Backup/Restore Music & Pics for New Computer

[tardman91]

I'll be upgrading my mac soon from a 2012 iMac to a TBD Apple Notebook. I do use Time Machine to backup the iMac occasionally (and will definitely before I wipe it). I don't want to setup the new computer from a backup. All I want are my photos and all of my music. I put my iTunes library on an external drive, but my photos are kind of mess ever since the move from iPhoto to Photos. Whats the best way to move all the photos over and sort of "start fresh" on a new machine so that I don't have any of the old iPhoto stuff lingering around anymore? I don't mind having to recreate my albums and stuff. There's about 6,000 photos/videos (~30GB).

 

[Fishrrman]

Important questions:
WHERE do you keep your music files?
WHERE do you keep your pics?

IF you keep them "in the default places", the music will be in the iTunes folder and the pics -should be- in the Photos library.

If you keep them "elsewhere", different instructions may apply.

How I'd do it:
1. Get a hard drive or even a USB flash drive large enough to hold everything.
2. Copy my home folder to the external drive
3. Copy any other relevant folders to the external drive.

Then...
1. Get the new Mac set up as you wish (don't turn your attention to music and pics yet).
2. Connect the external drive and let it mount on the desktop
3. Click ONE time on the external drive icon to select it
4. Type "command-i" (eye) to bring up the "get info" box
5. At the bottom of get info there's a lock icon.
6. Click the lock and enter your password
7. Now put a check into the box "ignore ownership on this volume"
8. Close get info
NOW the external drive is set up so that you can copy anything into your new account WITHOUT experiencing permissions problems.

Next...
a. Open home/music on the new Mac
b. Navigate on the external drive to where you can see the "iTunes" folder
c. Drag the iTunes folder from the old drive and drop it so that it "replaces" the iTunes folder on the new Mac.
d. Once the copying is done, try opening iTunes and see what happens. It should want to update the old library. Does this work? Some updating may occur.

If it does, time to move to pics.
a. You'll need to open home/Pictures on the new Mac, and open so that you can see the Photos Library on the external drive.
b. Drag the Photos Library from the old drive and drop it in to replace the Photos library on the new Mac.
c. Then open Photos. Does this work? Again, updating may be needed.

Again, that's what I'd try.
I don't use iTunes and use Photos very little.
But that's what I'd do.

ONE FINAL BIT OF ADVICE:
DON'T buy a 2017 MacBook Pro.
The keyboards are fraught with problems, and the repairs are VERY expensive once the warranty is up. Surely you've been reading about this...?
I wouldn't even recommend a 2018 MBP (when they're released later this year) until they've been out 3-4 months and its known whether the keyboard issues have been addressed.
If you have an iMac that's working well for you, I'd suggest you "stay put" for the time being...

 

[tardman91]

Thanks very much for the detailed response. I keep the files in the "standard" locations. I already copied over my iTunes library to a flash drive, but I didn't uncheck "ignore ownership on this volume" so I'll do that again. I'll dig out a larger external drive for my pictures as they won't fit on any of my flash drives.

Also thanks for the heads up on the laptops. I have been paying attention to it and it's definitely a concern. Provided Apple doesn't release any updated laptops today I'll probably go for a MacBook Air. While a little dated it will meet my needs just fine. I can't continue with my iMac because I need something more portable now that I've taken on a second job as a Realtor.