If you have dozens or more XP workstations that use the Encrypting File System (EFS) to safeguard data, and you need to migrate these machines to Vista without losing your EFS keys and certificates, then you really don’t want to have to export and import the EFS keys and certificates for each workstation manually during your migration. A much better solution is to use the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) to perform your XP to Vista migration. MDT uses the User State Migration Tool (USMT) for the user data migration portion of your migration, and version 3.01 of USMT can migrate EFS data as well as the certificates—plus the data doesn’t need to leave the users’ computers during the migration. The particular MDT scenario you need to use here is called a Refresh. For more information about using the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit, see the Windows Vista Resource Kit, Second Edition from Microsoft Press.
