Using USMT in Windows Profile Migration

Contributed by mikejc August 13, 2006  
Tagged: Windows

USMT is used by administrators for automated deployments. This tutorial describes basic Use of USMT in migrating/copying user profiles.

First Download USMT 2.6 and then follow the rest of the directions:

To migrate data resources

Log on to the source computer using a user account that has local administrative credentials.

1. Close all local applications on the source computer.
At the command line, change the directory to where you stored USMT 2.6.

2. Collect the user state by typing in the Scanstate command.

I make a “profile” folder to store the system profile state

c:\USMT\bin\scanstate.exe c:\profile /i:migapp.inf /i:migsys.inf /i:miguser.inf /i:sysfiles.inf /v:1 /x /s /f

* You should use Scanstate.exe to collect user states from computers running Windows NT, Windows 2000, and Windows XP. You should use Scanstatea.exe to collect the user state from computers running Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows Millennium Edition.
Scanstate will run until completion unless it encounters an unrecoverable error.

Install Windows XP and applications as needed on the destination computer.

Important

Do not allow the user to log on to the destination computer until after the migration is complete. The technician who performed the upgrade should log on using a user account that has local administrative credentials on the destination computer.

If you are doing a wipe-and-load migration, join the domain on the destination computer if necessary.

At the command line on the destination computer, change the directory to where you stored USMT. If you stored USMT on a shared network resource, you will need to map a network drive to that location using the net use command.

Type the Loadstate command with the store path that points to the store on your network. For example:

loadstate c:\profile /v:1

Loadstate will run until completion unless it encounters an unrecoverable error.
After Loadstate completes, restart the computer. When the user logs on, the last of their user state data is reset.
Verify that all of the user files and settings were migrated.

enjoy

mikejc