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User profile migration to new Windows 11 PCs

Anna Lynne 0 Reputation points
2023-05-01T11:10:04.29+00:00

As one department (~170 persons) are in a transition to move to another department on new Windows 11 PCs I would like to move, not only relevant documents but preferably, the entire user profiles with them.

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.

We do use USMT (User State Migration Tool) as part of our deployment, but the new PCs are pre-deployed.

Also, even the latest Windows 11 USMT from the ADK does not include favorites etc from any of the latest browsers. Not even Edge.

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  1. Dan C. Cunnings 106 Reputation points
    2023-05-19T13:08:09.99+00:00

    I’d recommend you use USMT from Microsoft. Again USMT is not very well maintained but you can get a fully updated free edition also supporting Windows 11 over at Ehlertech.

    We use that version in our Endpoint Manager (SCCM) and for migrations to new win10/11 PCs we use the Ehlertech User Profile Central (UPC).

    With UPC you can sit at your desktop and handle (backup/restore/move) user profiles remotely on all PCs on the domain

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  2. Janine Marchese 16 Reputation points
    2023-05-25T12:13:08.7366667+00:00

    We've used USMT for User Profile Migrations for years. We run USMT with USMTGUI from Ehlertech, or more frequently these days we use their User Profile Central.

    It is basically a GUI utilizing USMT. It is however professional SW so you must pay for it. But as it is quite cheap, is simple to use, and includes premium support it really is an easy choice.

    USMTGUI is updated to the latest Win 11 edition and has, since autumn 2019, been capable of migrating favorites etc. for the new Edge Chromium. Also the latest corporate versions from Autumn 2019 onward migrates profiles to Azure

    Regarding Favorites from Edge, Chromium Edge, Chrome and Firefox, and Chrome and Firefox credentials, they are easily migrated with USMT.

    The reason you cannot migrate Edge and Chromium Edge credentials directly, is that those credentials are stored in the "Credential Manager" and they're not supposed to be able to be copied. - If they were, the credential manager wouldn't be worth much ;-)

    To migrate Credentials stored in the "Credential Manager" you basically need to export them, for instance to desktop, logged in as the user. Then move them over with USMT, along with the users data and, import the credentials after logging in as the user..

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  3. Limitless Technology 44,121 Reputation points
    2023-05-02T11:44:39.7033333+00:00

    Hello there,

    All of your settings (called Preferences - e.g. Light or Dark mode) and user data (e.g. favourites, collections, passwords) are stored in the browser profile. So to transfer them to a new computer, you could simply copy the profile's user data folder to the new computer. I don't know whether passwords would survive the transfer (because of the way they're encrypted), but everything else should.

    The folder to copy from one to the other for the default user (the only one if you only have one profile set up) is called Default, and it lives here:

    "%localappdata%\Microsoft\Edge\User Data"

    Hope this resolves your Query !!

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