Tag Archives: my documents

Migrating Local Profiles to Domain Profiles

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KB ID 0001235 

Problem

Moving a machine onto a Windows domain, is a simple task, I’ve done this for a lot of clients. The main complaint (post migration,) is that something is missing. This is because your-account-name on your PC or laptop, and your-account-name in the domain are TWO DIFFERENT ACCOUNTS, (even if they have the same name). 

Microsoft have produced some tools help you, but I challenge you to start reading the USMT documentation for  more than 15 minutes without losing the will to live. 

Below is a list of things people have complained to me about losing post migration;

  • Desktop wallpaper.
  • Files & Folders from the desktop.
  • My Documents.
  • Internet Favorites.
  • My Pictures.
  • Outlook Signatures.
  • Outlook Mail Accounts.
  • Word Custom Dictionaries.
  • Work Autocomplete Settings.
  • MS Access Macro settings.

So I setup a test Windows 10 machine, with all of the above setup, and used two tools to migrate my local profile into my domain profile.

 

Solution

Test 1 ForensIT User Profile Wizard

Software is free (there are paid for versions) but I plumbed for the free one, you don’t have to install anything as it runs from an executable, (which is a bonus if you have a lot to do). Its VERY fast, and simple to use.

I’ve joined my target machine to the new domain and logged on once as the domain user and created a blank profile, then logged back on as the domain admin to carry out the following.

Launch the software > Next > Select the profile you want to copy from.

Select your domain name > Enter the logon name for the ‘DOMAIN USER’ you want to copy the profile to > Next > Next.

Verdict: Of the two, this ones quicker, more intuitive and free.

Test 2 USMT GUI 10

This is a graphical wrapper that sits on-top of the Microsoft USMT tools, I donated $10.00 for the cheapest version, and repeated the tests above. 

First you have to take a backup of the local profile(s).

I’m just choosing one (Pete) > RUN > My profile was 177Mb and it took about 5 minutes.

Now resort the profile back to your domain profile, as you can see that’s a little more complicated, but not that difficult > RUN.

At this point it ran thought and gave me an error, even though it did migrate the profile successfully.

Verdict: Well it does the job, it’s probably a lot more versatile than the first tool, but nowhere near as intuitive, and it costs $10. I know that’s cheap, and the dev deserves to be paid for their hard work, but I prefer the free one.

Related Articles, References, Credits, or External Links

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Windows – Users Home Drives Renamed to ‘My Documents’

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KB ID 0000783 

Problem

This problem was originally identified by Microsoft here. But none of the fixes recommended by them were really practical in my clients situation.

I did read one promising post that said, if you disable offline file caching by GPO this problem would cease. However this particular client HAD TO have that feature enabled (for Ranger Offline).

Someone else had written a PowerShell script that ran through and changed the permissions on the offending file (see below), but what about new users?

Solution

I’ve got three options either, setup an FSRM screen and set it to remove the offending file, use a group policy preference, or add the following to the users login script (or run as a script with GPO);

[box]%windir%system32icacls.exe %homedrive%Desktop.ini /deny “Domain Admins”:r[/box]

Option 1 – Remove Desktop.ini with Group Policy Preference

1. This is the file in question ‘desktop.ini’, it changes the icon and display-name of the folder (on Windows Vista and newer). You will notice the actual name of the folder does not change (see the example I posted above), which you can see by turning on the filename column in Windows Explorer.

Note: desktop.ini is a system and a hidden file.

2. I’m creating a GPP to remove the desktop.ini file. On a domain controller Start > Administrative Tools > Group Policy Management Console > Navigate to where you want to create your policy, or edit an existing one > Navigate to;

[box]
User Configuration > Preferences > Windows Settings > Files[/box]

Select New > File > Action = Delete > Source Files N:desktop.ini > Tick ‘Suppress errors on individual file actions’ > Common Tab > Tick ‘Run in logged-on-users’s security context (user policy option)’ > Apply > OK.

3. It should now look like this.

Option 2 – Use a File Screen

1. You need to have the ‘file services’ role installed, open the ‘Server and Storage Management’ Snap-in > File Group > Create File Group > Give it a name > Add in desktop.ini > OK.

2. Right click ‘File System Templates’ > Create File Screen Template > Give it a name > Select Active Scanning > Tick desktop.ini > OK.

3. Right click ‘File Screen’ > Create File Screen > Browse to the volume or Folder > Select your file screen template > Create.

Locate and Remove ALL instances of Desktop.ini

Download and run this PowerShell Script to remove all instances of Desktop.ini from a folder and subfolders.

Related Articles, References, Credits, or External Links

Original Article Written 11/03/13

Windows – Change My Documents Location

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KB ID 0000669 

Problem

I like to keep ‘My Documents’, ‘My Pictures, ‘Favorites’, etc, in one location so I can sync and back them up. Like previous versions of Windows, Windows 8 likes to put all that information into C:/Users/{username}.

In Windows 7 you could just go from the Start Menu > {Username} and change the ‘Target’ or location, with Windows 8, there is no Start menu.

Solution

1. Launch Windows Explorer (Windows Key+E) > Navigate to C:\Users\{your-username}.

2. Locate the folder location you with to change > Right click > Properties.

3. Location tab > Change the location to the one you prefer > Apply.

Note: For Windows 8.1 and Windows 10, you will not see the ‘location’ option, you need to right click the folder under ‘This PC’, or from ‘Quick Access”.

 

4. Choose if you want to copy the docs from the existing location to the new location, I’ve just built this so I don’t want to, (if you have already saved work to these locations you might want to).

 

Related Articles, References, Credits, or External Links

Change the location of your Favorites folder