JTrain
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How to clone a user in Windows XP
I have a user on an XP Pro system. It is called manager. I need to completely clone all of its settings to a user called submanager. Is there a built in feature or a 3rd party application I can use to clone the profile? It takes forever to configure the user accounts and I have multiple I need to clone to ahve additional user names.
ASKER
From what I saw of the copy function it just copied everything to a folder for what seemed to be backup purposes. What i need to do is actually create another user off my current user. It could be that I jut dont know how to use it... maybe some detailed instructions if it is what I am supposed to use.
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.
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 copy the correct folder in its place.
Create the submanager user on the pc with local admin rights. You will also need another account with local admin rights.
Login as submanager.
Restart. (Restart is necessary because if you logoff, windows will still have some of the users files locked)
Logon as a local administrator or another user with admin rights (not manager or submanager).
Delete the newly created profile folder c:\documents and settings\submanager folder
Copy the C:\documents and settings\manager folder as submanager. Replacing the newly created submanager profile folder
Login to pc with submanager.
Done.
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 copy the correct folder in its place.
Create the submanager user on the pc with local admin rights. You will also need another account with local admin rights.
Login as submanager.
Restart. (Restart is necessary because if you logoff, windows will still have some of the users files locked)
Logon as a local administrator or another user with admin rights (not manager or submanager).
Delete the newly created profile folder c:\documents and settings\submanager folder
Copy the C:\documents and settings\manager folder as submanager. Replacing the newly created submanager profile folder
Login to pc with submanager.
Done.
It copies a profile from one user to another. The procedure is pretty much the same as craylord lined out, except that instead of
deleting the newly created profile folder you use the "Copy to" function and copy from the old userprofile to the new userprofile.
deleting the newly created profile folder you use the "Copy to" function and copy from the old userprofile to the new userprofile.
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ASKER
sorry I didnt know how to do assisted accepts since you were all correct. Thank you.
It's a pleasure ;-)
Have you tried going into Control Panel->System->Advanced->U
It is supposed to copy the profile settings to another user. Might have to be administrator of some sort to be able
to use it.
Cheers!