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Migrate NT4 user accounts into Win2000

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6 replies

by achen2002

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Migrate NT4 user accounts into Win2000
Recently we're moving our NT4 domains into 2000, we have too many things running, can not take risk for the down time so we're not using the "OS upgrade" solution.

We want to setup new Win2000 serversand migrate (or you can say, duplicate) user accounts / groups from NT 4 to Win 2000.

I was surprised that I can not find too many solutions on Microsoft Knowledge Base about this, I'll appreciate if anybody can provide me some direction in doing this, thanks a lot.

It does not matter if NT4 server can not join the new Win2000 Active Directory later, because we're not going to do anything to the NT4 servers before the day we annouce the users to logon to the new Win2000 domain name.

6 replies

by christotg

for a single domain:

1. New box
2. Install NT4 as a BDC on the box.
3. Promote it to PDC.
4. Unplug the connection on another BDC as a backup
5. Upgrade NT4 to Win2k Server on the new box.

I've done it many times and it works very well.As for migrating users from one domain to another, it doesn't work properly. There are migration tools from MS (the AD Migration tool) but in a reasonably small environment it can be easier to export a list of users and recreate them with a "net user" batch file.

by christotg

The 5-step process means the users won't even need to know anything is happening. The only time connections will be broken is when the PDC is demoted to BDC (netlogon stops & all SMB connections break). Any LMHOSTS or other weirdnesses will need to be updated as well.

by achen2002

Chris,

Thank you so much for the solution, however we skipped this at the first time. Because we don't want to upgrade any NT4 to Win2K, this is way too buggy and we only want a clean Win2K server.

And, the NetBIOS name we use in new Win2K domains will be different than the NT4 domain name. So your solution does not work out even we accept the way to install NT4 and upgrade to Win2K later.

by rdpflueger

If you want to migrate rather than upgrade your best bet is too buy 3rd party user migration tools. MS built in tool does not work very well. #rd party tools are excellent for what you want to do.

by achen2002

rpflueger,

That is what I igot from Microsoft, too -- they don't provide too much info about migrating user/groups between old NT and new Win2K servers which are not under the same domain.

I believe your answer is what we're looking for, couldyou please list several 3rd party programs that you recommand?

I think after I get more info from you, I can release the point to you, close this case and start to work on it.

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