Move Computer - Duplicate a user profile on the same computer?

Duplicate a user profile on the same computer?

Printed From: ForensiT
Category: ForensiT Support
Forum Name: Move Computer
Forum Description: User Profile Transfer Wizard questions, suggestions, comments and bug reports
URL: https://forum.ForensiT.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=2002
Printed Date: 27 Mar 2026 at 4:03am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.03 - http://www.webwizforums.com

Topic: Duplicate a user profile on the same computer?

Posted By: BlueMax
Subject: Duplicate a user profile on the same computer?
Date Posted: 11 Feb 2021 at 11:15pm

We are new to TransWiz and have a few questions as follows:

FIRST, can TransWiz copy a current administrator profile in Windows 10 (Home) on a desktop computer and then copy it back onto the same computer with a new username? Basically, duplicating the user with a new username, but a similar profile.

SECOND, does the duplicate profile include the same desktop icons, start menu tiles, including their sizes and positions?

THIRD, if so, how is the best way to accomplish this? The manual seems to indicate we can duplicate profiles for a standard or restricted user, but has no option for an administrator that we can see. Furthermore, we are using Windows 10 (Home), so don't have access to the user groups and policies that we know of (though your program may have that access). Can new standard user profile be changed to an administrators group user profile after created?

Thank you for any assistance!

Replies:

Posted By: Support
Date Posted: 12 Feb 2021 at 9:00am

Yes, you can use Transwiz to duplicate a profile in this way. The look of the Desktop will mostly stay the same, but you should keep in mind that Windows will also recognize that it is a new profile, and will do its own configuring.

You can create a new Administrator account in advance. Microsoft have a video https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/create-a-local-user-or-administrator-account-in-windows-10-20de74e0-ac7f-3502-a866-32915af2a34d" rel="nofollow - here .

Posted By: BlueMax
Date Posted: 12 Feb 2021 at 5:35pm

Thank you so much for the quick response and the link to the video. We will watch the video and get back to you if we have any questions. Thanks

Posted By: BlueMax
Date Posted: 12 Feb 2021 at 5:39pm

Okay, I have followed the link which simply shows how to create an administrator account. No problem there, but how do we update the new administrator profile with the exported profile we want to duplicate? Do we have to perform some sort of merge between the save profile and the new profile?

Posted By: Support
Date Posted: 14 Feb 2021 at 2:07pm

A user account and a user profile are two different things. The user profile is the data and settings associated with the user account, and usually found under C:\Users\username.

Creating a user account does not create a user profile. The user profile is created when the user account first signs-in.

For your purposes, so not sign-in with the new Administrator account before running Transwiz. When you run Transwiz assign the restored profile to the new user account you have created, then when you do sign-in as the new account, the duplicate profile will be there and Windows will not create a new/blank profile.

Posted By: BlueMax
Date Posted: 14 Feb 2021 at 6:46pm

Thank you for the helpful response. With your assistance, I think we understand the process for duplicating the existing profile. Just to confirm, we assume the steps are as follows:

Create a LOCAL Windows user account with administrator privileges.
Do not sign into the new local user account on the local machine (therefore, no profile yet).
Do not link the new local user account to a Microsoft account (cannot since haven't signed-in to the local account yet).
Using Transwiz, export the pre-existing profile to be duplicated.
Using Transwiz, import the saved profile and associate it with the new local user account just created, but not signed into yet.
Now sign into the new user account with the imported Transwiz profile data.

Have we understood correctly? If so, thank you so much for confirming that this can be done and how to do it. This has enlightened us on an aspect of Windows 10 which raises a question:

We didn't realize that a new Windows 10 user profile was not created until you signed into the new local user account for the first time. So, if we have a local Windows user account,that we have already signed into (so assume there is a new profile also), can we still import a Transwiz profile and merge it with the new user account which we have already signed into?

Sorry for so many questions, but once we understand this clearly, it will prevent many additional questions and headaches down the road. Thank you again for your assistance.

Richard

Posted By: Support
Date Posted: 15 Feb 2021 at 9:50am

Hi Richard,

Yes, you have understood correctly.

You can merge data from a transfer file into an already existing profile, but it will just be the files and folders that are merged - not any of the settings.