ML Changes to Migration Assistant?

[jw138]

Any major changes to Migration Assistant in Mountain Lion? All I want is the ability to move over iPhoto, iTunes, Contacts, and iCal data without moving anything else associated with "user". A lot of cruft has built up in my Library folder and elsewhere. I want to start over with a clean install to remove all the build up but moving the above items manually is a royal pain. It'd be great if you could be a little more specific about what Migration Assistant is allowed to migrate.

 

[westonm]

Your listed items should be fairly easy to bring over manually. Contacts and Calendars with (presumably?) iCloud would be as simple as logging in. iPhoto keeps everything in a singular database. And iTunes can be moved as long as you hold onto the library file - and associated media files.

That said, I'm unaware of any changes to Migration Assistant. Although I can't say I've looked very hard for any.

 

[Major.Robto]

Just make your new user acount
Then move over Your old user folder and MOVE
-Music (Itunes resides here)
-Pictures (Iphoto resides here)
-Movies (Imovie lives here)
-Documents
-Downloads
-Public (If you use it)
-Sites (Once again if you use it)


If your with Apple on Icloud the other stuff like contacts and mail should just move over.

But you can export Ical and Address book to files if need be from the programs them self.
I can't say for mail, its some wheres in your libary folder.

 

[jw138]

Thanks for the above replies. One complicating issue is that I will be moving from a Snow Leopard MBP to a Mountain Lion MBP. I'm assuming that you can't just lay the iPhoto and iTunes libraries from the old MBP on top of the ones on the new MBP. I'm guessing that Migration Assistant probably does some intervening metadata translations required by the newer iPhoto and iTunes. I'm betting that I'll run into issues if I just overlay Snow Leopard libraries on top of Mountain Lion libraries.

Is this really the case or is it as simple as just copying the old library files on top of the new library files?

 

[seanf]

... is it as simple as just copying the old library files on top of the new library files?

Yes it is. The first time you launch the applications after copying the old libraries they will be updated for you

Sean

 

[jw138]

Yes it is. The first time you launch the applications after copying the old libraries they will be updated for you.

Well, that's pretty cool then! Thanks for the info! I'll try it when I get my rMBP in July.

 

[Major.Robto]

I guess some one beat me,

But yeah its just as easy as that....

 

[jw138]

But yeah its just as easy as that....

One additional question... Since I'd just be copying the Music folder from the old MBP onto the top of the Music folder on the new MBP, is it still necessary to run File->Library->Organize Library->Consolidate Files? If so, anything similar required for moving over iPhoto?

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Oh, another question as well... Is it perfectly safe to delete everything in ~/Music/iTunes/Previous iTunes Libraries/ prior to the move? I'd like to get rid of all existing cruft.

 

[westonm]

Oh, another question as well... Is it perfectly safe to delete everything in ~/Music/iTunes/Previous iTunes Libraries/ prior to the move? I'd like to get rid of all existing cruft.

'tis. Nearly every time a new version of iTunes is released it creates a new library file and "archives" the old one in case of problems. Assuming your current library is working correctly the Previous Libraries folder can be deleted.

Since I'd just be copying the Music folder from the old MBP onto the top of the Music folder on the new MBP, is it still necessary to run File->Library->Organize Library->Consolidate Files?

I believe - you may want to verify this - that such an action isn't required. Either way it should be fairly obvious upon using iTunes. (In fact doesn't look to be required, as long as iTunes is currently handling everything inside the iTunes folder: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4527)

If so, anything similar required for moving over iPhoto?

Same deal, just move the library file over.

I'm also going to go out on a limb and assume that at some point in the future iTunes will create a singular database file akin to iPhoto instead of it's library reference file + folder structure. The current system is a bit of a holdover from when more people used to manage their music libraries by hand. 2¢