Migrate Windows user profiles and data

Overview

Windows devices running the backup agent can back up and transfer Windows user profile data. Microsoft's User State Migration Tool (USMT) assists in migrating system settings and application data to a new device, or replacing a device. This tutorial assumes you are already familiar with USMT and explains how to configure and deploy Windows user profile backup with the backup agent.

These instructions advise administrators working with USMT. If you are not working with USMT, select the appropriate article from Use Code42 to simplify device migration.

Windows user profile support

Compatible With Windows User Profile Backup

• Code42 agent for Windows installed for everyone (Default)
• Code42 console

Not Compatible With Windows User Profile Backup

• Code42 agent installed per user
• Code42 agent for Mac and Linux

Considerations

The Code42 agent and USMT
Our Technical Support Engineers are available to assist you with configuring, backing up, and restoring user profile data in the Code42 console and the Code42 agent. However, since USMT is not a Code42 product, our Technical Support Engineers cannot provide direct assistance with USMT-specific features such as deploying USMT to devices, creating the necessary .XML files, or selecting ScanState options. For assistance with USMT, consult Microsoft's documentation.

Before you begin

Confirm user devices are backed up

From the Code42 console, confirm that all devices being migrated or upgraded have completed a backup.

• Use the Users Overview or Devices Overview to view the backup status of devices and users.
• You can also search for specific devices.

Create USMT XML files

USMT requires .XML files to determine what is included in the profile backup. The default .XML files for USMT are not included in the Code42 console and you must supply them for profile backups to occur.

When creating or editing your .XML files, consider what you have selected for backup with the Code42 agent. Excluding user data from USMT saves time when migrating to a new or reformatted system. To prevent backing up duplicate data, customize your .XML files to only include the user profile data that the Code42 agent does not back up, such as application data and registry settings. Exclude any user files backed up from your USMT .XML files, such as photos, documents, music, and videos.

Install USMT on each device

For the Code42 agent to back up user profile data, USMT must be installed or deployed on each device backing up to the Code42 cloud. By default, the Code42 agent looks for USMT in the following location: C:\Program Files\Code42\USMT\

If USMT is already installed in a different location, you can specify the different USMT location from the Code42 agent command-line interface:

1. Open the Code42 agent.

2. Open Code42 Commands using one of the following methods: 

   • Double-click the Code42 logo in the upper-left corner.
   • Enter the keyboard shortcut for your operating system:
     • Windows: Ctrl+Shift+C
     • Mac: Option+Command+C
     • Linux: Ctrl+Shift+C
3. Enter: prop.set c42.user.migration.usmtBinPath <filepath> save
   Replace <filepath> with the specific location where USMT is installed.
4. Press Enter.

Run ScanState commands

ScanState options allow you to use some USMT syntax commands when backing up your user profile data. The following syntax is allowed in the Code42 console:

• ScanState: /o, /vsc, /hardlink, /nocompress, /localonly, /c, /all
• LoadState: Deprecated - no effect

To use multiple ScanState commands, leave a single space between commands.

Configure Windows user profile backup

Follow the steps below to configure Windows user profile backup using USMT.

Step 1: Prepare devices for user profile backup

To back up or transfer user profile data, each device that will back up user profile data must have installed:

• The Code42 agent
• The appropriate version of USMT for your version of Windows

For the Code42 agent to utilize USMT, install or deploy USMT in the following location:  C:\Program Files\Code42\USMT\

Step 2: Enable user profile backup

You can choose to enable user profile backup for an organization. Once enabled, user profile backups do not occur immediately. The first user profile backup takes place based on the selected Backup Frequency (7 days by default).

To view or modify Windows user profile backup settings for an organization:

1. Sign in to the console.
2. Go to Administration > Environment > Organizations and select an organization.
3. From the action menu in the upper-right corner, select Device Backup Defaults.
4. Deselect Use device defaults from parent.
5. Click Backup.
6. If File Selection is locked:
   1. At Included files, add
      :main/ProgramData/CrashPlan/user_settings/
   2. (Optional) Click the push icon  to apply these settings to existing users.
7. Select Enable User Profile Backup.
8. For each .XML file for your environment, click Select File and add your customized file.
   The filename of your .XML displays to the left.
   • You must supply at least one .XML file for user profile backups to occur.
   • You do not need to supply one of each type of .XML file.
   • For assistance with your .XML files, see Microsoft's documentation.
9. (Optional) Enter desired ScanState options.
10. (Optional) Click the push icon  to apply these settings to existing users.
11. Click Save.

Step 3: (Optional) Manually start a user profile backup

To immediately start a user profile backup for a device, use the steps for the Code42 console or the Code42 agent:

From the Code42 console

1. Open the Code42 console.
2. Press Ctrl+Shift+X.
   The Code42 console command-line area opens.
3. Enter: cc migration.backup.run <guid>
   Replace <guid> with the GUID of the device containing the user profile data you want to back up.
4. Press Enter.

