Cannot Copy Local Profiles in Server 2008 R2 RC
- Hey,
UconCornelias posted the same behavior for Windows 7.
"Copying local profiles. Not sure if this is a change in functionality or a bug. If you want to copy the profile of a local user, you can login to the Server as the local Administrator, go to System Properties > User Profiles, choose a user's profile, then click the Copy To button to copy that profile to another profile. In Server 2008 R2 RC, the Copy To button is grayed out when you choose another user's profile. All you can choose from is Change Type or Delete. What happened here?"
Answers
- Hello djsp,
That scenario that was used to replace the Default User Profile was unsupported in Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008 and unsupported in Windows XP. There were many issues with it in the prior OSes, even though those issues were not always apparent, they did exist and caused inconsistencies and lingering problems.
This article points to the supported way of updating the Default User profile which is the only profile that should be used to for creation of the new user profile.
959753 How to customize the default local user profile when you prepare an image of Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows XP, or Windows Server 2003
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;959753
Thanks, Darrell Gorter[MSFT] This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights- Marked As Answer byElisa WillmanMSFT, OwnerSunday, May 31, 2009 11:06 PM
All Replies
- hi there,
sorry for the delayed rsponse, i was attending Tech-ed 2009 , i will be testing this tomorrow and update you.
sainath Attending Microsoft Teched 2009 When you try to copy a profile to another user Windows will not allow the Copy to ... action while someone else is logged in with the specific username, because the profile is in use. I am afraid if you are trying to copy administrators profile to some other user ?? If I am not correct please do let me know.
Thanks
http://technetfaqs.wordpress.com- Hi there,
no, i try to copy the local Adminisrator's profile to "Default user's" profile.
Im logged with a Domain-Administrator Account. With all Profiles except "Default profile" the "copy to"-Button is greyed out.
Up to Version 2008 r2 it works fine. The same behavior is to be observed in Windows 7.
Im sorry for my terrible english!
Thanks Hello,
The grayed out Copy To button usually occurs when you try to copy a profile that has been used since the computer has been started. Reboot the computer and don't log on as the profile you're trying to copy.Instead logon with some other user and try, The Copy To button should now be available.
http://technetfaqs.wordpress.com- Hello,
the Computer is fresh rebooted.
All Profiles except "Default profile" are greyed out. It looks like a bug in Server 2008 R2 RC and Windows 7.
Vista, Server 2003, Server 2008 works well.
Thanks Well I dont know exactly I tryand see . Well if your are seriously looking to copy the profile we can try an another way around.
Thanks
http://technetfaqs.wordpress.com- Any word on this? Just trying to keep this up there as an issue.
- Still nothing on this? This is a very important issue to many of us in enterprise settings.
- Hello djsp,
That scenario that was used to replace the Default User Profile was unsupported in Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008 and unsupported in Windows XP. There were many issues with it in the prior OSes, even though those issues were not always apparent, they did exist and caused inconsistencies and lingering problems.
This article points to the supported way of updating the Default User profile which is the only profile that should be used to for creation of the new user profile.
959753 How to customize the default local user profile when you prepare an image of Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows XP, or Windows Server 2003
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;959753
Thanks, Darrell Gorter[MSFT] This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights- Marked As Answer byElisa WillmanMSFT, OwnerSunday, May 31, 2009 11:06 PM
Then this probably shouldn't be in the KB, right?
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/319974
Should be, but is not, since the link you posted leads to a page that only has a circular reference (points to its self).
Note, that page has now been corrected.- Edited byBrian Borg Tuesday, June 02, 2009 11:58 PM
- Wow. So they ended up taking it out today. I guess that is one way to deal with the situation, treat it like it never actually worked in the first place. Ha.
- Proposed As Answer byFreelancetech Tuesday, June 02, 2009 7:21 PM
- So it sounds like you have to repackage the server installation to setup the default profile. This really stinks. I have my server setup and ready to go. I need to setup the default profile and now I find that I have to use sysprep to do this. I'm wondering if there is a simple process to do this using sysprep.
