Win 2000 server - Domain problem

The Insider

Hi

The computers in the office are not set-up on a domain at the moment, they are just set-up onto workgroups. I want to implement a domain.

The problem lies in the fact the each user has there own local username/password set-up on each machine with there different preferences, I was hoping that I could set-up the user on the domain with the same username/password and somehow get there preferences to stay.

When I set-up the user on the domain, there are actually 2 logons with the same username/password, one the local logon that has all the users preferences and the other logging on to the domain, which does not carry the preferences over.

Does anyone have any idea how to carry the preferences over so when the user logs onto the domain he does not loss any preferences etc.

Thanks

Zaltais

I'm not a networking guy by any stretch of the imagination - so this may be way off, but if you give all the users roaming profiles then when they log in the server will see there's no profile - and hopefully do nothing - then when they log out it copies their profile back up to the server!

** Disclaimer - this could be completely wrong so if you try to test this be careful & don't even THINK of trying to blame me if it all goes horribly wrong!

spongebob

you can manuall copy a lot of the stuff over once the person has logged on the domain once an created a profile for themselves on their own machines

View all files and you can copy Favourites as an example in \localmachine\administrator to domain\user , there are about 6 or 7 key directories in a profile if you view all files and show hidden files

\desktop
\local settings
\cookies
\favourites
\my documents
\start menu

etc for each user.

You may not copy ntuser.dat in the root of the given local profile, nor should you, there will be an ntuser.dat for the domain user once they log in.

That will crack the bulk of the work.

THEN make the profiles into roaming profiles on the PDC, that will 'suck 'them back onto the server, backing up key data and enabling the person to log onto any machine and synchronise the profile out to it thereafter

HTH

M

Capt'n Midnight

Watch roaming profiles - it all gets copied down when some logs onto a different PC.

eg: M$ in thier infinte wisdom put things like temporary internet files into the profile ! - so you may need to use policies, to limit the amount of junk copied.

The IEAK - for setting up IE allows you to limit the amount of cache and to not have it in roaming profiles.

ando

if their win2k prof pc's you could copy the user profile from right clicking on 'my computer'. THen after you log onto the domain for the first time, replace the new profile with the one you copied, and then rename the profile to the domain profile

Tiesto

ando's answer is the easiest and best method.

alternatively
microsoft have utilities created just for this.

migrating profiles from one user to the other

USTM user state migration tool

theres another one i cant remember at the moment

GUI

other util is in resource kit, win2k resource kit that is

The Insider

Thanks for the help. Just to let you know Ando's suggestion worked a treat.