computer science

User State Migration Tool

User State Migration Tool is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand User State Migration Tool rather than just read about it. In short: The User State Migration Tool (USMT) is a command line utility program developed by Microsoft that allows users comfortable with scripting languages to transfer files and settings between Windows PCs. This task is also performed by Windows Easy Transfer, which was designed for general users but then discontinued with the release of Windows 10, where they instead partnered with Laplink.

Key takeaways

User State Migration Tool belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect User State Migration Tool to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of User State Migration Tool from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The User State Migration Tool (USMT) is a command line utility program developed by Microsoft that allows users comfortable with scripting languages to transfer files and settings between Windows PCs. This task is also performed by Windows Easy Transfer, which was designed for general users but then discontinued with the release of Windows 10, where they instead partnered with Laplink. Starting with Windows 8, many settings and data are now being synchronized in cloud services via a Microsoft Account and OneDrive. USMT allows a high-volume, automated deployment of files and settings, and is also useful in migrating user settings and files during OS upgrades. Because USMT has high complexity and a command line interface, there have been several attempts to provide access to its useful functionality by creating GUI wrappers for it. 32-bit to 64-bit migrations are supported, but 64-bit to 32-bit are not. USMT 4 is included in the Windows Automated Installation Kit. USMT 5 is included in the Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK). Versions of the USMT are included in the Windows ADKs for Windows 10 and 11.

Overview USMT consists of two separate programs. Scanstate.exe scans the source PC for the data and settings and stores it in a .MIG file. Loadstate migrates the data and settings from the .MIG file onto the target PC. What to transfer is specified as commandline switches in the configuration XML files migapp.xml, migsys.xml, miguser.xml and other optional Config.xml files. Which Users (and their data) to transfer is controlled by other switches. An example of a "load data on to PC" command could look like this (in one line – newlines and indents added here for readability):

loadstate "Y:\temp\Migrationstorage\WS_toolshop1" /i:"Y:\temp\Migrationstorage\WS_toolshop1\migapp.xml" "Y:\temp\Migrationstorage\WS_toolshop1\migsys.xml" /i:"Y:\temp\Migrationstorage\WS_toolshop1\miguser.xml" /ue:*\* /ui:gutte /ui:Lotta /lac /lae /progress:"C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Local Settings\Temp\USMTprog.log" /l:"C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Local Settings\Temp\USMTscan.log".. /c

The "Scanstate" command is similar in complexity. Both commands require strict adherence to syntax.

Supported OSes

What USMT transfers

USMT transfers

Selected User Accounts Files and folders E-mail messages, settings, and contacts Photos, music, and videos Windows settings Program data files and settings Internet settings

GUI wrappers for USMT Because of the complexity of USMT command-line input, there have been third-party attempts to create GUI front-ends for it. These include (but are not limited to):

Workstation Migration Assistant (open-source with source code posted on GitHub) Super Grate (focus on remote migration: open-source with source code posted on GitHub) M.U.S.T. - Move User's Stuff Tool (free USMT GUI that encapsulates most features of USMT4 plus more) USMT XML Builder (focus on editing USMT XML template files) USMTGUI (Use advanced USMT features - simply. A "one window GUI" for USMT.) Both Workstation Migration Assistant and USMT XML Builder are out of date but there are up to date commercial GUI's for USMT.

References

External links User State Migration Tool Technical Reference at Microsoft Docs Win User Migration Tool (WUMT) - Migrate user profile to another Windows computer at ELSATE.com

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with User State Migration Tool

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what User State Migration Tool claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to User State Migration Tool before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about User State Migration Tool ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of User State Migration Tool

In research: User State Migration Tool appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses User State Migration Tool in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: User State Migration Tool is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Microsoft software, Software features, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for User State Migration Tool outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study User State Migration Tool in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what User State Migration Tool means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain User State Migration Tool out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is User State Migration Tool in simple terms?

Why does User State Migration Tool matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study User State Migration Tool?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on User State Migration Tool.