Possible to copy all Desktop/Program settings to another user account?

Lakes · 23 Aug 2014

So yesterday I found that aero had become disabled.

To check whether it was a windows problem, or a graphics card problem, I created another user account and logged into that and aero still worked there confirming that it was a windows user account problem.

The fix here worked just fine.

So, what I`d like to do now is to duplicate/copy all of my desktop and program settings to the new user account, ie, icon placement, classic start menu , Startup Delayer, ShellfolderFix, Firefox setting with addons, all other program setting etc, to have as a sort of backup.
Why?, well since I installed a SSD, system restore is turned off and my last disk image was 6 months ago. (Yes, I`m going to do another one now, at some point I must pay for the full version of Macrium Reflect) :)

I tried copying all the files (except for the ntuser stuff) from one account to another, which worked to a limited extent, but found that none of the program settings had been duplicated, all programs were in "first run" mode.

Is this possible?

Thanks!

MilesAhead · 23 Aug 2014

I don't know why you need Macrium paid version. The new Macrium Reflect Free even comes with WinPE and supports UEFI, GPT and secure boot. I use it as my Windows 8 image backup with USB rescue boot.

The WinPE download is around 300 MB. So you do need bandwidth. But it downloaded to my Laptop in about 15 to 20 minutes.

You can migrate stuff, but Windows isn't as seamless as Linux where you can just link to another mount point for additional storage.

Lakes · 23 Aug 2014

Only the paid version does Differential and Incremental backups, the backup I just did today was nearly 25Gb.

I have a feeling this will not fit onto a single layer Blu-Ray disk (I could try the maximum compression level).

Full version is $45 = £27 + vat = £32.40

MilesAhead · 24 Aug 2014

Disc can be a touchy backup medium. I never had a BluRay burner to try it. But I can remember DVD being not fun. :) I backed up over USB usually to an internal WD drive in a dock. I think I tried differential backup once. It didn't seem to save any time(I had paid version of Reflect 4.x. Of course backing up to disc you are trying to save space.)

So I just backed up entire partitions. Also these days USB 3.0 docks are cheap. @$20 in US online discount stores. Although they may be more expensive where you are. But the dock/HD approach has the benefit you can use the HDs for media storage(or any data storage) not just for backup.

I imagine the BluRay blanks aren't cheap either. :)

I don't know if you've tried this site for software:
Free Hard Disk Backup and Restore, Hard Disk Image and Cloning Utilities (thefreecountry.com)

Lakes · 24 Aug 2014

Yeah, I was thinking about backup to an external drive, no USB 3.0 on this machine though, would have to be Esata.

I think the "hot plug" for that didn't work, but that was with a cobbled together Blu-Ray drive and PSU, so I`ll have to see if it works any better with a hard drive.

MilesAhead · 24 Aug 2014

Lakes said:

Yeah, I was thinking about backup to an external drive, no USB 3.0 on this machine though, would have to be Esata.

I think the "hot plug" for that didn't work, but that was with a cobbled together Blu-Ray drive and PSU, so I`ll have to see if it works any better with a hard drive.

I never had eSata to try. But a guy I know on another forum is very into docks with eSata. In fact if I ever do a custom build I'm going to copy his technique. For backup he makes an image with Macrium, then restores it to a HD in his eSata dock. The HD in the dock is identical to the drive in his PC. He does this at least twice a week. If he has a HD failure or virus infection he pulls the backup HD from a stack of drawers. The HD in the PC is rail mounted. He slides it out, slides the backup drive in, and powers up. All he loses are changes since the last image he made.

whs · 24 Aug 2014

eSata is the fastest - faster than USB3. I compared them with different disks running Macrium images.

SSHD - Performance comparison with HDD and SSD

MilesAhead · 24 Aug 2014

whs said:

eSata is the fastest - faster than USB3. I compared them with different disks running Macrium images.

SSHD - Performance comparison with HDD and SSD

I'd like to try it. Only PC I had that had an external interface like that was my 486. It had a connection for an external SCSI. But those external SCSI drives cost a fortune. I never did plug anything into it. Just terminators. :)