Im trying to migrate some users over and the only annoying part is having them login to create the folder, and then copy the data.
if I just make the users folder, it creates a new folder user.domain
Ive been playing around with exporting the registrys ProfileGuid and ProfileList, and it seems if I copy the whole user folder, it will allow them to login and not make a new folder, but if I just make the folder with nothing in it, it will create the user.domain
What file has to be present that allows it to see that it was indeed the right folder instead of giving up and making a new one?
I want to slim down the data that has to carry

As of now we only need to migrate Desktop, Documents, Favorites, Appdata\microsoft\signatures and outlook folder, and then local settings\appdata\microsoft\outlook

Anyway to batch something to just copy those dirs?
And then I guess whatever has to be present for a proper login without makign a new folder..

there's a local user account and a domain account. the domain account will always have a .domain.
you can just have them log into their domain then log them out and copy the local profile to the domain profile.
you can also log the user into the domain, once the registry hive is loaded edit the registry path below.
The "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList" sub-key
and change the path and give the domain user full rights and ownership.(not sure it will work well)
link here.

another answer from a site.
I had the case in my work. What I did is create a Domain Name the same name which they were logon locally. Copy the Local Profile to whatever media you prefer, other than the orginal Location. Then let them logon into the Domain for the First Time, once the User Profile has been created Restart the Machine and Logon into the Administrator Local.

Then go to C:\Documents and Settings and paste the Profile which you have copied it before. It will ask you to Overwrite, yes, yes, and yes.

Restart the Machine and logon into the Domain by thier username and password. and It's DONE.

app to migrate users.

if this is a sbs server, you can use the connect computer wizard, it's simple.

microsoft user migration toolkit

last option on the server create a profile share.
make a folder the same as their logon username.
on the desktop map the share to a drive letter (temporary)
on the desktop log on as administrator and go to user profiles, select the user and copy the profile to the mapped drive user folder.
when done go into ad user and computers and inter the profile path as \\servername\profiles\%username%
click apply (you will get a message stating a folder exist or close to it, click yes and the correct permissions will be applied to the folder and when the user logs on it will pull down their profile .

the faster way without copying is as posted edit the registry profile list path of the domain user to point to the local user folder and on the directory give the domain user full control to the local profile path and also give them ownership.

just remember to reboot the pc when the local user logs off or domain user logs off and when you log in as administrator, you won't get a error copying the profile.

guide to use MS admt tool to migrate local to domain.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc773340(WS.10).aspx

forgot the old util moveuser
instructions here.

So far I found a way. Registry export the ProfileList and ProfileGuid.
Then as long as I copy the profile and keep the ntuser.dat in it, I can put the profile under docs n settings and when they log in, itll take them straight in and no creating a new folder for them.
Also found robocopy to keep the security permissions but was an old one so no ownership. Found the new one and just have to adjust the command line.
Other booboo I hit then was when I just make a user folder and copy the data to it, I was the owner and what not, so user couldnt access some stuff since they had no rights. So I just added the user name to user permissions on his folder then full control.
My next issue is some of these hdds apparently were on Fat32 meaning there is no security to do.
So is there any way to batch something to the documents and settings folder so
C:\Documents and Settings\Bobby, add Bobby as user, then Full Control?
Some of these stations have profiles from 02 on em and have 80+ profiles.
Also is there any way to assign ownership without being logged in? Ive only ever seen the take ownership offer Administrators and logged in user the option.

log in as administrator.
make sure to add the domain administrator as a local administrator.

as for batching, maybe something along the lines of:
if %username% copy %username%.domain

I figured all that up. Something about the ProfileList registry having the SID#s for everyone on the domain or some such.
you just export that and import it, and as long as ntuser.dat was in the folder, itll let them logon.
But then it seems to keep everything, icon layout on the desktop and everything. thats a little too hardkore, so were skipping that part.
And I read up on it and got this basically doing it smooth

for /f "tokens=*" %%a in ('dir "c:\documents and settings" /ad /b') do (
robocopy "C:\Documents and Settings\%%a\Favorites" "C:\%computername%-test\Documents and Settings\%%a\pew" /s /COPYALL /ETA /r:1 /w:1 /XF "*.tmp" /XD "C:\Documents and settings\All Users" *temp *"temporary internet files" *cache "All Users"
)
Only thing is for some reason using that %%a variable is making the /XD exclude directory command not work.
I can put the absolute path of All Users, "All Users", etc and it will still do it. Not that big of a deal, but s'all good

glad you got it figured out.
I just finished a project for another company replacing a 03 server with a 08 server, they wanted to start fresh with 20 users not realizing they had roaming profiles and home directories. I asked them why go through removing desktops from the old domain to the new domain when you can add the 08 to the existing domain and migrate user data, profiles, and home directories to the new server.

wel their tech was ably to add the 08 server as a member server, but then he tried to dcpromo without prepping AD for 08 attributes. that's when I stepped in and finished up remotely.
then they migrated one user from xp pro to win7 pro not realizing autocad14 won't run on win7 so again, i installed xp mode installed acadr14 and end of story.

if dealing with a small network and they have sbs server, it's easy to connect computer and migrate local user profiles to domain profiles.

Nah, I dont have that many rights.
Its a bit awkward. Im subcontracted to another company, which is servicing Northshore Long Island Jewish Hospital stuff.
So they just bought Lenox Hill hospital in manhattan and they want to replace all the old non dual core pcs.
So boat loads of old units with hdds that hum and hiss, 80+ profiles on em, last logged in 2003.
So i have local admin rights, and 1 of us has domain. I had domain for a few weeks and didnt even do anything and they got all huffy.
were supposed to be the hardware/refresh team and theres a network team, then a software team.
So theres all this chain of command bullshit.
They tell us were responsible to having the pc up and running with the users apps.
Then theres an app we have no clue how to install. So Software gives us documentation on how to install a bunch of apps. we use it and some of the steps dont apply, says enter server info, meanwhile your never prompted for any, etc. user says this isnt right.
Software comes, and they have totally different documentation. then some you have to be local admin to run it, so they say give user admin rights, then other guys screaming you cant do that. so northshore has strict non admin policies and the old lenoxhill guys are all fuck that, its easier this way.
So madness abound.
As long as I do what I can do, I dont care.

without admin rights you are limited. why didn't you clone the new pc' from an old pc with a bare metal restore or a preconfigured image and roll them out that way?

but I've been through that nightmare before many years ago working for smith/kline where there was a hardware and software and network team, I made it simple from their original idea. I put a bare metal images on the network, gave them boot cd's and simple instructions with naming schemes and all went well and quick.

these do come preimaged.
they have this special post install script. All I do is enter my credentials, then asks for hostname. We have to use the original pc's hostname because they have some apps that only work and authenticate users by the hostname unfortunately, so we can preset em them more than that in our office. So we enter hostname, and it reboots 2-3 times putting in whatever settings it does and joins the domain.
It comes with only about 4 standard preinstalled apps , the majority of the health system uses, but if were in medical records, then they need the barcode scanner app. Im in credentials, and they need scanners to works, etc.
So far so good. Get some more exp under my belt, since health care isnt going anywhere for a bit. And I finally have a few bucks in my pocket.

I've focused more on healthcare also, It's the only growing business currently. everything else is stagnant besides the have no choice but to upgrade or replace.