Migrating User Accounts

To select from multiple user

accounts, or to select/omit within one or more, click the "disclosure triangle" in front of the checkbox to see a list of them.  (It may take a few moments for the triangles to appear).

For each user you select, you can click the disclosure triangle and select or omit the contents of that user’s top-level folders (Desktop, Documents, Downloads, etc.).

Otherwise, you can’t "pick and choose" within any of those folders.

               

If you try to transfer an existing user account, you’ll get the message shown here. 

You can rename the account you’re transferring; replace the existing account (unless you’re logged-in with it);  or skip the account entirely.

Note that accounts transferred with Migration Assistant may not be recognized as the same ones as on your backups, or other drives.  Thus even though you migrated an account, that same account may not have permission to restore other items from the backups of that account.

Migrating Applications

This option will transfer applications only from the top-level Applications folder;  not an Applications folder(s) in user home folder(s), or elsewhere.  It will also transfer various support files in the top-level Library folder.

You must transfer either all apps or none;  you can't select or omit them individually (see Transferring Applications for an explanation).

But Migration Assistant  will only transfer apps that don't already exist in the top-level Applications folder on the destination Mac;  thus the new Apple apps that came with your new Mac will not be replaced by old ones (and the size shown may be very small).  But if the names are different, or they're in different places on the destination (such as sub-folders within Applications or elsewhere), you'll end up with both. 

In some cases, there may be a few exceptions:

1. •See About incompatible software.
   

2. •Some 3rd-party apps may not work properly, or at all, if transferred from an older version of OSX.  Check with the maker about compatibility.
   

3. •PPC apps transferred from a PPC or Snow Leopard Mac will not work on Lion.   They'll be shown with a prohibited overlay (a white circle with a line through it).
   

4. •You may have to re-enter serial numbers/purchase codes for some 3rd-party applications.
   

5. •Some complex 3rd-party apps that were installed with special installers may need to be reinstalled from the original disc(s) to work properly.  Adobe apps are often subject to this.

Migrating "Other files and folders on <disk name>"

This will transfer pretty much anything not covered above:

1. •Non-system files/folders at the top level of the disk, such as the (empty) Unix Desktop folder, the User Guides and Information alias, the Developer folder (if installed), etc.
   

2. •The Shared user folder      
   

There is special handling for duplicates in this category:  if the item already exists, the new one will have "(from old Mac)" appended to its name.

If you migrated from a different Mac, and want to use Time Machine to back up the new Mac to the old Mac's backups, when the first one starts you should get a prompt about using a different Mac's backups.  See:  Would you like to inherit the backup . . .?  for details. 

Don't be alarmed by the length of this page:  It includes many details that only a few users will need, in a few situations.  The usual procedure is actually simple:

1. •Start the Migration Assistant app.
   

2. •Specify if you want to transfer directly from your old Mac, its backups, or a PC; and connect to it.
   

3. •Specify what you want to transfer (Apps, User Accounts, Settings, etc.).
   

4. •Wait while your Mac does all the work  (copying your stuff).
   

5. •When it's done, you're in business!
   

See below for step by step instructions, including some unusual circumstances.

There's also some instructions in the Help Center on your Mac.

If you have any user accounts on the new Mac with the same name as any you want from the old ones, there's a conflict:  they can't both be on the same Mac.

If you don't need any of the new account's data, create a temporary Admin user account, with a name different from any on your backups, log on with it and delete the conflicting account.   Then use Migration Assistant to transfer what you want and delete the temporary account.  If you do need some data from the new account, copy it elsewhere temporarily, then delete the new account via System Preferences > Accounts. 

Alternatively, you can migrate the account, but rename it via Migration Assistant, then copy things from the other account.

Note that you cannot "merge" or combine user accounts with Migration Assistant, but you may be able to do it manually.  See Transferring Files from one User Account to another.

Before Starting:

1. •If you anticipate an issue with iTunes authorizations, see About iTunes Store authorization and deauthorization.
   

2. •If you use Time Machine, turn it OFF.   Everything you migrate to your Mac is considered as changed, so Time Machine will back it all up.  And if there's a problem with the transfer, you may have to delete some or all of the transferred items and run Migration Assistant again.

