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Migrating UserData folder breaks Internet Explorer

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mchristian View Drop Down
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    Posted: 02 Apr 2008 at 2:50pm
I recently used the User Profile Wizard (profwiz.exe) to migrate a user profile from an old PC to a new one.  I know there is a User Profile Transfer Wizard (transwiz.exe) but I already had copied the profile data to the new PC.
 
Here are the steps that I took.
 
1.  Setup the new PC (call it B) except the user profile.
2.  Copied the profile data from old PC (call it A) to C:\Documents and Settings\user\ .
3.  Ran User Profile Wizard to associate the unassigned profile with the user account.
4.  Logged into the "user" profile on the new B PC.
 
What happened next surprised me.
 
Viewing CNN Video in Internet Explorer did not work on this new PC, specifically only for the user profile that was migrated.  Going to http://www.cnn.com/ then any video link (usually several stories linked) caused a script error in Internet Explorer.
 
The script error "Data is invalid" came from http://www.cnn.com/.element/js/2.0/scripts/IEPersistence.html .
 
This CNN script seems to be using an Internet Explorer specific technology called "userData Behavior" (persistence).  http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms531424.aspx
 
After much searching around and dead ends, I found...

There is a hidden folder called UserData in the user's profile that stores persistent XML-based data across Internet Explorer browser sessions. Additionally, this UserData Behavior/Persistence is NOT deleted or cleared when emptying Temporary Internet Files, clearing the browser cache, repairing/reinstalling Internet Explorer or other such standard operations.

Solution: Delete the files and folders in the hidden folder %HOMEPATH%\UserData\

Once I deleted the files and folders in C:\Documents and Settings\user\UserData\ , then viewing CNN Video via user on B worked.  The UserData folder was re-populated with new XML-based data.

Note that Internet Explorer was/is version 6 SP1 + patches on both old and new PCs.  Also, this problem did not happen on the old (A) PC, only after migrating the profile.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Support Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Apr 2008 at 6:36am
Thanks very much for the post. This is something we will keep in mind.
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