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ZephyrMFlag for United States of America

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Export Active Directory User and also Folder Permissions?

This weekend I will be re-installing server 2008 r2 on a box. Only doing a re-install to make my c: primary partition larger in size. I will be  re-installing on the same exact hardware, be naming the computer and domain controller the same etc. So I have a couple of questions before I get started on it this weekend.

1. Can I some how export my active directory users/groups and then import them once the operating system and DC is setup?

2. Once things are back up and running, and either I'm able to import users/groups, or have to create the OU / groups / users again, when those users log onto their machines Monday morning I'm guessing they will have a new profile on their machine? I should then be able to copy/paste from their old profiles on their machines for the desktop items, my documents items etc? All usernames will still be the same and OU setup the same as before. *I just know people will freak coming in on a new day and their desktop is gone basically*

3. I have a D: partition on the same drive that will be wiped out when I re-install. I use this for storage basically. If I copy this to a new external drive will the folder permissions stay with it? So only certain users have access to the share etc? I am guessing I will have to manually re do all the permissions?
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Seth Simmons
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ASKER

How the raid / partitions were setup I can't move around allocated space thus the re-install.

I will look into the system state backup and do an authoritative restore.
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ASKER

Seth: I'm not familiar with the system state backup and do an authoritative restore for AD. As we have around 30 users total do you think it would easier for me to just recreate the OU and user accounts after a fresh install? I understand when the users login, they will have a new profile. I should be able to pull their mydocs, desktop etc from the other profile?

Or since the domain name is the same, the profile maybe overwrite since is is currently already user1.domain as a profile name? I could always rename the domain controller as well as that wouldn't be that big of a deal.

Another option since it is a small amount of users, I could copy their desktop items and my documents etc into a folder directly on their C drive. and then pull it back over to the profile that would end up being created.

Thoughts on that ? I haven' t had a whole lot of Server experience so learning as I go.

Thanks
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ASKER

Looking into this more. I think I have figured out the steps to create a system state backup for ad by following http://blog.pluralsight.com/backup-and-restore-active-directory-on-windows-server-2008

After that, I would re-install Server 2008. At what point during that install would I do the Authoritative Restore of Active Directory to get my users etc back?

Sorry for so many questions regarding this.

Thanks again.
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compdigit44

You could always stand up a second DC and add it to the domain. All replication to take place. Remove your old DC from the Domain, reinstall it and joining and allow replication to take care of every for you.

Not to mention the fact have another DC would allow your domain to keep working while you reinstall the other DC.
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ASKER

Robocopy worked well besides folders being hidden. Simple attrib command fixed that issue.  System state backup performed fine, but it saved as a .VHD which I wasn't sure if was correct. Wouldn't restore via command line so I used windows backup and it restored ad but pieces were missing. I ended up just reinstalling from scratch.