How to migrate local users / groups from Microsoft Windows Server 2016 to 2019/2022
I came across the need to migrate local users and groups from Microsoft Windows Server 2016 to Microsoft Windows Server 2019/2022.
- Install Windows Server Migration Tool, on the source Windows Server 2016 and the target Windows Server 2019/2022. Start Powershell as administrator and run following commands:
PS C:\Users\Administrator> Import-Module ServerManager PS C:\Users\Administrator> Add-WindowsFeature Migration Success Restart Needed Exit Code Feature Result ------- -------------- --------- -------------- True No Success {Windows Server Migration Tools} - Share a folder on the target Windows Server 2019/2022 (for example \\192.168.0.1\UsrMigration)
- On the source Windows Server 2016 use the following command to export the local users and groups to the previously created share on the target server (make sure you have authenticated against the share).
PS C:\Users\Administrator> cd C:\Windows\System32\ServerMigrationTools\ PS C:\Windows\System32\ServerMigrationTools> .\SmigDeploy.exe /package /architecture amd64 /os WS16 /path \\192.168.0.1\UsrMigration SmigDeploy.exe is checking for prerequisites. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SmigDeploy.exe is copying Windows Server Migration Tools files to \\192.168.0.1\UsrMigration\SMT_ws16_amd64. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PS C:\Windows\system32\ServerMigrationTools> Add-PSSnapin Microsoft.Windows.ServerManager.Migration PS C:\Windows\system32\ServerMigrationTools> Export-SmigServerSetting -User All -Group -Path \\192.168.0.1\UsrMigration -Verbose cmdlet Export-SmigServerSetting at command pipeline position 1 Supply values for the following parameters: Password: ******************* ItemType ID Success DetailsList -------- -- ------- ----------- OSSetting Local User True {} OSSetting Local Group True {} PS C:\Windows\system32\ServerMigrationTools> echo MyPassword > \\192.168.0.1\UsrMigration\Password.txt - Verify the presence of the created files on the previously created share.
PS C:\Windows\System32\ServerMigrationTools> dir \\192.168.0.1\UsrMigration\SMT_ws16_amd64\ Directory: \\10.0.1.31\UsrMigration\SMT_ws16_amd64 Mode LastWriteTime Length Name ---- ------------- ------ ---- d----- 03.09.2021 22:46 en d----- 03.09.2021 22:47 replacementmanifests -a---- 08.01.2021 00:24 175880 cmi2migxml.dll -a---- 08.01.2021 00:26 662280 csiagent.dll -a---- 03.09.2021 22:37 8417280 Microsoft.Windows.ServerManager.Migration.dll -a---- 08.01.2021 00:24 8291080 migcore.dll -a---- 08.01.2021 00:20 270736 mighost.exe -a---- 16.07.2016 15:19 16224 migres.dll -a---- 08.01.2021 00:24 1188104 migstore.dll -a---- 08.01.2021 00:25 312592 MXEAgent.dll -a---- 16.07.2016 15:19 228 ServerMigration.psc1 -a---- 16.07.2016 15:19 1824 SFCN.dat -a---- 16.07.2016 15:19 1644 SFLCID.dat -a---- 16.07.2016 15:19 3348038 SFLISTLH.dat -a---- 16.07.2016 15:19 5590872 SFLISTRS1.dat -a---- 16.07.2016 15:19 1703322 SFLISTW7.dat -a---- 16.07.2016 15:19 2608968 SFLISTW8.dat -a---- 16.07.2016 15:19 3173014 SFLISTWB.dat -a---- 16.07.2016 15:19 4935856 SFLISTWT.dat -a---- 16.07.2016 15:19 1459266 SFLISTXP.dat -a---- 16.07.2016 15:19 11345 SFPAT.inf -a---- 16.07.2016 15:19 8678 SFPATLH.inf -a---- 16.07.2016 15:19 169643 SFPATRS1.inf -a---- 16.07.2016 15:19 17117 SFPATW7.inf -a---- 16.07.2016 15:19 79539 SFPATW8.inf -a---- 16.07.2016 15:19 91356 SFPATWB.inf -a---- 16.07.2016 15:19 165630 SFPATWT.inf -a---- 16.07.2016 15:19 4355 SFPATXP.inf -a---- 03.09.2021 22:37 81920 SmigDeploy.exe -a---- 03.09.2021 22:37 719360 svrmig.dll -a---- 25.10.2018 06:02 1098176 unbcl.dll -a---- 03.09.2021 22:37 249696 wdscore.dll - On the destination Windows Server 2019/2022 open the Windows Server Migration Tool. Start Powershell as administrator and run following commands.
cmd.exe %windir%\system32\WindowsPowershell\v1.0\powershell.exe -psconsolefile %windir%\system32\ServerMigrationTools\ServerMigration.psc1 PS C:\Users\Administrator> cd C:\Windows\System32\PS C:\Windows\System32> Import-SmigServerSetting -User Enabled -Group -Path \\192.168.0.1\UsrMigration -Verbose - After the files has been imported, check the presence of the users and verify the SID of the objects.
