10 steps to ensure foolproof client migrations: "
Make sure no critical information gets left behind when you perform desktop and laptop migrations.
It’s an IT challenge many enterprise professionals don’t understand: desktop migrations. ‘What’s so hard about migrating client machines?’ ask many enterprise administrators. ‘You just unbox the new desktop, deploy the hard disk image over the network, and you’re done, right?’
The majority of organizations don’t have the budgets and infrastructure necessary to maintain disk image libraries, much less an IT department that’s sufficiently staffed to develop, maintain, and administer image technology. That leaves others — and most IT consultants — having to perform desktop and laptop migrations the hard way: manually.
While different tools, applications, and systems exist to ease the process of moving a user’s programs, settings, files, photos, music, encrypted data, proprietary applications, financial information, email account settings, and other critical elements from one computer to another, they don’t really address all user requirements. Here are 10 steps you can follow to properly migrate desktops and laptops and ensure that no critical information is left behind.
Note: This article is also available as a PDF download.
1: Perform a software inventory
Before beginning the task of migrating user settings, data, and information, perform an inventory of installed software on the old machine. Leverage free tools such as Belarc Advisor or simply review a client’s Desktop, Quick Launch toolbar, and Start menu for commonly used applications. Review the list of applications with the user to make sure you know every program that must be reinstalled on the new computer.
2: Prepare installation media in advance
Upon learning that you will be migrating a user’s settings, data, and programs from one computer to another, request that the user round up all original installation media – and do it as far in advance as possible. This includes Microsoft Office CD-ROMs, application DVDs, applications downloaded from the Internet, etc. Without installation media on hand, a one- or two-hour migration can consume an entire day as you work to track down old, outdated, and even sunset installation files.
3: Collect license keys in advance
A software inventory and installation media are worthless if you don’t have all the registration codes and license and product keys. Intuit (with its QuickBooks products) is infamous for making its clients record product numbers, license keys, business zip code, and business telephone numbers to activate reinstalled software. Microsoft Office requires a unique 25-digit alphanumeric code. Antivirus programs have their own keys. Ensure that you or your clients have all the necessary documentation ready to go when you begin a client migration; otherwise, you’ll lose precious hours seeking necessary licensing information.
4: Record printers in use
Most every IT consultant and technology professional has left a site or department following a client migration only to be called back. One of the most common callback causes? Forgotten printers. Don’t assume that just because you installed all printers in the client’s office that you’ve connected all the printers the user requires. Frequently, users must print to printers on different floors and in different departments. When configuring printers on the new machines, be sure to identify the proper default device, too.
5: Review network configuration
Another common mistake when completing client migrations is to assume all systems tap DHCP services on the network. Obviously, this is not always true, as some users still use PCAnywhere, DVRs, and other applications and equipment that require configuring static IP addresses. In other cases, computers may have manually configured DNS addresses. Always check a computer’s IP settings before replacing it.
6: Note computer, workgroup, and domain names
Best business practices don’t apply in every organization. On more than one occasion, I’ve encountered clients and companies that, for legacy support reasons or personal preferences of the owner, use nonstandard computer, workgroup, and domain naming conventions. In other cases, some computers may not be members of a corporate domain, as the owner may want to maintain separate networks for business or security reasons. Always review a computer’s name, workgroup, and domain configuration before beginning a client migration. This is especially important, as any files or printers shared by a system that’s being replaced will no longer be accessible to other users if the same configuration is not properly replicated.
7: Install popular third-party utilities
Despite reinstalling office, financial, and business-line applications, reconfiguring all user settings (including moving a client’s personal desktop wallpaper), and migrating all user files (including music, photos, and video), I’ve been called back to client offices because new systems didn’t ‘work properly.’ Further review of such cases often showed the new PC didn’t include Adobe Reader (or Apple QuickTime, Adobe Flash, WinZip, or other software). Users often don’t understand that these free programs are easily downloaded and installed from the Internet. Worse, they don’t know where to go to locate and install these files. So be sure to include such popular third-party utilities in migration checklists.
8: Don’t forget the .NK2 file
Possibly the largest, most understandable gripe users have when switching computers is the loss of the autofill information that appears when they begin typing an email address within a Microsoft Outlook message’s To field. In my experience, users become absolutely dependent upon this information, which is kept within a single file. Users frequently don’t add everyone to their Contacts list, so dozens if not hundreds or thousands of email addresses are ‘lost’ if Outlook’s NK2 file isn’t migrated to their new machine. Outlook stores the NK2 file for each Outlook profile within a dedicated Outlook folder. On Windows XP systems, this file is found within the Documents and Settings\Username\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook folder. On Windows Vista and 7 systems, this file lives within the Users\Username\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Outlook folder. It must be migrated back to the same location, and its filename (usually Outlook.NK2) must match the Outlook profile name to work properly on the new system.
9: Remap network drives
Users quickly become dependent upon mapped drives, but they usually don’t recognize that fact. For example, an accountant may be accustomed to opening QuickBooks and accessing a company file by opening files stored on the Q: drive. Unless the Q: drive (and other drive mappings) are replicated on new systems, backups, applications, and other programs will not work properly. Users often only know that they open applications and ‘click on this drive’ or ‘click on that item,’ and they don’t always understand those clicks connect to different systems. Be sure to remap all network drives to preempt frustration.
10: Use a physical checklist
You don’t work in a vacuum. Your users often want to discuss the day’s breaking news stories, recent sports events, or even different computer issues they’re experiencing at home while you’re trying to program new routers, configure DNS, or migrate the user from an old computer to a new one. In other words, you’re going to work in environments rich with distraction. To assist migration projects, use a preprinted checklist, such as our Desktop Migration Checklist. (Note: Access to this list requires a TechRepublic Pro membership.) A checklist will help ensure you don’t forget any critical tasks, whether clients are asking how to eliminate spyware on their home system, your cell phone rings, or a number of other interruptions arise.
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