as the new user and then copy into the new profile. I was thinking of writing some batches for it, but was wondering if there was something already out there that could do the work.
Thanks.
We actually have a similiar situation. Windows XP client, Most of our users were authenticating to our novell servers and set to log in lcoally on the client. We removed novell and had the user authenticating to our AD domain. We then removed the novell client, logged the user in with their domain user name and password, logged out, back on as admin and copied their old local profile to the new domain profile. This kept all of their documents and desktop settings…everything looked the same for the user (avoids alot of complaining) I did not try the batch file or script approach since we had to log them in under the domain user account first. Couldn’t find anything on how to do it through a script…sorry Try this link http://www.labmice.net. They have some good scripst out there.
tmac24,
I forgot about labmice.net. Unfortunately, a quick look at the site did not turn anything uop right away. We are going to do this today, so, if I do a script, it will be on the fly, while we are doin gthis operation. (However, this may be pushed back a day–while they were recabling the place, they lost internet connectivity, and when I arrive this AM, we will need to resolve that problem first. From what I was told late last night, they cannot even reach other machines on the network.)
Happy New Year to everyone out there!
Steve//