Source:
PS C:\Windows\System32> wmic useraccount get name,sid Name SID XXXXXXXXXX S-1-5-21-4115556112-3171488497-xxxxxxxxx-500 XXXXXXXXXX S-1-5-21-4115556112-3171488497-xxxxxxxxx-1002 XXXXXXXXXX S-1-5-21-4115556112-3171488497-xxxxxxxxx-1003 XXXXXXXXXX S-1-5-21-4115556112-3171488497-xxxxxxxxx-1005 XXXXXXXXXX S-1-5-21-4115556112-3171488497-xxxxxxxxx-1006 XXXXXXXXXX S-1-5-21-4115556112-3171488497-xxxxxxxxx-1007 XXXXXXXXXX S-1-5-21-4115556112-3171488497-xxxxxxxxx-1008 XXXXXXXXXX S-1-5-21-4115556112-3171488497-xxxxxxxxx-503 XXXXXXXXXX S-1-5-21-4115556112-3171488497-xxxxxxxxx-501 XXXXXXXXXX S-1-5-21-4115556112-3171488497-xxxxxxxxx-1009 XXXXXXXXXX S-1-5-21-4115556112-3171488497-xxxxxxxxx-1055 XXXXXXXXXX S-1-5-21-4115556112-3171488497-xxxxxxxxx-1010 XXXXXXXXXX S-1-5-21-4115556112-3171488497-xxxxxxxxx-1054 XXXXXXXXXX S-1-5-21-4115556112-3171488497-xxxxxxxxx-1044 XXXXXXXXXX S-1-5-21-4115556112-3171488497-xxxxxxxxx-1056 XXXXXXXXXX S-1-5-21-4115556112-3171488497-xxxxxxxxx-1001 XXXXXXXXXX S-1-5-21-4115556112-3171488497-xxxxxxxxx-1000Target:
PS C:\Windows\System32> wmic useraccount get name,sid Name SID XXXXXXXXXX S-1-5-21-4115556112-3171488497-xxxxxxxxx-500 XXXXXXXXXX S-1-5-21-4115556112-3171488497-xxxxxxxxx-1002 XXXXXXXXXX S-1-5-21-4115556112-3171488497-xxxxxxxxx-1003 XXXXXXXXXX S-1-5-21-4115556112-3171488497-xxxxxxxxx-1005 XXXXXXXXXX S-1-5-21-4115556112-3171488497-xxxxxxxxx-1006 XXXXXXXXXX S-1-5-21-4115556112-3171488497-xxxxxxxxx-1007 XXXXXXXXXX S-1-5-21-4115556112-3171488497-xxxxxxxxx-1008 XXXXXXXXXX S-1-5-21-4115556112-3171488497-xxxxxxxxx-503 XXXXXXXXXX S-1-5-21-4115556112-3171488497-xxxxxxxxx-501 XXXXXXXXXX S-1-5-21-4115556112-3171488497-xxxxxxxxx-1009 XXXXXXXXXX S-1-5-21-4115556112-3171488497-xxxxxxxxx-1055 XXXXXXXXXX S-1-5-21-4115556112-3171488497-xxxxxxxxx-1010 XXXXXXXXXX S-1-5-21-4115556112-3171488497-xxxxxxxxx-1054 XXXXXXXXXX S-1-5-21-4115556112-3171488497-xxxxxxxxx-1044 XXXXXXXXXX S-1-5-21-4115556112-3171488497-xxxxxxxxx-1056 XXXXXXXXXX S-1-5-21-4115556112-3171488497-xxxxxxxxx-1001 XXXXXXXXXX S-1-5-21-4115556112-3171488497-xxxxxxxxx-1000
Note: After the users was imported on the target server, those accounts are locked and have the attribute set to change the password after the first login – remove those attributes on the user objects if required.