- Sorry djsp, I didn't mean to propose your statement as an answer. Just clicked the wrong button.
- Looks that way. At least they removed the circular reference.
Now who says they never listen? Any advice on how to do this on a server that is setup and ready to go?
- Hello,
I would like to ask some questions about replacing the Default User Profile to better understand the scenarios and reasons why it is being replaced.
Certainly details would be appreciated on the scenarios.
If you prefer to send directly to me that is fine as well
Darrellg@online.microsoft.com
remove the online from the address to send to me
· Why is there a need to update the default profile so often?
· What types of customizations are you doing?
· What types of profiles are being customizing? Mandatory, network default, local default?
· Why is sysprep inadequate for this?
Thanks, Darrell Gorter This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights - Well I can speak for my side.
1. There is not a need to do this often. I need it to create the base image that I give out to my employees to build servers, workstations, etc.
2. Customization in any form. Icons on desktop, task bar settings, all personal settings that we want in place for every user that logs on.
3. Local default. That is it.
4. I know Microsoft pushes sysprep, but there are many of us who don't use it. My company uses Acronis. Have for many years. It is nice to have an image joined to the workgroup with all the settings you want that you can copy off a hard drive and bring up in 15 minutes with no further configuration needed unless you need to join the domain. On the desktop side, we are an engineering firm, and we have specific ways that we set up our default profile so that all of our applications can work together. It is no small task. So we are not looking for any further configuration to happen once the computer hits the desk. Hello,
1. We need to update the "default profile" once per Server.
2. We install with the "local admin" user-account. After finishing the Server, we do some personal settings like IE-Settings, Desktop, ntbackup cmd, and so on.
3. The we need to copy the admin-Profile to the default, so that all the other users (domain-admins) have the same equal environment.
4.Sysprep is no option, because the Server is still "ready"!This scenario is working on Windows Server 2000, 2003, 2008, Vista. All Versions with or without ServicePacks.
Only Server 2008 R2 RC and Windows 7 RC will not work.
I'm sorry for my bad english.- How do your questions have any relevance? Your CUSTOMER wants the copy to functionality back, that should be enough.
We use it to setup a standard desktop experience and I am irritated it is gone. Sysprep is NOT a valid answer to the situation. Why, you ask. It is extra work we don't need to do.
edit Unattend.xml
Why do I need to do all this instead of just clicking copy to?
capture the image
deploy the image
I don't need to create an image and redeploy it for every server or workstation. Also don't need to reload a pc just to make changes to the default profile.
Putting the copy to back would be would be the correct answer. It works. You have to load the ntuser.dat into regedit and get rid of the references to c:\users\username, but it works.
We are your customers. We're asking you to put it back in. - I met the same problem. In server 2008 age, we can simply copy the template user profile to deault account thus we don't need to set up account one by one. But in 2008 R2 age, we just can not do that. We are using 2008 enterprise RTM. Only default user profile can be coied to other account. What is it for? reset profile for other accounts? simply deleting user profile and logging abck on can reset profile. i think MS has a stupid design here.
- This is dumb, why would they make this change. I have spent the last week pounding my head trying to figure out why this was not working, went out and bout the Terminals Services Resource Kit for 2008 and it says to use the copy to:
"Be sure to use the CopyProfile tool--do not do this manually,"
well that would be great if it wan not broken! I'm with you guys but I did find something that's helpful....
This does not install and can be run off a USB thumb drive and 'enables' locked menus and buttons. Basically you:
1) Download Windows Enabler
http://www.angelfire.com/falcon/speedload/Enabler.htm
2) Save it to a thumb drive
3) Right-Click and choose "Run As Administrator" on the Windows Enabler EXE on the system you wish to copy the profile
4) Click the Notification Tray icon to turn Windows Enabler on
5) Open the USER PROFILES dialog and click on the greyed out COPY TO... button to see it become enabled.
6) Copy the profile as you used to in XP and Vista.
Hope this helps,
via: http://joeelway.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!2095EAC3772C41DB!2708.entry- Proposed As Answer byBrian Borg Friday, October 02, 2009 9:14 PM