The USMT backup runs in the background of the Code42 agent and a folder named "user_settings" is added to the backup selection, which contains the device's .MIG files.

From the Code42 agent

1. Open the Code42 agent.

2. Open Code42 Commands using one of the following methods: 

   • Double-click the Code42 logo in the upper-left corner.
   • Enter the keyboard shortcut for your operating system:
     • Windows: Ctrl+Shift+C
     • Mac: Option+Command+C
     • Linux: Ctrl+Shift+C
3. Enter: migration.backup.run
4. Press Enter.

The USMT backup runs in the background of the Code42 agent and a folder named "user_settings" is added to the backup selection, which contains the device's .MIG files.

Step 4: Confirm user profiles are backed up

To confirm that all devices being migrated or upgraded have completed a user profile backup:

1. From the Code42 console, select Administration > Status > Reporting.
2. (Optional) On the Device Status tab, enter search criteria to filter for specific devices.
3. Click Run Report.
4. Click the column selector icon  and select User Profile Status.
5. In the User Profile Status column, confirm the devices display the status Created, Backed Up.

For devices that do not display the status Created, Backed Up, use the report results to help you determine if there is a problem with USMT, or with the Code42 agent backup:

• Created: the .MIG file was successfully created by ScanState, but the backup status is unavailable. The backup status may be unavailable soon after initially enabling user profile status backup.
• Created, Not backed Up: the .MIG file was successfully created by ScanState, but it is not backed up by the Code42 agent.
• Failed: the .MIG file failed to be created by ScanState.
• N/A: Indicates either:
  • The device has not reported a success or failure message.
  • User Profile Backup is not enabled for this device's organization.
  • This is a non-Windows device.

Step 5: Prepare new devices

Prepare your new device. Your preparations may include:

• Re-imaging the old device with a newer operating system.
• Installing Windows 10 if your new device does not have the appropriate operating system installed.

Step 6: Restore MIG files

Restore the .MIG files to the new device. The .MIG file can be found in the archive at the following path: C:\ProgramData\CrashPlan\user_settings\

Restoring Windows user profile files
Depending on the version of the Code42 agent installed on the endpoint, Code42 stores the USMT.MIG Windows user profile file in one of these backup sets:

• The backup set with the highest priority
• The default backup set

When restoring user profile files, you can either:

• Select one of the above backup sets and browse to the file
• Search for the file in the Code42 console's Web Restore dialog or in the Code42 agent

You can restore the .MIG file to any location on the new device that is accessible to USMT, such as the Desktop. Restore the .MIG archive using one of these options:

• Restore with the Code42 console.
• Install the Code42 agent and restore with the Code42 agent.
• Install the Code42 agent and restore with the Code42 API.

Step 7: Run LoadState tool

Run the LoadState command to migrate the user's data to the new device.

The LoadState command migrates the data and settings from the .MIG file onto the new device:

• The LoadState command has many command line options that require customization for your environment.
• .XML configuration files must be created as input parameters for the command.
• LoadState must be run from an elevated Windows command-prompt (from the Windows start menu, right-click cmd.exe and select Run as Administrator).
• See Microsoft's documentation for LoadState syntax.

Device hand-off
Once the LoadState is completed, follow the steps below to set up the Code42 agent for the user. You can also give the device to the user and have the user complete the installation.

Step 8: Install the Code42 agent on the new device

If you did not install the Code42 agent on the new device in step 6, install it now.

• Register the Code42 agent under the same username as the old device.
• Use your standard installation method (for example, push install, manual installation, etc.).

Do not replace the old device
Replacing the old device before restoring files to the new device can cause files to be removed from the backup archive. See Can't find files after replacing a device for more details.

Step 9: Restore files if necessary

If necessary, restore any missing files or folders to the new device. Restoring files can be performed by:

• IT staff via the Code42 console, either before or after delivery to the user.
• End users, using the Code42 agent.
• End users, using the Code42 console.

Step 10: (Optional) Replace the old device

Replacing the old device saves time, bandwidth, and storage space, because the existing backup archive from the old device is assigned to the new device.

You may replace the old device using one of two methods:

• From the Code42 console.
• From the Code42 agent.

External resources

• User State Migration Tool (USMT) Technical Reference
  View the USMT 10 documentation.
• USMT Requirements
  USMT 10.0 works with Windows 8 and Windows 10.
• What Does USMT Migrate?
  It migrates system settings, application settings, user profiles, and user data.
• USMT XML Reference
  Configure USMT behavior.
• User State Migration Tool (USMT) Command-line Syntax
  See the command line options for writing and processing USMT data.
• Download the Windows ADK
  The Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit provides the USMT files.

Related topics

• Replace a device from the Code42 console
• Back up Windows user settings
• Migrate Windows user settings to a new device
• Migrate Windows user settings — troubleshooting