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Is anyone here familiar with the utility "Migration Assistant"?

bluetooth

bluetooth

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
May 1, 2007
662
1
Toronto
Migration Assistant is a utility feature that allows you to transfer information from one Mac to another. Some of the items you can transfer are: User Accounts, Applications, Network and computer settings, Files.

So I follow the on screen instructions and prompts (I am connecting by FireWire cable).

The prompt instructs me to restart my old mac (G4) holding down T until I get the "FireWire" icon/symbol on the screen of my G4. Did that no problem.

Next, nothing happens. It is as if my mini is not picking anything up? I double checked the connection FireWire cable, everything is secure in both ports. But the prompt "Continue" remains greyed out and the caption reads "Waiting for your Mac to restart" which it did. See below outlined in red for what I am referring to.

Any ideas?

Thanks
 

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Is the G4 hard drive (while in Target Disk Mode) showing up on the Desktop or in the Finder of the mini?
 
Hey thanks for getting back to me.

Stupid oversight on my part...I didn't even think to look for the obvious and check the desktop of finder. :rolleyes: I will reconnect later today and look on the mini desktop and in the finder for the G4 HD. I was just fixated on the screen pormpts and perplexed as to why it wasn't allowing me to continue the process.


It is a Power Mac G4 Quicksilver 2001, so according to you link it should be supported.
 
Ok, I just checked it out and I got nothing...no G4 icon on the mini desktop or in finder.:confused:

FireWire cable symbol is up on the G4 screen. Double checked connection in both ports and they are secure.

Anyone with any ideas, please let me know...

Thanks
 
I see, my G4 is a 40 GB Ultra ATA/66 hard drive - FireWire Target Disk Mode works on internal PATA or SATA drives only.

Oh well...
 
bluetooth said:
I see, my G4 is a 40 GB Ultra ATA/66 hard drive - FireWire Target Disk Mode works on internal PATA or SATA drives only.

Oh well...
Click to expand...

That should be a PATA drive. Does it show up in Disk Utility or System Profiler?
 
bluetooth said:
Ok, I just checked it out and I got nothing...no G4 icon on the mini desktop or in finder.:confused:

FireWire cable symbol is up on the G4 screen. Double checked connection in both ports and they are secure.

Anyone with any ideas, please let me know...

Thanks
Click to expand...

Did you try rebooting the mini after you put the G4 into TDM to see if it would show up on the Desktop or in Finder?
 
Hey, it shows up in Disk Utility "38.3 GB Internal ATA Disk"

In System Profiler>Hardware>ATA Device Tree>ATA Bus:Lists a bunch of specs then also lists>Macintosh HD: Lists capacity, amount used etc.

Also noted in System Profiler the following...

In System profiler>Hardware>FireWire>FireWire Bus: Maximum Speed: Up to 400Mb/sec

Not sure what to make of all this?

EDIT: I just noticed the following from this link: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2952

FireWire Ports Specifications

"Cables come in many lengths and with various plug options. Standard lengths are 70 cm (2 feet), 2 m (6.5 feet), and 4.5 m (15 feet). The maximum supported cable length is 4.5 meters (15 feet). Cables come with 4-pin, 6-pin, and 9-pin plugs. Cables with 6-pin or 9-pin connectors carry power and data from one device to another. Four-pin cables carry data only."

I am running a "BELKIN" CAT5E Snagless Networking Cable (100 FT) RJ45 Male/Male, (it's rolled up in its box). Doesn't say anything about "pins" on the box. Do you think this could be the problem?

Also from the link posted above:

"Mac computers with FireWire ports may provide 6- or 9-pin ports. 6-pin ports support 100 Mbps, 200 Mbps, and 400 Mbps speeds (referred to as s100, S200 and S400 respectively)."

So I need a 6.5 foot FireWire Cable or also referred to as IEEE 1394 with a 6-pin port connector, I think this is the ticket...

http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=414778&CatId=5413

Please let me know your thoughts...
 
bluetooth said:
I am running a "BELKIN" CAT5E Snagless Networking Cable (100 FT) RJ45 Male/Male, (it's rolled up in its box). Doesn't say anything about "pins" on the box. Do you think this could be the problem?
Click to expand...

Well, that's an ethernet cable, not a firewire cable. You can't do firewire target mode with Cat 5 cable.

Yes, you need a 6 pin firewire 400 (IEEE1394) cable such as the one you reference.

C184-1036-main.jpg
 
^Thanks a lot, yeah I thought I could do it via Ethernet as well but trouble is I don't have "Migration Assistant" on my old G4 as it is running Tiger. I read through the link and from what I understand you need to have "Migration Assistant" on both comps.

Will get off to the store to pick up a FireWire later today.

Thanks a lot for you help.

Btw, do you know if when you transfer Apps from one mac to another using "Migration Assistant" if you still need to put in the serial numbers and all that? I ask because I no longer have the serial number for my "Stuffit" App (I have the disk) and I no longer, just can't find my "Windows Office for Mac" cd's or serial numbers. Everything else I have the disks for, Adobe Creative Suite, Quark, etc.
 
bluetooth said:
^Thanks a lot, yeah I thought I could do it via Ethernet as well but trouble is I don't have "Migration Assistant" on my old G4 as it is running Tiger. I read through the link and from what I understand you need to have "Migration Assistant" on both comps.

Will get off to the store to pick up a FireWire later today.

Thanks a lot for you help.

Btw, do you know if when you transfer Apps from one mac to another using "Migration Assistant" if you still need to put in the serial numbers and all that? I ask because I no longer have the serial number for my "Stuffit" App (I have the disk) and I no longer, just can't find my "Windows Office for Mac" cd's or serial numbers. Everything else I have the disks for, Adobe Creative Suite, Quark, etc.
Click to expand...

If your mini is one of the current generation it will have Firewire 800 (9-pin). Your G4 should have Firewire 400 (6-pin). Older minis have Firewire 400 (6-pin). So, what ever you buy in the way of a Firewire cable, you will need something that handles Firewire 400 (6-pin) to Firewire 800 (9-pin). You can either get a cable that serves this function or you could get either a Firewire 400 (6-pin) cable (both ends), or a Firewire 800 (9-pin) cable (both ends), but in either case you will need to get an adapter Firewire 400 (6-pin) to Firewire 800 (9-pin) or Firewire 800 (9-pin) to Firewire 400 (6-pin). I hope that makes sense.

Tiger has Migration Assistant, its in Applications/Utilities/Migration Assistant.

I'm sorry I don't know the answers to your software serial number questions, but I imagine someone on here does. Good Luck!
 
Hey, cheers mate, thanks a lot for that, I almost picked up the cable for the older generation mini. :rolleyes:
 
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