User Profiles - Create and Move During Windows 7 Installation

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  1. Posts : 8,398
    ultimate 64 sp1
       #10

    ok thanks for your reply.

    why not just save the xml script as a local file?
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  2. Posts : 8,398
    ultimate 64 sp1
       #11

    thanks kari for the extra info.

    i've just done a clean install on a nice new ssd and tried your method with connecting the second drive later in the install process, and it worked flawlessly.

    i saved my modified xml script on a usb thumb drive, and all is groovy, and i now have my user profiles where i want them, on my trusty big spinner.

    Last edited by mickey megabyte; 06 Dec 2010 at 10:56.
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  3. Posts : 17,545
    Windows 10 Pro x64 EN-GB
    Thread Starter
       #12

    Thanks for the info, Mickey. Nice to know it works for others, too.

    (Re: today thread. finnish independencedence day. I'm drunk, Mac OSZ sux!)
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  4. Posts : 86
    Windows 7 64-bit Home Premium
       #13

    Kari, I'm wanting to make use of this, but have a concern. I've already installed W7 on the new SSD and have reconnected my old HDD. I want to keep my Users folder and User Profiles that are already on the HDD. If I run your script and already have a Users folder on the drive I want as the default for User Profiles, will it overwrite the current User folder? Should I rename the current Users folder before running your script and then copy the contents over to the new folders? Will it leave the renamed Users folder untouched if I just rename it?

    Am I best off just deleting the old ProgramData folder or similar to the Users folder, can I just rename it and copy the data over to the new one? Thanks.
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  5. Posts : 17,545
    Windows 10 Pro x64 EN-GB
    Thread Starter
       #14

    I've reinstalled now a few times on a system where I had originally used this method. When Seven has first time booted to Audit Mode, I have deleted ProgramData and renamed Users on D: to Users.old. When installation is then complete, I have taken ownership of Users.old and moved files to newly created Users. No problems there, works well.

    I have not tried to rename ProgramData and move files after installation to new ProgramData, nor have I tried to keep old Users and ProgramData i.e. letting a new installation use the folders from old installation. For ProgramData folder I think it is not a good thing to do, fresh install should start with an empty ProgramData folder, but keeping old Users folder might just work. This is however something I need to test before I can tell how it works.

    Kari
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  6. Posts : 86
    Windows 7 64-bit Home Premium
       #15

    Kari said:
    I've reinstalled now a few times on a system where I had originally used this method. When Seven has first time booted to Audit Mode, I have deleted ProgramData and renamed Users on D: to Users.old. When installation is then complete, I have taken ownership of Users.old and moved files to newly created Users. No problems there, works well.

    I have not tried to rename ProgramData and move files after installation to new ProgramData, nor have I tried to keep old Users and ProgramData i.e. letting a new installation use the folders from old installation. For ProgramData folder I think it is not a good thing to do, fresh install should start with an empty ProgramData folder, but keeping old Users folder might just work. This is however something I need to test before I can tell how it works.

    Kari
    Thanks for the reply. I'll just delete the old ProgramData folder. I wasn't sure if it was worth keeping or not, so no problem there. And you've answered my question about the Users folder as well. I'll just rename it, follow your instructions, and then copy contents over.

    How does deleting ProgramData affect the programs? Do you recommend a clean install of all programs or can some be copied over?
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  7. Posts : 17,545
    Windows 10 Pro x64 EN-GB
    Thread Starter
       #16

    Before I have tested this, I would recommend a clean install and reinstalling applications. Also, remember that after reinstall the Users.old (or whatever you rename it) is locked and you have to take the full ownership before you can move the files.

    Kari

    EDIT: Also important to remember is that the drive where you want to create the Users and ProgramData must be connected and available when running the script in Audit Mode. Often when Seven is installed in SSD, users disconnect the other drives. When you then try to run the script but the destination drive for Users and ProgramData is not connected, you get an error message.
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  8. Posts : 86
    Windows 7 64-bit Home Premium
       #17

    Reposted from this thread How to clean install Windows 7 to SSD upgrade on existing system?

    Ok, I thought this was all going to go smoothly.

    I followed this User Profiles - Create and Move During Windows 7 Installation

    and before doing so renamed the Users folder and ProgramData on the D drive with the .old appendage.

    After running that script and it auto-restarting I get the message 'BOOTMGR is missing'

    I did the one time boot thing and tried to boot from the D drive. I got the initial Windows screen and then a blue screen...probably because it thinks the Users and ProgramData folders are missing? I unplugged the SSD and went into BIOS to ensure the HDD was the primary boot drive, restarted and got the same blue screen.

    If I try to boot to the SSD- C drive, I keep getting the 'BOOTMGR is missing'

    Any idea what's going on here?
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  9. Posts : 17,545
    Windows 10 Pro x64 EN-GB
    Thread Starter
       #18

    Using the sysprep script described in this tutorial has nothing to with boot manager, nor does it modify any boot files. It's only function is to change the value of two Windows 7 environmental variables, %ProfilesDirectory% and %ProgramData%.

    How did you install Seven? One possible reason for this issue could be that you first installed Seven to SSD when other drives were disconnected, then connected the SATA drive and (accidentally) marked it as active partition. Windows tries then boot from SATA where it can not find boot files and shows an error message.

    Check Disk Management after connecting SATA drive, to ensure SSD is marked active and boot.

    I'll ask some SSD geeks to look at this.

    Kari
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  10. Posts : 17,545
    Windows 10 Pro x64 EN-GB
    Thread Starter
       #19

    I checked your posts in that other thread you mentioned. Your Disk Management screenshot shows both SSD and SATA disks are marked as active and boot, so you should start looking what's wrong there.

    Kari
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