I am about to do my annual migration to Key West. I mean, I had to scrape ice off my car! Horrors! That is way scarier than moving your data from your old computer to a new Mac. It’s become even easier now that more and more people are becoming aware of Apple’s Migration Assistant.
It used to be that even with this tool, things would not be moved over exactly right but Apple has done a lot of work on Migration Assistant and it is a fantastic tool. However, I still recommend that you don’t wipe your old machine until you have checked to make sure you have all your passwords and important files. Open up your email, open photos, open your music library and make sure it is all okay on your new Mac before you delete everything on the old machine.
In spite of this, Migration Assistant is a great and useful tool. It can move your data from either a PC or a Mac to your new Mac. You use Migration Assistant to copy all of your documents, apps, user accounts, and settings to a new Mac from another computer. I will outline the process for Mac to Mac transfers and we will handle PC to Mac transfers in a future issue of Kibbles & Bytes.
Get Ready
*Install all available Apple software updates on both Mac computers. Install any updates for your third-party apps as well.
*Make sure that your old Mac is using OS X Snow Leopard v10.6.8 or later.
*Make sure that your old Mac has a computer name: Choose Apple () menu > System Preferences, then click Sharing and check the Computer Name field.
*Connect both computers to AC power.
Connecting to your Data
If you have been a good person you have backed your data up using Time Machine and that is by far the easiest and fastest way to migrate your data. Regardless, you will need to connect your old data to your new Mac.
*If both computers are using macOS Sierra or later, just make sure that they’re near each other and have Wi-Fi turned on. If either is using OS X El Capitan or earlier, connect them to the same network using Wi-Fi or Ethernet. You will be frustrated with the slow transfer of data using wireless so this is not ideal.
*Alternately, connect them using target disk mode and the appropriate cable or adapter. Then start up up your old computer in target disk mode. Faster but a bit cumbersome.
*Best, connect your new Mac to a Time Machine backup of your old Mac. Oh, you don’t have that Time Machine Backup? Here’s what you do before you start your data transfer. Drop everything and come to Small Dog Electronics in Vermont of Key West and get yourself a backup drive! Or order one up on smalldog.com. Drives are cheap these days and your data is priceless! Take the new drive and make a backup right now using Time Machine. There, you now have a backup and the easy way to transfer your data.
Migrate!
On your new Mac:
*Open Migration Assistant, which is in the Utilities folder of your Applications folder.
*Click Continue.
*When asked how you want to transfer your information, select the option to transfer from a Mac, Time Machine backup, or startup disk.
*Click Continue.
On your old Mac:
If you started your old Mac in target disk mode or are migrating from a Time Machine backup, you can skip these four steps. Didn’t I tell you a Time Machine backup was the way to go!
*Open Migration Assistant.
*Click Continue.
*When asked how you want to transfer your information, select the option to transfer to another Mac.
*Click Continue.
Then going back to your new Mac:
*When asked to select a Mac, Time Machine backup, or another startup disk, click the appropriate icon.
*Click Continue. You might see a security code.
Back to your old Mac:
If you started your old Mac in target disk mode or are migrating from a Time Machine backup, skip these two steps. Score for Time Machine again!
*If you see a security code, make sure that it’s the same code as on your new Mac.
*Click Continue.
On your new Mac:
*You should see a list of backups organized by date and time. Choose the backup that you want to use.
*Click Continue
*Select the information to transfer.
*Click Continue to start the transfer. If you have a lot of content, the transfer might take several hours to finish. Get a cup of coffee, go out for a hike and just let Migration Assistant do its work.
Finish Migrating
This part is important. When Migration Assistant is finished and before you do anything with your old Mac you need to do two things. 1) Make a new backup – plug that drive you bought from Small Dog into your new Mac and do a Time Machine backup and 2) Use you’re new Mac.
What I mean by using it, is to verify that you can do everything you normally do. Sign onto those websites that ask for passwords. Open your email and send and receive. Open up Photos and make sure all those photos of your dog are still there (and send me one!) Once you have confidence in your new Mac, I suggest that you put your old Mac in a drawer for a week or so just to be absolutely sure.
When you are ready to give away or sell your Mac there are a few things you should do.
1) Sign out of iCloud
2) De-authorized your old Mac for iTunes
3) Sign out of Messages
Now you can use Disk Utility to erase and re-install a new OS so the old Mac is fresh and clean for its new owner!