[Guide] How to Transfer your Windows XP & Windows 7 User Profile and Rebuild it if Corrupt

This guide is meant for easy user profile transfer before you preform a clean install of Windows. Of course this only applies if you have let Windows save to the default locations. There is the Windows Easy Transfer Wizard which I prefer not to use due to backup sizes and poor execution. Plus it takes more time and can be more complicated for some. I have used it and lost data in the process so I don't take the chance anymore. There are other programs out there as well but if you want to do it quick and easy this is the information you need. All you need is a an external data storage device such as USB flash drive or external HDD/SDD. You can also save the info to CD, DVD, or Blu-Ray. What you decide to save the information on is only dictated by the size of your saved files. The other idea of this guide is also to help a user rebuild their profile in the event it has been corrupt or suspected to be corrupt. This may be most commonly caused due to virus attacks.

This guide does not include all the locations of any special preferences or data saved by the various programs out there. But you should find most of that information in C:\User\{username}\AppData\Roaming\; this contains most of the saved preferences/data from programs you may have installed. As for Apple iTunes I suggest backing it up according to the iTunes backup instructions provided by Apple or this guide provided by How-to Geek.

Also, I have searched through the forums on OCN and didn't find anything specific to this information. However this Guide by Rubers which gets a little more in depth with the actual OS. This guide is meant for more of a quick reference to the locations of your files.



Warning: The follow instructions should be used after a PC is built with the software installed required by the user. Additional setup or folder and file transferring may be required on a case by case basis.

Windows XP:

• C:\Documents and Settings\{username}\Desktop
• C:\Documents and Settings\{username}\Favorites
• C:\Documents and Settings\{username}\My Documents
• If you use Microsoft Outlook:
  
  • C:\Documents and Settings\{username}\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook\*.NK2
  • C:\Documents and Settings\{username}\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook\*.pst
  • C:\Documents and Settings\{username}\Application Data\Microsoft\Signatures

Windows 7 32 & 64 bit:

• C:\Users\{username}\Contacts
• C:\Users\{username}\Desktop
• C:\Users\{username}\Favorites
• C:\Users\{username}\Links
• C:\Users\{username}\My Documents
• C:\Users\{username}\My Music
• C:\Users\{username}\My Pictures
• C:\Users\{username}\My Videos
• C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Sticky Notes\*.snt
• If you use Microsoft Outlook:
  
  • C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook\*.pst
  • C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Outlook\*.NK2
  • C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Signatures
  
  

Outlook Setup: (this will be the same for Windows XP and Windows 7 with the exception of the locations for .NK2 and .pst files.)

1. Start up Outlook and select all default settings. Once this is completed allow Exchange to populate the user’s inbox (if used). At this point transfer/copy/move the .pst files over to the respective folder.
2. Next go to Tools -> Account Settings… Select the Data Files Tab and click Add… leave “Office Outlook Personal Folders File (.pst)” highlighted and click Ok next a “Create or Open Outlook Data File” dialog box will open, select a .pst file.
3. Now create a new email and send it to yourself for a test. Once it has sent successfully close Outlook. This will create the .NK2 file for auto name population.
4. Transfer/Copy/Move the .NK2 file over and replace the one that was created in step 3 Make sure to rename the old .NK2 file to match the one created.
5. Start Outlook and verify step 4 by creating a new email and type just a single letter in the “To” box to see if it auto populates usernames.
6. Create a test signature so the folder is created and then transfer/copy/move the Signatures folder over. Verify this is working after you restart Outlook.
7. Outlook setup should be completed at this point anything extra will be on a case by case situation.

Occasionally a user will experience an issue that other users of the same PC/laptop do not experience. When this happens sometimes rebuilding the profile will fix this issue. Below you will find steps to rebuilding a users profile in Windows XP and Windows 7. You will also find in Windows 7 that sometimes you will go to rename the existing profile and when the user logs back in a TEMP user is created instead of a new profile. There are also steps below to get around this issue as well.

Warning: You will need a second administrator account to log into so you can remove and recreate the account in question. If you are on a network with roaming user profiles this is may not be necessary. Also make sure all the files for that profile are backed up.

Note: Before you start the rebuild process establish exactly what the issue is and how to replicate it. You will need to know this for testing purposes after the profile has been recreated.

Win XP:

1. Log out of the suspect profile, login to another administrator account, and then rename the suspect profile something else so Windows thinks it is the user first time logging in. The profiles are located at C:\Documents and Settings\{username}. I usually just rename it {username}.backup. I like to keep the same pattern of naming because I always know if I have rebuilt a users profile before.
2. Once renamed log back in.
3. After login try to replicate the issue. If the issue is not present anymore then you can transfer the profile over to the freshly created one. At this point you will have to go through the whole PC Setup procedure.
4. After the profile rebuild/setup has been complete try to replicate the issue one more time. If the issue is still gone your job is done.

Win 7: (The Procedure is the basically the same as Win XP except for folder locations.)

1. Log out of the suspect profile, login to another administrator account, and then rename the suspect profile something else so Windows thinks it is the user first time logging in. The profiles are located at C:\Users\{username}. I usually just rename it {username}.backup. I like to keep the same pattern of naming because I always know if I have rebuilt a users profile before.
2. Once renamed log back in. If when the user logs back in a TEMP user is created instead of there actually user name follow the steps below to fix Windows from holding on to the profile name.
   
   • Steps to remove a users profile name from Windows registry.
   1. Log on with admin rights; verify the current users profile is renamed.
   2. Open Run and type in regedit, navigate to hklm\software\micorosft\windows nt\currentversion\profilelist
   3. Look at profilelist numbers with long series (ie-s-1-4-21-185949342-158871018-6498272-32250) until you find the correct one (SAME NAME listed in right window under profileimagepath), then delete that key.
   4. Log onto the PC with username deleted in step 3 and the new profile will be created.
3. After login try to replicate the issue. If the issue is not present anymore then you can transfer the profile over to the freshly created one. At this point you will have to go through the whole PC Setup procedure.
4. After the profile rebuild/setup has been complete try to replicate the issue one more time. If the issue is still gone your job is done.

Please Note: This guide is by no mean meant to be a highly detailed document on the Windows file structure or registry but a quick guide to get the job done. As you read through it if you find yourself confused or not understanding please contact someone who has a better understanding so you don’t lose any of your important data. You can also PM me if you like and I will help where I can. Also if you are unfamiliar with the registry I strongly suggest not editing it. One wrong change in the Windows registry can cause damage to your Operating System or other programs.

Also if you feel I have left something out or you believe something may not be correct please let me know
Edited by newbrevolution - 5/29/12 at 12:35pm