Copy W2k user profiles automatically

I would suggest setting up Roaming Profiles for your Windows 2000 Users, this will put there profiles on the server, and when they log into a new or other machine, it will use the profile from the Network. Basically it gives them a Network Profile rather than a local profile. Afterwards (if you don't want Roaming profiles), then you can remove the roaming profiles so they will use the locally cached profile, once all of the users have logged into the domain and recieved the profiles.


How to Create Roaming Profiles in W2000
http://www.heise.de/security/artikel/50051

Indeed, I would use roaming profiles.  If, however, this is not something you want to do, then I would suggest using a logoff script to copy out the complete contents of the c:\documents and settings\%username% directory to a directory on the server.

I don't want to go the way of setting up roaming profiles my clients are distributed quite a varied distance away with different means of access isdn, dial-up, leased lines, wireless and then two hundred or so on site.  People also tend to built up extremely large MyDocuments despite our best efforts to keep data on file servers.
Are you aware of on any product on the market that will take the user settings???
There seems to be plenty of migration tehniques from one Os to the next (user state migration tools) why not from 2K to 2K.

Windows XP has a migrate settings function built in. It allows you to copy the settings to a network location and then copy them back to a new machine. There are two seperate tools. File and Settings Transfer and User State Migration Tool.

Here is a KB from microsoft on the USMT. In addition this KB has the links to all info about both tools.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;321197


J

Doh... I got screwed up.... your clients are w2k... sorry

J

Here is the link to the Windows 2000 USMT tool.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=85f67bc0-ff0a-4712-a9f4-f9282a2b6c73&displaylang=en

J

Here is a better link to the download http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/techinfo/reskit/tools/new/usmt-o.asp with more information. Have you tried this, I am pretty sure it works 2K to 2K.
J

I tried the usmt already

my earlier post
"There seems to be plenty of migration tehniques from one Os to the next (user state migration tools) why not from 2K to 2K."

This is what the log returns "Scanstate can only be run on Windows NT 4, Windows 95, and Windows 98."

Well, c:\documents and settings\%username% is where all of their settings and such are stored.  You could use a GPO to erdirect the My Documents folder to a file server share, or some other directory outside of their profile.  And if the roaming profile is not available, they will still be able to login, they will just receive whatever the last locally cached copy of their profile was (if they use the same machine the majority of the time, this won't be a problem).

With such varied methods of access and small pipes, why not look at Terminal Services or Citrix??  Terminal Services uses only 48K of bandwidth per session, and Citrix uses even less, coming in at 16K!

Given the My documents problem, you can set the romaing profiles up to only move the data you want. A GPO can restrict my documents, desktop etc, from being included in the Roamin Profile. If you would like specific details on that I will post them for you.

J

I am able to setup roaming profiles.  I guess what I am looking for is some type of script which will gather all these settings copy them to a server to be copied seamlessly back to a newly created profile.  I know where all the settings are stored I was just hoping someone might have an already created batch file or something.

thanks for your help

The problem with a batch is... it runs under the users account that logs in. When the user logs in they open their profile before the login scripts runs... when they open it, some of the files become exclusively locked. Becuase of the file locking you cannot use any process to copy the profile. The only way to copy a profile is to do it as a local administrator, against a profile that is not in use (the administrator can't copy it's own profile when logged in).

J

I have come across that problem with a file copy being stopped due to a file being in use i.e. "ntuser.dat".
I thought maybe there might be a batch file / application ... that takes the important profile specific data i.e. the nk2 file for the email address cache, a copy of desktop items and settings etc.

When you get people building up internet caches of half a gigand more/filling their desktop so full of files it reaches max capacity then it puts you off roaming profiles and our network is under enough strain as it is.  200 people pulling down profiles virtually sumultaneously at 9.30 over a distributed network of circa 200 miles the phone would be burning up because they would lose a couple of minutes trying to clock in.
I know these could be kept under control by using group policy but when i suggested it i was told that a member of our executive committee often saved files in the OLK directory (this is what i have to deal with)???

Each expert should receive a portion of the points.  It's not our fault the asker abandoned it...

I have noticed that you are closing most of these questions Hewitt... I have been unavailable for about a month, but most of the time a Questioner does not come back, is because, they got the right answer. In this case the questioner received multiple answers, all of which would accomplish the job.

J

I feel a split would be fair also.

kelo501