Select Your System window:

Select the disk you want here.

(If it's not shown, connect the drive, or click Select Network if it's on your network).     

If there are both local and network volumes, what's shown for them may be a bit hard to decipher:

1. •Internal disks have gray icons.
   

2. •External disks have green or yellow icons.
   

3. •Network disks have blue icons.
   

Internal or External Time Machine backups show the name of the volume and computer that was backed-up, not the one they're on.

Network Time Machine backups show the name of the volume and network server they’re on, not the Mac that was backed-up.  When you select it, you'll be prompted for the password.

Clones show the name of the volume they're on, and the name of the Mac that was backed-up.

Select the one you want (even if there's only one) then click the Continue button.

Note:  if no disks appear after a long time, but the Continue button is enabled, click the button anyway.  Check the user names, etc, on the next screen carefully to be sure you got the right one.

If your Time Machine backups are on a network

(like the 4th sample above), when you select the disk/partition they're on, you'll be asked for the password, th

en the number of backup sets will be shown (after a few moments).  Select that item and click Continue to see the details:

(Note:  if there are multiple network disks/partitions, the number of backup sets may appear under the wrong one.  If so select that wrong one.)

They'll have green icons, and show the

name of the disk and system that was backed-up:

Select the one you want (even if there's only one) and click Continue.

1. •If you have Time Machine or "clone" backups on an external HD
   

2. It's usually simpler and faster to transfer from them, rather than directly from the old Mac (and, to transfer directly, you may have to install/upgrade software on the old Mac).  Connect the disk directly to your new Mac (it may work even if the backups were made over a network) and select From a Time Machine backup or other disk.  You'll next see the Select Your System window in the tan box below.
   

3. •If both Macs have Firewire or Thunderbolt ports
   

4. FireWire:  if one is F/W400 and the other is F/W800, you can get an inexpensive adapter, or cable with different plugs. 
   

5. Connect the Macs via the appropriate cable, set the old Mac to never sleep, and start it up in Target Disk mode.  (See Using Target Disk mode if you need instructions.)  The old Mac is now seen as an external HD, not another Mac on your network, so select From a Time Machine backup or other disk.  You'll next see the Select your System window in the tan box below. Note:  this is usually faster and easier than transferring via a network.
   

6. •If you have Time Machine backups on a Time Capsule
   

7. It's usually faster to transfer directly from the old Mac via FireWire as above, if possible.  If not, connect the Time Capsule and your new Mac to your network and select From a Time Machine backup or other disk.  You'll next see the Select the Source window in the tan box below.
   

8. •To transfer from a Mac via network (Ethernet or wireless)  Ethernet is 2-3 times faster and much more reliable than WIFI.
   

9. Make sure OSX on the old Mac is the most recent version (via Software Update).
   

10. If it's Snow Leopard, be sure it has the Migration Assistant for Mac OS X Snow Leopard.
    

11. If it's Leopard, be sure it has the Migration Assistant for Mac OS X Leopard.
    

12. If it's Tiger or earlier, you cannot use your Network.  Either use Firewire (above), or make a "clone" backup on an external HD.
    

13. Connect an Ethernet cable between the Macs, or connect both to your wireless network, and select From another Mac. 
    

14. •To transfer from a Windows PC you must connect them via network
    

15. You'll see a Select the Source screen similar to the one below, but with instructions to download, install and run the Windows Migration Assistant.   Then follow the on-screen instructions.  See OS X Lion: About Windows Migration Assistant for details.

The following samples are from Mountain Lion;  if you're migrating to Lion, the windows look a bit different, but work the same way.  

Migrating Settings

If you're already connected to a network, you won't have the Network option.

If the Computer settings are transferred, that includes system-wide settings, such as Time Zone, System Keychain, EnergySaver, Time Machine, and Sharing.  Sharing includes the Computer Name.  That's easily changed after your new Mac restarts, via System Preferences > Sharing.

If you're using Time Machine for backups, and want old backups to be treated as if they were made from the new or erased Mac, be sure to transfer Settings.   When you do the first backup of the new or erased Mac to the old backups, you'll be asked if you want to "inherit" the old backups.  See item #B5 for details.