This browser is no longer supported.
Upgrade to Microsoft Edge to take advantage of the latest features, security updates, and technical support.
![](data:image/svg+xml, %3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' height='64' class='font-weight-bold' style='font: 600 30.11764705882353px "SegoeUI", Arial' width='64'%3E%3Ccircle fill='hsl(185.6, 98%, 27%)' cx='32' cy='32' r='32' /%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' dominant-baseline='middle' text-anchor='middle' fill='%23FFF' %3ESJ%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E)
It's unbeliveable, here in the year 2026, that you can't simply move your Windows identity (user profile) with all its querks, custom settings, browser favorites and random files, along with you, when your Domain work PC is replaced.. Or, as is currently happening at my firm, your PC is moved to Entra As I have come to learn an Entra user profile on a PC is merely a local profile "with a few extras" so this ought to be really simple..?
Now, at my work as an IT supporter, the process around this move to Entra, or the process around a corresponding AD PC replacement, is entirely out of my hands, dictated from "above" with no explanations.
Entra: Just simple guides on the unjoin/join and login process. Nothing else.
And the users are baffled or angry or simply demand their old PC back.
![](data:image/svg+xml, %3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' height='64' class='font-weight-bold' style='font: 600 30.11764705882353px "SegoeUI", Arial' width='64'%3E%3Ccircle fill='hsl(236.8, 19%, 32%)' cx='32' cy='32' r='32' /%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' dominant-baseline='middle' text-anchor='middle' fill='%23FFF' %3EBB%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E)
I'd go with USMTGUI (for Entra user profile migrations) and User Profile Central for Domain > Domain user profile migrations. Both are from Ehlertech and utilize USMT, the only MS approved migration tool, and really the only product out there for this.
They just set up a reddit page with descriptions and also it's a great place to ask questions. I've looked forward to them doing this.
![](data:image/svg+xml, %3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' height='64' class='font-weight-bold' style='font: 600 30.11764705882353px "SegoeUI", Arial' width='64'%3E%3Ccircle fill='hsl(284.8, 33%, 37%)' cx='32' cy='32' r='32' /%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' dominant-baseline='middle' text-anchor='middle' fill='%23FFF' %3EDV%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Hello,
You’re right to point out the frustration here. In traditional Active Directory environments, user profiles could be migrated or redirected with relative ease using tools like User State Migration Tool (USMT), roaming profiles, or folder redirection. With Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) joined devices, the profile is indeed just a local Windows profile tied to the Entra identity, and there is no built‑in mechanism to “lift and shift” all user customizations, quirks, and files when moving to a new PC or when re‑provisioning a device.
The supported approach in Entra‑only scenarios is to rely on cloud profile portability rather than local profile migration. That means OneDrive Known Folder Move for Desktop/Documents/Pictures, Edge sync for browser favorites and settings, and Intune or Endpoint Manager for policy‑driven configuration. These services replicate the user’s environment across devices, but they do not carry over the raw local profile in the way AD roaming profiles did. That’s why your users are noticing the gap — the Entra profile is technically just a local profile with Entra authentication layered on top, so unless cloud sync is in place, settings and quirks remain machine‑bound.
If you want to replicate the “old PC experience,” the only supported way is to use USMT in conjunction with Intune Autopilot or Endpoint Manager provisioning. USMT can capture and restore user state (files, registry settings, app configs) during a migration, even in Entra‑only environments, but it requires IT to run the migration as part of the device replacement process. Without that, you’re left with cloud sync for the major folders and settings, and manual recreation of anything else.
So the short answer is: there is no simple “move profile” button in Entra. The best practice is to combine OneDrive Known Folder Move, Edge sync, and Intune configuration baselines, and if you need full fidelity migration of quirks and local settings, integrate USMT into your device replacement workflow. That’s the closest equivalent to what was possible 20 years ago with roaming profiles.
I hope you've found something useful here. If it helps you get more insight into the issue, it's appreciated to accept the answer. Should you have more questions, feel free to leave a message. Have a nice day!
Domic Vo.
Thanks. As far as USMT goes it seems it is pure commandline and also it does not recognize Entra‑only profiles?
Hi,
You’re correct that USMT is a command‑line tool, and it doesn’t have any special awareness of Entra‑only profiles. From USMT’s perspective, a profile is just a local Windows profile, regardless of whether it’s backed by Entra ID or not. That means you can still capture and restore user state with USMT in Entra‑only environments, but you’ll need to run it explicitly as part of your provisioning or replacement workflow. There’s no “automatic” detection of Entra profiles; you point USMT at the local profile folder and it migrates files, registry settings, and app configs just as it would for a traditional domain‑joined machine.
The key difference is that Entra ID doesn’t provide a roaming profile service, so USMT becomes a manual IT process rather than a background system feature. If you want a smoother experience for end users, the recommended path is still to lean on OneDrive Known Folder Move, Edge sync, and Intune configuration baselines for the bulk of settings, and reserve USMT for those scenarios where you need to preserve local quirks or application‑specific data during a device swap.
Domic Vo.
