USMT and Program Files

Hi,
I do quite alot of work for customers where I reformat computers. At the moment it is quite a lengthy process becuase I use an unattended install CD but then I have to install all the programs manually and set up the profiles manually. I have tried to teach myself the User State Migration Tool (USMT) but I have found it hard to grasp. What I want to do is migrate someone's profile that isn't on an active Windows installation to an active Windows installation. When I say on a non active installaton, I mean I have just copied their Documents and Settings folder to another folder. If anyone knows of any good guides for the USMT or has any tips they can share, that would be great.

I was also looking for a similar program to USMT, but for migrating the Program Files folder. It would be handy if it could detect what programs are in a computer's image, list the programs so I select which ones I want to reinstall, and then migrate them to an active Windows installation.

I am using Windows XP SP3.

Thanks,
Michael

 

You made me interested in getting some details about USMT.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/321197

It doesn't seem to mention actual programs (and not third-party programs), only settings for the OS and MS programs (network connections, fonts, etc).

To me, it is used for transferring files and settings (not programs) on a Domain administrated business system. Private (home) users can use the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard.

Read up about using an (unattended) Answer File for the installation. That may be able to include a certain number of third party program installations.

Making up the Unattended Answer File was not part of my MCDST training, it is done by system administrators.

If you try to migrate actual programs, they will need any registry settings they have associated with them, that may corrupt the registry, so that is why programs need to be installed after Windows.

If you try moving the system as an "image ", it will have the wrong drivers installed and bring with it any glitches that may have been happening on the old system.

It is pretty much "all or nothing ", unless that automated installation system (the answer file), could help you.

Matt