I have installed AD (windows server 2003) and also implemented Roaming Profiles and Folders Redirection (My Document only). My all users have lot of files in their My Doc folder. Technical Env: OS (windows server 2003) on 80GB HDD - mirrored thru RAID, User Data resides on 320GB HDD - mirrored thru RAID. Now for some reasons, I have to Re-Install my OS (server 2003). I wud like to do this on separate PC and then attach the 320GB hdd from old pc to new pc to retain my Users DATA. I will create new users (with the same user name as old, almost same AD scenario) and want that all users will get their respective data. REMEMBER: I DO NOT HAVE AD BACKUP. what are the possibilities ? What shud I do to achive my goal ? waiting anxiously ...................

Hello Muhammad, Microsoft released the File Server Migration Toolkit, which will help you migrate file shares from computers running Windows 2003 Server to computers running Windows Server 2003. Microsoft File Server Migration Toolkit 1.2 available as a free download http://blogs.technet.com/b/filecab/archive/2009/06/30/microsoft-file-server-migration-toolkit-1-2-available-as-a-free-download.aspx Also, I suggest you migrate GPOs from old domain controller to new domain controller. How to use the Group Policy Migration utility to migrate Windows NT System Policy settings to Windows 2000 or Windows Server 2003 http://support.microsoft.com/kb/317367 Migrating from PolicyMaker to Group Policy Preferences with GPPMIG http://blogs.technet.com/b/askds/archive/2009/06/18/migrating-from-policymaker-to-group-policy-preferences-with-gppmig.aspx Brent Hu, Please remember to click “Mark as Answer” on the post that helps you, and to click “Unmark as Answer” if a marked post does not actually answer your question. This can be beneficial to other community members reading the thread. ”

If you create new users, you will have to find a way to reassign privileges on the drive. You also should consider acces to the userprofiles stored on the local computers. After all, you don't want your users to loose all their settings, favorites, icons,... If you create a new domain, you will have to migrate all your computers to the new domain too! If the old environment still is running, you can use ADMT to migrate the users and computers from one domain to another. Be sure to read the instructions on how to migrate and restructure AD. ADMT also enables the use of SID history which enables users from the new domain to acces the same resources as they did in the old domain. But, even with good preparation and the right tools, this is not a happy migration. If you have any possibility to avoid it, I would avoid it. Also avoid having to do all this once more, by deploying at least 2 domaincontrollers in your domain. In that way you have a kind of "automatic backup" of AD, allthough this is not an alternative to a good solid backup! MCP/MCSA/MCTS/MCITP