Tranferring files to new iMac

[davesmith123]

I recently purchased a new iMac and would like to transfer some files and data from the old iMac to the new one.

I'd like to re-install all the apps fresh though.

Is it possible to just transfer some things and not everything? What's the best way to do this?

Thanks!

 

[Fishrrman]

"Is it possible to just transfer some things and not everything? What's the best way to do this?"

Well... that depends on what you're going to transfer.
Why don't you give us some specifics?

 

[davesmith123]

"Is it possible to just transfer some things and not everything? What's the best way to do this?"

Well... that depends on what you're going to transfer.
Why don't you give us some specifics?

Thanks for your reply.

It's mainly pictures and various documents.

 

[Fishrrman]

"It's mainly pictures and various documents."

What I would do:
1. Get a USB external drive of sufficient capacity (it could even be a USB flashdrive)
2. Copy what I wished to transfer to the drive
3. Plug the drive into the NEW Mac
4. BEFORE DOING ANYTHING ELSE, click the external drive icon, type command-i (eye) to bring up "get info", go to sharing and permissions, click the lock icon and enter your password, and put a check into "ignore ownership on this volume"
5. Then, copy stuff from the external drive to "where you want it to go".
(If you don't takes steps to "ignore ownership", you're going to run into permissions problems on the new Mac)

One other important note:
You CANNOT COPY the entire subfolders named "documents", "movies", "music", "pictures", etc.
But you CAN COPY "items inside" those folders from one Mac to the other.

 

[davesmith123]

"It's mainly pictures and various documents."

What I would do:
1. Get a USB external drive of sufficient capacity (it could even be a USB flashdrive)
2. Copy what I wished to transfer to the drive
3. Plug the drive into the NEW Mac
4. BEFORE DOING ANYTHING ELSE, click the external drive icon, type command-i (eye) to bring up "get info", go to sharing and permissions, click the lock icon and enter your password, and put a check into "ignore ownership on this volume"
5. Then, copy stuff from the external drive to "where you want it to go".
(If you don't takes steps to "ignore ownership", you're going to run into permissions problems on the new Mac)

One other important note:
You CANNOT COPY the entire subfolders named "documents", "movies", "music", "pictures", etc.
But you CAN COPY "items inside" those folders from one Mac to the other.

Thanks! I'll give it a go and let you know how I get on.

 

[niteflyr]

1. Connect the 2 together with an ethernet cable. (this will be faster)
2. Turn on file sharing on the old Mac and share the drive or drives you wish to copy from.
3. Open 2 Finder windows on new iMac. 1 for old Mac, 1 for new.
4. Drag and drop from old to new.

 

[Southern Dad]

Thunderbolt cable.

 

[danielwsmithee]

Thunderbolt cable.

This is the fastest way if you have a thunderbolt cable that is long enough to connect to both.

 

[Clix Pix]

Every time I buy a new Mac, after I've run through the initial basics and done the preliminary stuff to make sure the machine is functioning properly, NOT using Migration Assistant, etc., but setting up as new. iCloud helps a lot with some things such as adding my bookmarks and such to the new machine. I then copy specific folders from within the Documents, Pictures, Movies and Music folders (which at this point are still empty on the new machine) on the older machine on to an external drive and then plug that external drive into the new machine and copy over all the folders into the empty respective folders on the new machine. Documents, individual and those within subfolders go right into the Documents folder, iTunes and other music subfolders go into the Music folder, etc..... This works very well for me and has for a number of years..... I don't use Time Machine and I don't use Migration Assistant and I prefer to set up a new machine as really "new" right from the get-go rather than to inadvertently feed some older gunk and cruft from an older machine into it. Yes, this means re-installing apps, again filling in passwords, etc., this means doing all of the other tinkering that comes with setting up a machine as new. Sure, this takes a little longer than simply hitting the button to start Time Machine or Migration Assistant running, but in the long run it really has paid off for me in the end. It may take me a day or longer to really set up a new machine to my satisfaction but for me it is definitely worth it, as it has exactly what I want and need in it right from the get-go.

Prior to doing all of this, I have also already gone through the older machine and determined exactly what is or is not to be added to the new machine, and I have also stashed anything that I still need available somewhere but not necessarily on the new machine into an external drive. The result? A new machine which is really fresh and clean but which also still has my important documents, movies, music and pictures on it..... For me one thing which makes this whole transfer process from an older machine to a new one is that I already tend to rely a lot on external drives to do much of the everyday "heavy lifting" or, rather, storage and keeping available files and folders which I don't need to use on a daily basis and don't need to keep on the machine's internal drive but do want to have fairly quickly and readily available.

 

[Southern Dad]

I love the Thunderbolt to Thunderbolt migration. I bought my new MacBook Pro, connected the cable, and started Migration Assistant. Everything transferred seamlessly. Easiest upgrade that I’ve ever done.

 

[Oculus Mentis]

I don't use Time Machine and I don't use Migration Assistant and I prefer to set up a new machine as really "new" right from the get-go rather than to inadvertently feed some older gunk and cruft from an older machine into it.

I've read similar comments many times before but has it actually been proven that gunk and cruft is actually migrated? Migration Assistant offer the possibility of migrating users and/or applications has anyone ever analysed in detail how the procedure works?
On the other hand, what about doing a spring clean on the old machine before using Migration Assistant?