Support guidelines for migrating roaming user profiles data to Windows Vista or to Windows Server 2008

This article describes the support guidelines for migrating roaming user profiles data to Windows Vista or to Windows Server 2008 in an Active Directory environment from the following operating systems:

• Microsoft Windows 2000
• Windows XP
• Windows Server 2003

This article also describes two methods to migrate roaming user profiles data to Windows Vista or to Windows Server 2008.

Generally, user profiles that you create for users in Windows 2000, in Windows XP, or in Windows Server 2003 and user profiles that you create for users in Windows Vista or in Windows Server 2008 are incompatible with one another. The profiles are incompatible because of the difference in the user profile design. However, you can use the same data that is available in a Windows 2000, in a Windows XP, or in a Windows Server 2003 roaming user profile on Windows Vista or on Windows Server 2008.

This article describes two methods that enable you to share the data of a Windows XP or of a Windows Server 2003 roaming user profile on Windows Vista or on Windows Server 2008. These methods migrate the roaming profile data to the new Version 2 user profile format for use on computers that are running Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008.

Method 1: Use the User State Migration Tool to migrate profile data to the new format (Windows Vista Only)

We recommend that you the User State Migration Tool (USMT) to migrate profile data in the following scenarios:

• You do not use roaming user profiles or folder redirection.
• You want to enable a more full-featured migration of user profile data from Windows 2000-based or from Windows XP-based systems to Windows Vista-based systems,

Note The User State Migraton Tool will not function on Windows Server 2008.

USMT is highly customizable and has many capabilities for very detailed control over the data that is migrated to the new profiles. USMT can migrate not only file data, but also registry settings, application settings, and most operating system settings and preferences.

The USMT tool currently only supports migration of profiles on a computer-by-computer basis. Therefore, USMT cannot update profiles that are stored in a central location. Also, USMT can only be run on client workstations. Therefore, you cannot use USMT if users log on to a terminal server farm. To migrate roaming profiles by using USMT, follow these steps:

1. First, run the tool against a locally stored copy of the profile.
2. Then, log on to the computer that contains the migrated profile to update the central copy of the profile with the migrated data.

For more information about the USMT, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

Method 2: Use the Folder Redirection feature to share data between Version 1 and Version 2 user profiles

Note This method only migrates data. It does not migrate the desktop settings and preferences such as wallpaper because of the differences in the operating systems.

To use the Folder Redirection feature to share data between Version 1 and Version 2 user profiles, follow these steps:

1. Make sure that the roaming profile path for the user is defined in the Profile tab of the Properties dialog box for the user account. This dialog box is in the Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in.
   
   Note User profiles that are created in Windows Vista or in Windows Server 2008 are incompatible with user profiles that are created in Windows 2000, in Windows XP and in Windows Server 2003. When a user logs on to a computer that is running Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008, a new profile directory is created that is called <Username>.V2. This is the folder where the Windows Vista or the Windows Server 2008 profile will exist. If this folder does not exist or is not created, users will be unable to save their profiles on Windows Vista-based and on Windows Server 2008-based systems.
2. To configure the folder redirection policies on a Windows XP-based or a Windows Server 2003-based computer that is part of the Active Directory environment, use the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) to create or to edit a Group Policy object (GPO).
3. Configure the Group Policy object to redirect folders that you want to share between the user profiles and a folder redirection share. You must use a share that differs from your user profile share.
   
   Notes
   • The folder redirection policies are located in the User Configuration\ Windows Settings\Folder Redirection node of a Group Policy object.
   • Redirect only those folders that are required for your environment.
   • Make sure that the Grant the user exclusive rights to <Redirected Folder Name> check box is not selected in the Settings tab for the Properties dialog box of the redirected folder. If this check box is selected, the user profiles will be unable to share the redirected folder.
4. Save the changes that you made to the GPO.
   
   Note Windows XP supports folder redirection, but not all folders within the user profile will be available for redirection. When you use the GPMC to configure folder redirection in a Group Policy object on a Windows 2000-based, on a Windows XP-based, or on a Windows Server 2003-based computer, the following file is created within the respective Group Policy object folder within SYSVOL:
   Fdeploy.ini
   The following default file name is created for folder redirection when you use the GPMC to edit the Group Policy object from Windows Vista or from Windows Server 2008
   Fdeploy1.ini
   If you first enable folder redirection in the Group Policy object by using Windows Vista or by using Windows Server 2008, and then you try to use the folder redirection feature in Windows 2000, in Windows XP, or in Windows Server 2003, the folder redirection feature does not work. The feature does not work because Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003 do not recognize the Fdeploy1.inf file. In this case, you have to first edit the Group Policy object by using the Windows XP or the Windows Server 2003 version of GPMC before you edit the Group Policy object by using Windows Vista or by using Windows Server 2008.
   
   However, if you select the Also apply redirection policy to Windows 2000, Windows 2000 Server, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003 operating systems check box, GPMC creates both Fdeploy1.ini and Fdeploy.ini for the Group Policy object. In this case, you do not have to first edit the Group Policy object by using the Windows XP or the Windows Server 2003 version of GPMC. This option is for folders that are available for redirection only in both Version 1 and Version 2 user profiles. You also have to make sure that the Group Policy object contains redirection policy settings that are configured only for those folders that are compatible with both Version 1 and Version 2 user profiles.
5. Use the GPMC on a Windows Vista-based or on a Windows Server 2008-based computer that is part of the Active Directory environment, and edit the GPO that you created or edited in step 2.
6. Review the folder redirection settings that are defined for the redirected folders in the Group Policy object.
   
   Notes
   • Make sure that you click to select the Also apply redirection policy to Windows 2000, Windows 2000 Server, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003 operating systems check box in the Settings tab of the Properties dialog box of each redirected folder.
   • Make sure that the Grant the user exclusive rights to <Redirected Folder Name> check box is not selected in the Settings tab of the Properties dialog box for the redirected folder. If this check box is selected, the user profiles will be unable to share the redirected folder data.
7. After you make the changes in step 6, the data from the original user profile will appear inside the folder in the new Version 2 user profile.
   
   Note If you want to redirect folders that are available in Windows Vista or in Windows Server 2008 but that are not available in Windows 2000, in Windows XP, or in Windows Server 2003, create a second GPO. You can then edit the GPO by using the Windows Vista or the Windows Server 2008 version of GPMC to redirect the additional Version 2 folders to the Version 1 user profile.

Note GPMC is not available in Windows Vista Service Pack 1. Therefore, to modify GPOs if you have Windows Vista Service Pack 1-based systems in an Active Directory environment, you may have to use an updated version of the GPMC. Or, use an updated version of the GPO editing tools that are available in the Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT) kit for Windows Vista.

For more information about Version 2 user profiles and about the difference between Version 1 and Version 2 user profiles, visit the following Microsoft Web site:For more information about recommended steps and best practices for managing roaming user profiles, read the �Managing Roaming User Data Deployment Guide" document. To download this document, visit the following Microsoft Web site:For more information about Group Policy Management Console, visit the following Microsoft Web site: