Best way to migrate to new Mac?

[Warped9]

Good thread. And interesting to know. At some point in the not too distant future I’ll be picking up a new iMac 24 and will want to migrate my stuff from my current 2011 21.5 iMac.

 

[Alex Cai]

You're gonna get two camps on this one...

1. Camp 1 will tell you not to migrate. Manually copy over the documents you care about. Start from scratch with system settings, app installations, etc. I agree this is the best way to avoid weird problems, but at the same time, sometimes it's wildly inconvenient.
2. Camp 2 will say Apple's Migration Assistant is good and works well. I'm personally in this camp. Migration Assistant can be used to move your home folder, installed apps, system settings, etc. from an old Mac to a new Mac. I've used it many times successfully, including going from Intel to Apple Silicon. It works great over a network, over a direct Thunderbolt connection, or from a Time Machine backup. THAT SAID, if you do this, be careful: migrated apps may or may not update themselves to Apple Silicon versions. When I last migrated from an Intel Mac, I had to delete and re-download many third-party apps like Google Chrome to get the Apple Silicon versions.

So, overall: if you're comfortable fiddling with small stuff, Migration Assistant is a great option IMO. You'll probably save more time not manually moving stuff than you'll spend fixing small migration issues. Flip side, if you don't like fiddling and/or care more about a perfect experience than you do about preservation, it might be better to start fresh.

And to be clear: Migration Assistant can be used in one of two ways:

1. Migrate from Time Machine: At setup, plug the Time Machine drive from your old Mac into your new Mac. When you get to the Migration Assistant step, use the Time Machine option.
2. Migrate directly from your old Mac: At setup, ensure both Macs are on the same network -OR- connect them to each other using a Thunderbolt cable. Search for Migration Assistant on your old Mac using Spotlight. Launch it. When prompted on the new Mac, choose to migrate from another Mac. It'll find it either on the network or via Thunderbolt. Confirm both Macs display the same 6-digit code. If they match, confirm and it'll begin the migration.
   1. This does not delete any data from the old Mac. Last time I did this, we were adding two new Macs to an office that already had one. I used Migration Assistant to copy the settings from the first Mac to the other two, then renamed the two new ones. Worked great.

will applications go wrong if I move from intel to AS using the macOS migrate thing?

 

[Webcat86]

On your new machine don't open Music up until you get your stuff copied over; just copy the contents of your old machine Music folder to the new and then launch the Music app. Should be good to go. I think mine upgraded the library file; and copied the old one into a folder it created called "Previous Libraries"

Thanks. If it does create "Previous Libraries" can I just delete that, if the songs are also in the appropriate folder?

 

[DJLC]

Perfect, thanks! Presumably that will include Safari settings but not System Preferences?

Bingo. If you choose to copy your user folder / profile but not system settings, your Safari bookmarks / settings would come over, but system level stuff in System Preferences would not. Do keep in mind though: if you've got corruption in your user profile Library, it could be migrated.

will applications go wrong if I move from intel to AS using the macOS migrate thing?

Not "wrong" necessarily, but it is something to look out for. When I did an Intel to AS migration, it moved over all the non-stock installed apps, which of course were Intel-only binaries. Some of those — namely, Google Chrome and Google Drive File Stream and Adobe Reader — would not automatically update themselves to Apple Silicon versions. I had to delete them and download fresh AS copies. That said, they did work fine thru Rosetta, but I wanted to make sure I had native versions wherever they existed.

 

[Feek]

What about permissions? If you copy files from the original Mac to an external hard drive and then copy them from the external hard drive to the new Mac, will the ownership and permissions be OK?

 

[avkills]

What about permissions? If you copy files from the original Mac to an external hard drive and then copy them from the external hard drive to the new Mac, will the ownership and permissions be OK?

Yes, whenever you copy something from a external drive to your local drive that gets handled by the file system.

If you are using iCloud to sync passwords and other data, then all that stuff magically shows up when you log in with your Apple ID on the new machine.

Apps I would not copy over, just re-install them again.

 

[Fishrrman]

If you're going to do a "manual migration", here's my recommendation:

FIRST STEP:
Get an external drive.
DO NOT use time machine.
Instead, use either CarbonCopyCloner or SuperDuper.
SuperDuper might work better for this job -- it's free to download and it will create a fully cloned backup, for free.

Clone your OLD internal drive to the external drive.
Now you have an exact copy of the old Mac, IN FINDER FORMAT (this is VERY important).
Take it to the other Mac.

SECOND STEP:
YOU HAVE TO DO THIS TO PREVENT PERMISSIONS PROBLEMS !!
Let the icon for the external drive mount on the desktop.
Click on it ONE TIME to select it. (don't "open" it)
Now, bring up "get info" for the drive icon (type command-i).
At the bottom of get info, click the lock and enter your password (the one you're using with the NEW Mac).
Put a check into "ignore ownership on this volume" (sharing and permissions).
Close get info.

WHY you did this:
Now you can copy just about anything from the cloned backup to the new Mac, and whatever you copy will "come under the ownership" of your NEW account.

THIRD STEP:
You must BE AWARE that when it comes to home folders, there are some things you can copy and others you can't.
You CANNOT COPY "the top level" of folders. By this, I mean the folders named movies, music, pictures, documents, etc.
HOWEVER -- you CAN COPY stuff that IS INSIDE OF those folders.
So... you can copy loose files or folders that exist inside your "music" folder.
For example, I believe you can copy the iTunes folder over intact.
Same with the Photos library, etc.

I would move things "a little at a time", such as Music first. Get it working to your satisfaction, then move on to something else, like photos.

If you choose to move anything within home/library (you can), I suggest you keep some written notes so you don't "lose your place"...

Good luck.

 

[jason124]

You're gonna get two camps on this one...

1. Camp 1 will tell you not to migrate. Manually copy over the documents you care about. Start from scratch with system settings, app installations, etc. I agree this is the best way to avoid weird problems, but at the same time, sometimes it's wildly inconvenient.
2. Camp 2 will say Apple's Migration Assistant is good and works well. I'm personally in this camp. Migration Assistant can be used to move your home folder, installed apps, system settings, etc. from an old Mac to a new Mac. I've used it many times successfully, including going from Intel to Apple Silicon. It works great over a network, over a direct Thunderbolt connection, or from a Time Machine backup. THAT SAID, if you do this, be careful: migrated apps may or may not update themselves to Apple Silicon versions. When I last migrated from an Intel Mac, I had to delete and re-download many third-party apps like Google Chrome to get the Apple Silicon versions.

So, overall: if you're comfortable fiddling with small stuff, Migration Assistant is a great option IMO. You'll probably save more time not manually moving stuff than you'll spend fixing small migration issues. Flip side, if you don't like fiddling and/or care more about a perfect experience than you do about preservation, it might be better to start fresh.

And to be clear: Migration Assistant can be used in one of two ways:

1. Migrate from Time Machine: At setup, plug the Time Machine drive from your old Mac into your new Mac. When you get to the Migration Assistant step, use the Time Machine option.
2. Migrate directly from your old Mac: At setup, ensure both Macs are on the same network -OR- connect them to each other using a Thunderbolt cable. Search for Migration Assistant on your old Mac using Spotlight. Launch it. When prompted on the new Mac, choose to migrate from another Mac. It'll find it either on the network or via Thunderbolt. Confirm both Macs display the same 6-digit code. If they match, confirm and it'll begin the migration.
   1. This does not delete any data from the old Mac. Last time I did this, we were adding two new Macs to an office that already had one. I used Migration Assistant to copy the settings from the first Mac to the other two, then renamed the two new ones. Worked great.

If you use Option 2 do you know whether Lightroom Classic presets will all transfer over to the new Mac or would I have to start again and manually set them all up again ???

 

[avkills]

If you're going to do a "manual migration", here's my recommendation:

FIRST STEP:
Get an external drive.
DO NOT use time machine.
Instead, use either CarbonCopyCloner or SuperDuper.
SuperDuper might work better for this job -- it's free to download and it will create a fully cloned backup, for free.

Clone your OLD internal drive to the external drive.
Now you have an exact copy of the old Mac, IN FINDER FORMAT (this is VERY important).
Take it to the other Mac.

SECOND STEP:
YOU HAVE TO DO THIS TO PREVENT PERMISSIONS PROBLEMS !!
Let the icon for the external drive mount on the desktop.
Click on it ONE TIME to select it. (don't "open" it)
Now, bring up "get info" for the drive icon (type command-i).
At the bottom of get info, click the lock and enter your password (the one you're using with the NEW Mac).
Put a check into "ignore ownership on this volume" (sharing and permissions).
Close get info.

WHY you did this:
Now you can copy just about anything from the cloned backup to the new Mac, and whatever you copy will "come under the ownership" of your NEW account.

THIRD STEP:
You must BE AWARE that when it comes to home folders, there are some things you can copy and others you can't.
You CANNOT COPY "the top level" of folders. By this, I mean the folders named movies, music, pictures, documents, etc.
HOWEVER -- you CAN COPY stuff that IS INSIDE OF those folders.
So... you can copy loose files or folders that exist inside your "music" folder.
For example, I believe you can copy the iTunes folder over intact.
Same with the Photos library, etc.

I would move things "a little at a time", such as Music first. Get it working to your satisfaction, then move on to something else, like photos.

If you choose to move anything within home/library (you can), I suggest you keep some written notes so you don't "lose your place"...

Good luck.

I have never had to do your second step or first step using other software. All I have is a external drive that I manually copy *most* of my user folders to. By your logic, nothing would have the right permissions even when copying from a thumb drive. I've never had a problem just doing a straight copy from my backup drive. I even have a password protected disk image that works also.

I agree with step 3, you do not want to over write the base user folders that get created by the OS when you make your user.

 

[avkills]

If you use Option 2 do you know whether Lightroom Classic presets will all transfer over to the new Mac or would I have to start again and manually set them all up again ???

Any presets you have with Adobe software need to be exported somewhere safe and then re-loaded into whatever software package. Even major Adobe CC updates bork this. I am not sure about Lightroom presets, but Media Encoder has a very easy way to export presets.

 

[Webcat86]

If you're going to do a "manual migration", here's my recommendation:

FIRST STEP:
Get an external drive.
DO NOT use time machine.
Instead, use either CarbonCopyCloner or SuperDuper.
SuperDuper might work better for this job -- it's free to download and it will create a fully cloned backup, for free.

Clone your OLD internal drive to the external drive.
Now you have an exact copy of the old Mac, IN FINDER FORMAT (this is VERY important).
Take it to the other Mac.

SECOND STEP:
YOU HAVE TO DO THIS TO PREVENT PERMISSIONS PROBLEMS !!
Let the icon for the external drive mount on the desktop.
Click on it ONE TIME to select it. (don't "open" it)
Now, bring up "get info" for the drive icon (type command-i).
At the bottom of get info, click the lock and enter your password (the one you're using with the NEW Mac).
Put a check into "ignore ownership on this volume" (sharing and permissions).
Close get info.

WHY you did this:
Now you can copy just about anything from the cloned backup to the new Mac, and whatever you copy will "come under the ownership" of your NEW account.

THIRD STEP:
You must BE AWARE that when it comes to home folders, there are some things you can copy and others you can't.
You CANNOT COPY "the top level" of folders. By this, I mean the folders named movies, music, pictures, documents, etc.
HOWEVER -- you CAN COPY stuff that IS INSIDE OF those folders.
So... you can copy loose files or folders that exist inside your "music" folder.
For example, I believe you can copy the iTunes folder over intact.
Same with the Photos library, etc.

I would move things "a little at a time", such as Music first. Get it working to your satisfaction, then move on to something else, like photos.

If you choose to move anything within home/library (you can), I suggest you keep some written notes so you don't "lose your place"...

Good luck.

What’s the reasoning for this approach? I’ve used Time Machine with no issues in the past and by selecting specific things to copy and leave, you can keep and reject anything. And no issues with root folders

 

[Cognizant.]

What’s the reasoning for this approach? I’ve used Time Machine with no issues in the past and by selecting specific things to copy and leave, you can keep and reject anything. And no issues with root folders

Same. Been using it for 15 years without any issues.

