User Account Migration in Windows

ALL STEPS MUST BE DONE IN SAFE MODE.

Create new user account with administrative privilege (test user).

Login in to the test user and access following steps.

Start > Run > type regedit and click OK.

Click YES if User Account Control prompted.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\Current Version\ProfileList\

It displays list of user account. Verify one by one.

User profile starts with S-1-5-21 – verify the user account information in Profile image path.

Create a backup of the registry key before you delete the profile list.

Right click and export the key which you want to delete.

Delete the profile list entry which account you want to migrate. (Need to migrate “Example User”)

Go to C:\Users\Example User and rename the user folder (“Example User.OLD”) which you deleted profile list entry.

DO NOT DELETE USER ACCOUNT.

Reboot and Login to which you want to migrate account. (Example User account)

Go to Tools > Folder Options

Enable “Show Hidden files, folders and drives” and uncheck the “Hide protected operating system files”

Go to C:\Users\Example User - copy the NTUSER.DAT file (this is hidden file)

Go to C:\Users\Example User.OLD folder and paste NTUSER.DAT and make it as hidden. (DELETE EXISTING FILE)

Reboot and login into Test User account and delete Example User folder from C:\Users

Rename “Example User.OLD” to “Example User”.

Reboot into the Normal mode and Login in to “Example User” account.

User profile migrated successfully.

 

Note: You can enable your default administrator account instead of creating Test user.

Open the command prompt with administrative privilege.

net user administrator /active:yes

Your default administrator account is enabled now. Reboot and login into the administrator account.