Capture and Deploy the User State

This article is about the process of backing up and restoring user data from the Computer Management view in the SmartDeploy Console. Through this process, it is possible to back up user data from one endpoint and restore it to another, as long as both endpoints have the SmartDeploy Client installed, and have a healthy connection to the SmartDeploy console.

It is also possible to back up and restore user data from the same computer during a reimaging operation (OS refresh scenario). See Step 11 in Create an Answer File for details.

 Start the User State Capture

1. In the Computer Management Page of the SmartDeploy Web Console, identify the computer that you want to capture user files from.  
   Note: Clients that appear in the Computer Management workspace in a gray or faded text indicate that the device is off or there's another issue preventing a full connection between the console host and client. User state captures and deployments won't work when clients are in this state. Please see the Advanced Configuration and Troubleshooting section for more information.
2. Click to select the target client, and then click Actions | User State: Capture.
    
3. Select which Distribution Point you want the migration file to be saved in. Click the check boxes for the various settings and files that you want migrated.
   Note: The user state package is first copied to the local network file share of the local distribution point, and then copied to your cloud distribution point.
    
4. If the target computer is ready, has had the SmartDeploy Client installed, and is present in the SmartDeploy Console, click the Deploy the migration file after capture check box, and then select the target client to have the user files automatically deployed after capture.
    
5. Click Finish, and then click OK to capture the user state.
6. The icon will update when the user state capture has started.
    

Deploy the User State

1. In the Computer Management page of the SmartDeploy Web Console, identify the computer that you want to deploy the user state to.
   Note: Clients that appear in the Computer Management workspace in a gray or faded text indicate that the device is off or there's another issue preventing a full connection between the console host and client. User state captures and deployments won't work when clients are in this state. Please see the Advanced Configuration and Troubleshooting section for more information. 
2. Click to select the target client, and then click Action | User State: Deploy.
    
3. Select which distribution point, then which captured user state to deploy.   
4. You should now see a banner at the top stating the job was created, and the user state task appear in your message history on the device.

Next: Deploy an Application Pack