 

[chrfr]

What’s the reasoning for this approach? I’ve used Time Machine with no issues in the past and by selecting specific things to copy and leave, you can keep and reject anything. And no issues with root folders

There is no reasoning for that approach. It’s just extra complexity, and often extra expense, that offers no gain in the end. Nonetheless, it gets widely shared on this forum.

 

[Cognizant.]

There is no reasoning for that approach. It’s just extra complexity, and often extra expense, that offers no gain in the end. Nonetheless, it gets widely shared on this forum.

Yeah, I really don't get it. I've helped countless people migrate to new Macs with Time Machine. It couldn't be any simpler.

 

[Fishrrman]

For a manual migration, I suggest using a drive that is in "POFF" -- plain ol' finder format. A cloned drive created with CCC or SD is exactly that.

This makes file copying simple. Just locate the file, and copy it.
(Maybe you can do this with time machine from an old account to a new one on a new Mac, but won't this run into permissions problems?)

The reason for the second step (going to get info and ignoring ownership on the drive) is to overcome possible permissions problems.

Is it not true that if one "manually copies" files from an old Mac to a new one, which has a "newly-created" user account (i.e., a new account that has not been "migrated"), that the "new" account will have permissions conflicts with the "old one", even if the username and password are the same on both Macs ??

The reason for the "third step" is that the top level of folders in the user home folder are "more than ordinary folders". They used to be called "symbolic links", right? Maybe they're something else now.

In any case, one cannot simply copy the entire "music" folder from the old Mac (again, using the finder) to the new one. Won't that mess with the symbolic link, if it can even be done at all?

But as I mentioned above, one CAN copy anything "below the top level", be it individual files, or folders that contain nested files.

Permissions will not come into play because they have been over-ridden by "the second step".

Of course, one could use setup assistant when first doing the setup procedure, but the OP specifically stated that he did not want to do that.

Maybe there are streamlined ways to make a manual migration simpler.
I'm an old neanderthal, probably too old now to learn new things.
But the ways I outlined in my first post in this thread WILL work without problems.

 

[Webcat86]

There is no reasoning for that approach. It’s just extra complexity, and often extra expense, that offers no gain in the end. Nonetheless, it gets widely shared on this forum.

Thanks for confirming. I used Migration Assistant to copy my User profile and system settings across last night. Took about 6 hours and everything is working as it should so far - music and photos are in place, my desktop files are back, sticky notes have transferred. Just need to reinstall my apps

 

[Webcat86]

For a manual migration, I suggest using a drive that is in "POFF" -- plain ol' finder format. A cloned drive created with CCC or SD is exactly that.

This makes file copying simple. Just locate the file, and copy it.
(Maybe you can do this with time machine from an old account to a new one on a new Mac, but won't this run into permissions problems?)

The reason for the second step (going to get info and ignoring ownership on the drive) is to overcome possible permissions problems.

Is it not true that if one "manually copies" files from an old Mac to a new one, which has a "newly-created" user account (i.e., a new account that has not been "migrated"), that the "new" account will have permissions conflicts with the "old one", even if the username and password are the same on both Macs ??

The reason for the "third step" is that the top level of folders in the user home folder are "more than ordinary folders". They used to be called "symbolic links", right? Maybe they're something else now.

In any case, one cannot simply copy the entire "music" folder from the old Mac (again, using the finder) to the new one. Won't that mess with the symbolic link, if it can even be done at all?

But as I mentioned above, one CAN copy anything "below the top level", be it individual files, or folders that contain nested files.

Permissions will not come into play because they have been over-ridden by "the second step".

Of course, one could use setup assistant when first doing the setup procedure, but the OP specifically stated that he did not want to do that.

Maybe there are streamlined ways to make a manual migration simpler.
I'm an old neanderthal, probably too old now to learn new things.
But the ways I outlined in my first post in this thread WILL work without problems.

I’ve had no issues with permissions problems, no.

I don’t know how time machine specifically handles permissions but it does let you pick and choose individual folders and permissions can be adjusted through the padlock anyway