Another alternative I find to be very useful is the File & Settings transfer wizard. To get to this navigate Start|Programs|Accessories
This option backs up all files and settings stored for a user profile. Back it up to a remote location, or locally on the pc.
Once this has been backed up, join the new domain, log in with the new username. Allow this user to have administrative rights to the machine, so he will be able to navigate to where the backup is stored. Re-run the File & Settings Transfer Wizard and restore all files & settings to the new profile.
I find this to be very useful when I format machines that go bad, and the user needs his old files and settings.
Main Topics
Browse All Topics





by: craylordPosted on 2005-04-19 at 07:01:02ID: 13815511
Restart and logon as a local administrator or another user with admin rights.
Rename the C:\documents and settings\username folder to username_bak
Delete (or rename) any bad folders that were created in a similar manner.
Add user to the pc's local administrators group.
Login to pc with the "correctusername" or domain username.
Restart and logon as a local administrator or another user with admin rights.
(Restart is necessary because if you logoff, windows will still have some of the users files locked)
delete the newly created profile folder c:\documents and settings\correctusername folder
rename/copy the c:\documents and settings\username_bak to the name of "correctusername" (the newuserfolder)
Logout and login as the new user. Tada done. You may have to reconnect Outlook .pst files.
You will probably have to join the pc to the new domain. The key is to login to windows with the user first! Windows creates a profile folder at this time and associates it with the user account. Once this folder has been created, you can delete/rename it and rename/add the correct folder in its place. Skip the Advanced user copy button thing, takes waaaay too long. Once you get the hang of it, this process can be done in less than 5 minutes.
So alternatively,
Join the domain, restart, login as a local admin. add the user to the local administrators group by right clicking the My Computer and choosing manage. Rename the user folder as described above, username_bak. Restart. Login as the user. Restart. Login as local admin. Rename the username_bak folder as the newly created username profile folder. Login as new user.