Migrate user account

[beta2k]

Without going into too much details I have to do the following: I need to create a new user account on my Macbook Pro (Catalina), because the old user account does not work anymore. In order to ensure that the new account will be usable as the old account I want to copy files and folders from the old account to the new one.

My question is: Which folders do I need to take into account? An obvious example, for instance, are the files and folders on the Desktop. I also know that the Documents folder contains user-specific files. I know that I need to do this research mainly on my own, but can you point me to other locations that I should take into account? Since I haven't worked with Mac for too long, there might be some things I am missing.

And one more question: I saw that there are Application-specific folders in the Documents folder of the old user. As far as I know, I don't have to reinstall the applications for the new user, because (typically, at least) Applications are usable for all users. I have also already tried to run Applications from the new user account and it worked. But what worries me is the fact that there are Application-specific folders in the Documents folder of the older user. And I am not sure if simply copying them to the new user will be enough. Can you recommend what would be best practice here?

 

[Fishrrman]

Take it easy with this one.

Your approach is a good one.
Something in your existing account may be "mucking up the works".

BUT... if you just move everything into a new account at once, you may move the stuff that's causing you problems, as well.

I'd suggest that you DO go ahead and create a new user account.
Give it administrative privileges.
DO NOT use the same username and password (of course!).

Then...
First try booting into the new account WITHOUT MOVING ANYTHING.
Does it run fast, clean and smooth?

OK, now "the hard part".
You have to start "manually moving" things over, a little at a time.
I would keep a HANDWRITTEN record of "stuff moved" to keep a handle on things.
Try you non-Apple apps first. Do they still work? The new account may need to have some re-registered, etc.
For your user-created documents, you're going to have to avoid permissions problems.

If you just copy directly "from one account to the other", you may start getting permissions errors.
Here's what I would do to avoid such errors (others may jump in an offer a better way, but my way "works"):
a. Copy the files in question to an EXTERNAL drive (hard drive, SSD, flash drive, etc.)
b. With the external drive icon on the desktop, click on it ONE TIME to select it and then bring up the "get info" box (command-i)
c. At the bottom of get info, click the lock icon and enter your NEW ACCOUNT's password
d. Put a check into "ignore ownership on this volume" (sharing & permissions).
Now you can copy files from the old account into the new one, and the copied files will fall under the ownership of your new account.

 

[beta2k]

thanks, I did more or less the things you suggested. As for the permissions: I just did a recursive CHOWN command to set the owner of the user-specific files to the new user. The new account still seems to work fast and quick, so I think it was reasonable what I did. The cumbersome thing was just to fiddle around with which files I need to copy where in order to make the applications run with the new user. Had to do some string replacements (old username to new username) in application-specific configuration files and some permission stuff, but that was basically it.

Thanks for your recommendations and input. Definitely helpful.