Migrate your Windows user profiles and data

Compatible With Windows User Profile Backup

Not Compatible With Windows User Profile Backup

The CrashPlan app and USMT
Our technical support team is available to assist you with configuring, backing up, and restoring user profile data in the CrashPlan console and the CrashPlan app. However, since USMT is not a CrashPlan product, our technical support team 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.

Confirm user devices are backed up

From the CrashPlan 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 CrashPlan 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 CrashPlan app. 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 CrashPlan app 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 CrashPlan app to back up user profile data, USMT must be installed or deployed on each device backing up to the CrashPlan cloud. By default, the CrashPlan app looks for USMT in the following location:

• C:\Program Files\CrashPlan\USMT\

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

1. Open the CrashPlan app.

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

   • Double-click the CrashPlan 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 CrashPlan console:

• ScanState: /o /vsc /c /all
• LoadState: Refer to Microsoft documentation.

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

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 CrashPlan app
• The appropriate version of USMT for your version of Windows

For the CrashPlan app to utilize USMT, install or deploy USMT in the following location:

• C:\Program Files\CrashPlan\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 CrashPlan console or the CrashPlan app:

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 CrashPlan 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 CrashPlan app 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, or for devices using CrashPlan app version 6.7.0 and earlier.
• Created, Not backed Up: the .MIG file was successfully created by ScanState, but it is not backed up by the CrashPlan app.
• 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\

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 CrashPlan console.
• Install the CrashPlan app and restore with the CrashPlan app.
• Install the CrashPlan app and restore with the CrashPlan 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.

Step 8: Install the CrashPlan app on the new device

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

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

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 CrashPlan console, either before or after delivery to the user.
• End users, using the CrashPlan app.
• End users, using the CrashPlan 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 CrashPlan console.
• From the CrashPlan app.