Vista: Migrate User Settings Using the User State Migration Tool (USMT 3.0)

USMT captures user accounts including desktop, and application settings, as well as a user's files, and then migrates them to a new Windows installation.

• side-by-side migration-- you are copying the data from the old computer to a new computer)
• wipe-and-load migration--you are saving the data and then formatting the computer's hard disk and performing a clean install.
• If you are only upgrading your operating system, USMT is not needed.

Scanstate.exe--old computer
Loadstate.exe --new computer

Example 1: migrating all users and their settings within the same domain
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You must install the USMT on both old and new computers.

At old computer
change to the directory
C:\programs files\usmt3.1

scanstate \\\servername\sharename\computer1 /i:miguser.xml /i:migapp.xml /i:migsys.xml

At the new computer
change to the directory
C:\programs files\usmt3.1

loadstate \\\servername\sharename\computer1 /i:miguser.xml /i:migapp.xml /i:migsys.xml
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Example 2: migrating a specific domain user from XP machine A to XP machine B
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Source Computer: VANSTUDENTS domain and XP machine
C:\Program Files\USMT301>scanstate z:\Misc\order /ue:*\* /ui:vanstudents\order /i:miguser.xml /i:migapp.xml /i:migsys.xml

Log messages are being sent to 'C:\Program Files\USMT301\ScanState.log'
Scanning the computer for files and settings...
Collecting files and settings for:
This Computer 'VANSTUDENTS\order' (user 1 of 1)
Saving files and settings - 2 minute(s) remaining...
ScanState has successfully collected the files and settings.

Target Computer: VANSTUDENTS domain and XP machine
C:\Program Files\USMT301>loadstate Z:\Misc\order /ue:*\* /ui:vanstudents\order /i:miguser.xml /i:migapp.xml /i:migsys.xml

Log messages are being sent to 'C:\Program Files\USMT301\LoadState.log'
Scanning the computer for files and settings...
Applying files and settings -
LoadState has successfully restored the files and settings.

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Pay attention to the /ue:*\* /ui:vanstudents\order must be used with both scanstate and loadstate
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If you are migrating the user states of only a few computers, you can use Windows Easy Transfer. USMT is intended for large deployment of XP and Vista.

You can use Windows Easy Transfer to move user accounts, files and folders, program settings, Internet settings and favorites, and e-mail settings from an existing Windows computer to a new computer running Windows Vista.

Windows Easy Transfer in Windows Vista supports the following operating systems:
•Windows 2000 SP 4
•Windows XP SP 2
•Windows Vista

At the new computer with Vista

make sure that you have installed all programs before you transfer the program settings.
start Windows Easy Transfer wizard, --This is new computer--save the Migwiz files to a network location.

At the old computer, run Migwiz\migsetup.exe file.