Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

gwhizkids

macrumors G5
Original poster
Jun 21, 2013
13,306
21,484
I recently had to do a clean install of El Cap on my family's late 2013 iMac. Before I did this, I ran a final backup, which backed up all 5 user accounts on this machine (mine, my wife's and my 3 kids). However, after doing the clean install, I only restored 3 of the user accounts, as 2 of my children now have their own MBAs for college. Of course, having done this, child #2 informs me that she has videos and other stuff in her old account on this iMac that she would like to keep.

Is it possible to use Migration Assistant to restore her account on the iMac without overwriting the 3 accounts that are already there? I started to try this, just checking her account in the dialog box for accounts to restore. But when the migration process started, the dialog made it seem as if it was setting up a new machine altogether (which, I fear, would overwrite the 3 critical accounts).

If Migration Assistant is not the way to go, what would you recommend? I'm thinking just going into the Time Machine backup from before the account was wiped and restoring individual files.

Thanks!
 

KALLT

macrumors 603
Sep 23, 2008
5,380
3,415
It will add a new user account and home directory. If a directory has to be overwritten, for instance, because the account already exists, then it will ask you what to do. Just make sure you only select the user account and nothing else.
 
  • Like
Reactions: gwhizkids

gwhizkids

macrumors G5
Original poster
Jun 21, 2013
13,306
21,484
It will add a new user account and home directory. If a directory has to be overwritten, for instance, because the account already exists, then it will ask you what to do. Just make sure you only select the user account and nothing else.
And when you say "new" you mean it will essentially reestablish my daughter's account just as it was when the last backup was made? It won't be an empty account, in other words...?

Thanks!
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.