Decoding USMT Return Codes: A Comprehensive Guide for Windows Client Migration

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The User State Migration Tool (USMT) is a crucial utility for seamless Windows client migrations. This article provides a detailed exploration of USMT 10.0 return codes and error messages, offering a comprehensive guide to troubleshooting migration issues. Understanding these codes is essential for effectively diagnosing and resolving problems that may arise during the migration process. Furthermore, this guide includes a table detailing USMT return codes along with recommended mitigation steps. We will also provide valuable tips on leveraging log files to pinpoint the root cause of errors.

To minimize potential errors during USMT migrations, a thorough understanding of USMT requirements is paramount. For detailed information on these prerequisites, refer to USMT Requirements.

Return codes used by USMT¶

When encountering errors during a USMT migration, return codes and associated USMT error messages are invaluable resources for effective troubleshooting. These codes and messages provide specific information to help identify the issue and guide you through the necessary mitigation steps.

Return codes are categorized into broad groups, each representing a distinct area of error reporting:

• Success or User Cancel
• Invalid Command Lines
• Setup and Initialization
• Non-fatal Errors
• Fatal Errors

For optimal troubleshooting, it is highly recommended to set the verbosity level to 5 (v:5) on the command lines for ScanState.exe, LoadState.exe, and UsmtUtils.exe. This ensures the most detailed reporting within the respective USMT logs. For advanced debugging, a higher verbosity level can be used to direct log file output to a debugger.

USMT error messages¶

Error messages offer a deeper level of detail regarding migration problems compared to return codes alone. For instance, ScanState, LoadState, or UsmtUtils might return code 11 (representing USMT_INVALID_PARAMETERS), accompanied by an error message like “/key and /keyfile both specified”. This message, displayed at the command prompt and logged in the respective USMT log files, clarifies the reason for the return code.

To gain more insight into any listed Windows system error codes, use the command prompt. Type net.exe helpmsg <error_number>, replacing <error_number> with the specific error code number from the error message. For in-depth information on System Error Codes, consult System Error Codes (0-499).

Troubleshooting return codes and error messages¶

The following section details each return code by its numeric value, along with associated error messages and suggested troubleshooting actions.

0: USMT_SUCCESS¶

• Category: Success or User Cancel

Error message	Troubleshooting, mitigation, workarounds
Successful run	NA

1: USMT_DISPLAY_HELP¶

• Category: Success or User Cancel

Error message	Troubleshooting, mitigation, workarounds
Command line help requested	NA

2: USMT_STATUS_CANCELED¶

• Category: Success or User Cancel

Error message	Troubleshooting, mitigation, workarounds
Gather was aborted because of an EFS file	NA
User chose to cancel (such as pressing CTRL+C)	NA

3: USMT_WOULD_HAVE_FAILED¶

• Category:

| Error message | Troubleshooting, mitigation, workarounds |
| At least one error was skipped as a result of /c. | Review ScanState, LoadState, or UsmtUtils log for details about command-line errors.