What will happen when I join an existing machine to a domain?

Question

I have a computer that is currently in use. It is a daily used personal computer. I want to create a domain controller and add this machine to the domain.

What will be the effect of the machine when I add it to the domain and create and use a domain user on that machine? I want this change to be abstract (besides logging in). In other words, the current local use has all these files, programs, settings, etc. How can I make it so that a created domain user "takes over" that local environment so it goes unnoticed?

The Operating System is Windows 7, and the server is Windows Server 2008 R2.

Answer 1

Which edition of Windows 7? Starter and Home Premium cannot join domains.

If you do happen to get a Professional or Ultimate version of Windows 7 then you can do these steps to get your local user converted to a domain user.

1. log in as DOMAIN\user to create a profile (folder) and log off
2. log in as DOMAIN\administrator
3. make all files visible in folder options or run the appropriate file
manager
4. move (not copy) all that you have in local user profile folder to newly
created domain user profile folder
5. check permissions on domain user folder (must be set to domain user full
access)
6. run regedit
7. go to HKEY_Users, then choose File -> Load Hive, choose file ntuser.dat
(user registry file) in domain user profile folder
8. check permissions again
9. Unload hive
10.log off and log on as Domain\user

Make sure, first you take a backup of that profile so that if you do some mistake following these steps your data remains safe.

Answer 2

Use the Windows Easy Transfer to export the files and settings from the old user account to the hard drive. Run it again as the new user and import the settings.

Here is an article that has additional information on using it as such, including tutorials.