ARCHIVED: In Windows, what is a user profile, and how do I copy one user profile to another?
A Microsoft Windows user profile describes the Windows configuration for a specific user, including the user's environment and preference settings relating to installed applications, desktop icons, and color options. The profile is built in part from System Policy information (e.g., things that a user has access to and things that the user can and cannot change), and in part from permitted, saved changes that a user makes to customize the desktop.
If you have administrative privileges, you can copy one user profile to another; follow the steps below for your operating system.
Note: As copying one profile to another will completely overwrite the target profile, you should back up any important data before copying over a profile. It's also a good idea to test these steps on a test profile before copying over a profile in use.
Windows 8, 7, and Vista
- In Windows 8, from the Desktop, press
Win-c
, and choose and then .In Windows 7 and Vista, from the
menu, click . - Change to view, if necessary; then select , and then .
- Click .
- Under "User Profiles", click .
- Select the profile you want to copy.
- Click
C:\Users\username
, whereusername
is the name of the profile to which you are copying. , and then enter the name of, or browse to,
the profile you want to overwrite. This will usually be in
- Click , and then add all user accounts to which you want to give full profile control. Click .
Windows XP
Note: If this doesn't match what you see, refer to ARCHIVED: Get around in Windows.
- From the menu, select , and then . Double-click .
- Click the tab, and then, under "User Profiles", click .
- Click the profile you want to copy, and then click .
- In the
Copy To
dialog box, click to select the directory to which you want to copy the profile. This will usually beC:\winnt\profiles\username
orC:\Documents and Settings\username
, whereusername
is the username of the profile to which you are copying. When you've selected the directory, click . - Under "Permitted to Use", click .
- In the field labeled "Enter the object name to select:", enter the username of the user who needs to have rights to view this profile. Click to make sure that the user is found. If the user is not found, you may need to click to select the correct domain (or, if it is a local account, to select the computer name), and then click .
- Click twice.
- If you are prompted to continue, click . Allow a minute for the system to copy the profile.
- In the
User Profiles
window, click , and then click again in theSystem Properties
window.
This is document aidk in the Knowledge Base.
Last modified on 2018-01-18 12:33:22.