We are in a transition to move to new Windows 11 PC.s I would like to move, not only relevant documents outside Onedrive, but preferably the entire user profiles with them, except redundant stuff like temp files, cached webpage content etc.

Most of their functions will remain the same. And so most relevant documents, used websites etc. will be the same as previously. Moving the desktop over would prevent them from having to start all over, setting up everything all over again.

We do use USMT (User State Migration Tool) as part of our deployment, but the new PCs are pre-deployed at our vendor. Also, even the latest Windows 11 USMT from the ADK does not include favorites etc from any of the latest browsers. Not even Edge.

@lilyleiden said in User migration to azure:

We just tested migrating a small batch of test users to our new Azure tenant.

While migrating the PC/user account was no problem, the fact that people get a completely blank user profile, certainly was a showstopper!!

Many of our users has had their AD profile for years, even a decade and has a lot of individual settings, ways to work, shortcuts, quick links, favorites/browser cached passwords etc. and they loose all that.
Management has currently halted the process due to the protests.

So I am on the lookout for a way to link/migrate the old profile/profile settings, when Azure joining the PC?

As far as I know, the only option is using third party software. There are several options.

We have for many years used USMTGUI from Ehlertech for domain profiles (USMTGUI use USMT for local and Domain profiles) but USMTGUI (corporate edition) also has a really simple to use function for migrating a profiles content to an AAD user, after the PC has been joined to Azure.

As said there are several third party options but as we already knew USMTGUI prior to switching to Azure, and USMTGUI makes it possible to handle all scenarios with one program, we have not really tried any of them.

@Obsolesce

Great and stream-lined!
I have quite a lot of settings I cannot get into the default settings in any way like that.

The OneDrive and other skimpy attempts to give users a solid experience moving to a new PC is to be honest not impressing.

I have now been replacing quite a few PCs for existing users already over the last week and two today, and it is REALLY time consuming setting up things to make the user feel at home.
If a Tech and the user spends 2 hours or more each getting everything into place, it equals 16000 wasted hours over a year with roughly 4000 PCs replaced.
That is madness

I'll definitely look into a more basic way to move over profile settings, browser favorites, mail account info and all that.

I realize that during the decade since I worked with this there has been slight improvements like UEV which I will definitely look into more.

@sorensenbolinde
Two quick questions
The GUI for USMT is that the one made by Ehlertech?
Also the optimized XMLs for usage with SCCM I gather you get from Ehlertech?

It really made a big difference on the User profile migrations through SCCM.

• They're near perfect using the custom XMLs.

Thanks a bunch

After many years doing other stuff I'm back at looking at some user handling at my new job.

In "the old days" I'd create a proper default profile to go with our base image but as I have so far figured out that is today a no-go?

The deployment system I have inherited (currently rolling out Windows 10) does have some rudimentary settings that seem to attempt to set up some default shortcuts and also Tiles.
I'm not a fan of the whole Tiles/Modern UI mess in Windows 10 but at least I'd like to get rid of games etc.
Also We have some internal web pages I'd like to pre-set as favorites in the browsers for new users.

Reinstalling existing PCs I see some things like local files move over through the User profile backup/restore in SCCM but it seems to be like 30/70% hit and miss and I gather something needs being updated?

How are you guys setting up a PC to be as well adjusted as possible for a new user or do you just hand over a vanilla PC?

Any thoughts are most appreciated (cloud/Azure is not currently an option).