How to manually migrate a user profile from one domain to another

When moving a workstation from one domain to another, the existing profile won’t load obviously (with all of their previous settings such as wallpaper, and other personalization’s and local profile data) and the default user profile will take effect for the new user… While there are automated migration tools you can use, they are often sloppy and in a small environment (say 2-20 desktops where manual is quick and dirty and clean), you can do the following…

1. Login as the user in the old domain and do any housecleaning, to trim the size of the profile (empty the recycle bin, clear the Internet cache, etc. as IE cache defaults used to be % of disk size and this profile could be HUGE!)
2. Leave the domain (ensure you know the local administrator password, ideally by resetting it so it isn’t orphaned)
3. Join the new domain
4. Login once as the intended new user of the machine (this creates their new profile directory under documents and settings or ‘users’ if Vista) AND most importantly, defines the right permissions for that folder and any subfolders (this is the trick/key)
5. Reboot (because sometimes the profile will leave a file locked open, usually I find, IE cache)
6. Login as an administrator (not as the user)
7. Ensure All files, folders and read-only/system files are visible (see screenshot)
8. Delete the contents of the new profile folder, but not the folder itself
9. Copy ALL of the files and folders from the original profile into the new users profile.  This is the other part of the trick, as the registry files and all of the subfiles will ‘inherit’ the appropriate/necessary permissions
10. Login as the user, in the new domain – you should find everything in its place