Need help to copy 2009 MacBook Pro to 2021 MacBook Pro

[MacConvert2007]

I just got my brand new 2021 MacBook Pro with M1 Max, 64 GB RAM, 8 TB SSD. I’ve got Migration Assistant running copying my old 2009 MacBook Pro, 2TB hard drive to it (8 GB RAM, El Capitan OS) I’ve plugged them into each other with a Firewire 800 to Thunderbolt 2 adapter plugged into Thunderbolt 3 adapter. How long do you think this will take?

It started the copying using Wi-Fi, but then the connection changed to Switching and it read: Peer to Peer SWAP. Did it change over to the cable? It’s been copying for 8.5 hours and it keeps going. There is no progress bar, just an animation moving back and forth.

Thank you to anyone that can make a guess when it finishes?

 

[MacConvert2007]

OK I’m 10 hours in and it’s still copying. Any predictions or calculations? Somebody guess.

 

[Fishrrman]

It's too late now, but I would have suggested a better way:

Make a cloned backup of the OLD MBP using either CarbonCopyCloner or SuperDuper.

Then, connect the backup drive to the NEW MBP, and migrate that way during initial setup.

 

[MacConvert2007]

Well I’m 22 hours into the copy and it’s still going. It’s a bit frustrating without a progress meter. I have no idea how long this will go. Maybe I’ll have to start over and use a different method.

Even if it takes 3 hours per 250 GB it really should be done at the 24 hour mark. Or could it be slower than that? I’m not sure if it’s using Wi-Fi or the cable.

 

[chrfr]

It's too late now, but I would have suggested a better way:

Make a cloned backup of the OLD MBP using either CarbonCopyCloner or SuperDuper.

Then, connect the backup drive to the NEW MBP, and migrate that way during initial setup.

This would take substantially longer to copy everything twice, and would offer no advantage whatsoever in the end.

 

[MacConvert2007]

I hit the back button and cancelled the copy. Then I checked the SSD and found it completely empty. Shouldn’t something have transferred to it in 22 hours? Do I need to turn File sharing on in System Preferences/Sharing?

Do I get any tech support from Apple on a new MacBook Pro? Something isn’t set up right. Help. What else can I try?

 

[chrfr]

I hit the back button and cancelled the copy. Then I checked the SSD and found it completely empty. Shouldn’t something have transferred to it in 22 hours? Do I need to turn File sharing on in System Preferences/Sharing?

Do I get any tech support from Apple on a new MacBook Pro? Something isn’t set up right. Help. What else can I try?

Yes, Apple provides free support, and yes, something should have copied.
Leaving the Thunderbolt and FireWire adapters connected, put the old Mac into FireWire Target Disk Mode and then it’ll copy faster. The new Mac will see the old computer as an external hard drive this way.

 

[Fishrrman]

I'm gonna repeat the advice I offered above.

Get an external USB drive (ANY kind of drive, platter-based HDD or SSD).

Get either CarbonCopyCloner or SuperDuper (both are FREE to download and use for 30 days, doing things "my way" will cost you NOTHING). Use the proper version for the OS that is on the OLD MBP.

Use CCC or SD to "clone" the contents of your OLD MBP to the external drive (child's play).

When done, connect the cloned backup to the NEW MBP.

Start running through the setup process again (or... did you complete it already with a NEW account, because this could change everything). Read carefully:

If you already have a "new account", you're going to run into some problems if you try to migrate the old account. The new Mac may see the old account "as somebody else", even if you used the same username and password. There are workarounds to this.

If this occurs, since it's brand-new:
Use migration assistant to migrate everything (not "setup assistant", which runs only during initial setup).
Then, get logged into your ORIGINAL (old) account, and delete the "new one" with nothing in it.

My only concern would be that the "new" account occupied the "501" account ID, which is the primary ID and is now vacant. Again, there are "ways around this".

If setup assistant or migration assistant STILL won't work for you, it's possible to do "a manual migration". It's "more work", but it can be done and can get you "where you need to be"...

 

[MacConvert2007]

Thanks for the help. I was able to use my time machine backup (on an external hard drive) much as you described with Migration Assistant on the new computer. I turned wi-fi off and it copied through a USB cable in about 4 hours. So if anyone else tries this soon, don’t let it use the Wi-Fi for the transfer (it was predicting 54 hours for two TB). I wonder if this bug comes from the old computer runnin El Capitan—which is way outdated.

 

[jav6454]

Yeah, Wi-Fi transfer is bottlenecked to the Wi-Fi speeds which are abysmal for migration purposes.