Help with moving old profile files to new one.

[OldGurkhaChap]

I have windows Vista and my profile seems to have become corrupted. I created a
new one and everything is working fine. I need to figure out how to move
files, documents and settings from my old profile to my new one. They both have full
administrator rights. Thank you.

 

[Mak 2.0]

How to recover the damaged user profile in Windows XP

Should be the same process.

 

[JustinW]

If not and you created a new profile on a new user account, simply copy over your files from the old account's folder to the new location.

 

[Mak 2.0]

If you use that method you will have to take ownership of the files first.

How-To: Take Ownership of Files in Vista - The NeoSmart Forums

There i give a longer method as to how to do it. There is a cmd line method as well. I jsut dont remember it off hand.

 

[OldGurkhaChap]

Thank you both for your helpful replies. I am sorry I missed out appropriate information initially. I have copied and post my question to HP for a solution to my problem below:

"Subject: HP TouchSmart IQ772.uk Desktop PC e-mail support

hp e-mail support
Webform submittal date/time : 19 October 2008 09:55:11 UTC
language_code : en
language : English
Country of Residence : United Kingdom
product_line : 6J
product_oid : 3561187
product_name : HP TouchSmart IQ772.uk Desktop PC
part_number : GS275AA
purchase month : 5
purchase year : 2008
problem area : other
serial number : CNH7381JYV
operating system : Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium 32
Was the CD/DVD writer drive built into the computer when you purchased it? : yes
Can you hear sound from the connected speakers? : yes
Does the display on the music center appear to be working properly? : yes
Have you connected the music center to your TV, DVD or music system? : no
error message : Cannot open XAML Browser"

Everytime, I start the Smartcenter the XAML download dialogue box pops up. It looks like just the Smartcenter software is corrupted in my current profile. I have uninstalled and re-installed the software, but the XAML box still persists. This is not a problem in other profiles.

 

[Mak 2.0]

So is this one of those Touch PC's that this software is needed?

 

[OldGurkhaChap]

Thank you. Yes it is. The problem does not occur in other profiles but I need the files from my old profile as I have customised my desktop and saved useful items. Can this be solved? HP have tried to help but their support staff in India, I presume, do not seem to know about this issue. In one of their replies, they suggested creating a new user account and migrating all my files to this account from my old one, but were unable to give me clear instructions on how to do this!

I hope you can understand what I mean from their latest instruction as shown below:

"Exact instructions will be impossible to give as the location of the files you seek are completely unknown to our support team. In essence, you will simply open "Computer". Select "C:/" from the drives listed. Once inside locate the "Users" folder. One of these accounts will house to data you are looking for. Simple copy and/or cut and paste the data where you would prefer it to be."

I would greatly appreciate any help to solve this problem.

So is this one of those Touch PC's that this software is needed?

 

[Mak 2.0]

Well i have not personally used one of these "Touch" PC's yet. But using the methods we mentioned above to import your files over from the other Profile and to import your settings over from the other Profile should work just fine.

The first link i gave is the instructions on how to migrate the profile files. The link in the 2nd one is how to take ownership of the files if Vista gives you the error that you do not have access to the files.

Follow the links i provided and you will have greater success than what they said. They are outsourced and are not specialized in how to do this. Not saying that i am but i have a bit of experience with this matter.

 

[OldGurkhaChap]

Thank you very much, I shall try the links and feedback whatever the result.

 

[Mak 2.0]

Sure thing. Let us know how it goes. If you come across some issues feel free to stop on back.

 

[OldGurkhaChap]

Hi, Thank you again. I tried the solution in your first link but got stuck at:

"Click Browse button and then browse For Folder dialog box to locate the Documents and Settings folder and select the new account."

After clicking the browse button, I could not see the 'For Folder' dialog box to locate the Documents and Settings folder. Did I miss something?

Sure thing. Let us know how it goes. If you come across some issues feel free to stop on back.

 

[JustinW]

Assuming you have administrative access, open a elevated command prompt:

In XP:

cacls "c:\documents and settings\[I][B]<your old username>"[/B][/I] /e f:[B][I]<your new username>[/I][/B]
cacls "c:\documents and settings\[B][I]<your old username>[/I][/B]\*" /e f:[B][I]<your new username>[/I][/B]

Then you should be able to copy any files you need from the folder without any other issues.

In Vista:

cacls "c:\users\[B][I]<your old username>"[/I][/B] /e f:[B][I]<your new username>[/I][/B]
cacls "c:\users\[B][I]<your old username>[/I][/B]\*" /e f:[B][I]<your new username>[/I][/B]

Then you should be able to copy any files you need from the folder without any other issues.

 

[Mak 2.0]

Sorry. this is really quite simple.

This is the window you see right before their instructions right?

From there select the Vista Drive. Go to the Users Folder. Vista is done differently than XP in this aspect. The profiles are not saved under the documents and settings folder but in the User folder as seen here:

Just select the old profile. Browse to the User folder and select the new profile name. Then click Okay. This will import the Vista Profile.

Sorry for the confusion.

 

[JustinW]

or that... prob. easier

 

[OldGurkhaChap]

Alex and Justin, thank you both for your helpful replies. Alex - yeah, that is the window and your instructions are clear, I shall try again tomorrow and feedback. Thanks again for taking the time to help, much appreciated.

Justin - must admit that to a novice like me, Alex's instruction is easier, however, greatly appreciate your trying to help me too.

 

[Mak 2.0]

My instructions are based right off of the instructinos from the link i gave. I am in Vista myself so i just followed those instructions and modified them to work in Vista. Maybe i will make a full guide and post it up in our Wiki on how to import a Profile to save trouble of this again.