How to move from Domain to Workgroup.

[techyguy717]

I don't usually work with Domain Networks, so I apologize if this is a simple question.

I'm helping someone with Windows 7 Professional.

They can't update it or get certain features to work.

I know it is because they are on an old Work Domain.

They no longer work for that company. But the Laptop is there's.

I went to System and "changed settings" under "Computer Name Domain and Workgroup settings".

I changed from "Work Network" to "Home Network".

After restarting, ALL of there configurations and settings were gone. Outlook, ACT!, etc needed to be setup again. But the computer was able to access the features that they needed.

Apparently the user account that we were using to log in into, was no longer available.

I did a system restore to right before I changed to Home Network.

How do I change to "Home Network" from "Work Domain" while still keeping ALL user settings, but getting rid of the lockdown that the Domain Policies Enforced?

BTW: They are not still accessing company resources. Outlook and other programs are currently setup for them.

 

[FoolishTech]

You have to go back, change it to a workgroup like you did before.

Then login an admin account, regedit, go here

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList

Find the current user's profile, change the ProfileImagePath value to point to the old profile. re-login the user, and voila, all their stuff is exactly as it was before.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Don't forget when removing from a domain, make sure you take control of the local Administrator account...change it's password while you're still logged in with local admin privies. Seen it happen so many times when a computer gets yanked from a domain..and down the road someone needs to get local admin login....never know (or thought they knew) what the local admin PW was.

 

[npinc]

All you have to do, quite literally, is go into Computer > Properties > Change settings under Computer name, domain and workgroup settings. Click "Change" and enter the name of the Workgroup.

The nice thing about this is that it keeps their profile, settings, everything intact. Even their login password.

Just like Staples..."That was easy".

 

[krtechsolutions]

All you have to do, quite literally, is go into Computer > Properties > Change settings under Computer name, domain and workgroup settings. Click "Change" and enter the name of the Workgroup.

The nice thing about this is that it keeps their profile, settings, everything intact. Even their login password.

Just like Staples..."That was easy".

This is somewhat true, switching from domain to workgroup are the right steps but like Nick said above you have to change the reg settings or copy the old to the new profile path.

 

[techyguy717]

Tried this:

""You have to go back, change it to a workgroup like you did before.

Then login an admin account, regedit, go here

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList

Find the current user's profile, change the ProfileImagePath value to point to the old profile. re-login the user, and voila, all their stuff is exactly as it was before.""

Didn't seem to work. After trying to log in, the account would instantly log out again.

I called the IT of the Domain group. I told them that Windows Update couldn't update since 8/2011 "the month when my customer left the company". I looked up the Windows Update error message and it seemed to relate to being involved in a domain group and group policy control.

IT told me, that's weird, they don't tweak the group policy and that if I leave the Domain, Yes, I would need to start from a new User Profile.

I did a couple malware scans, all clean. After fiddling around with Windows update possible fixes and noticing other Windows features that were gimped, I left the domain.

So I setup programs and backup in a new user profile. Didn't take too long with the limited programs they used.

I didn't have time to try out some of the other recommended options here for keeping settings, but leaving domain.

 

[npinc]

This is somewhat true, switching from domain to workgroup are the right steps but like Nick said above you have to change the reg settings or copy the old to the new profile path.

When I did it a week ago, I took a Windows 7 machine joined to an SBS 2008 Domain and converted it back to a workgroup. I didn't do anything in the registry with the profiles. Simply rebooted and everything was there, including his Outlook profile.

I'm not saying that your way is wrong, I'm saying that I didn't need to jump through any of those hoops. Apparently individual mileage varies.