OSX Tips:  Setting-up a new Mac from an old one, its backups, or a PC

Using  Setup  Assistant  on  Mountain  Lion  or  Lion

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Transferring User Accounts

                         

                            

To select from multiple user accounts, or to select/omit data 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.         

                

                      

                 

                

                 

               

               

              

             

 
Select the Source 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. 

Encrypted Time Machine backups (4th on the sample) show a gray icon, the name of the disk they're on, and ". . is locked.  Click to unlock."  Click it to enter the password.  Once unlocked, it will be displayed normally, but may change position and you may have to re-select it.

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

Network Time Machine backups show the name of the disk or partition and network server they’re on, not the Mac that was backed-up (3rd sample).  When you select it you'll be prompted for the password.  After a few moments,
the number of backup sets on the volume will be displayed:

(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.)

Select that line and click Continue; the sets will be
displayed, with green icons, showing the name of the volume and system that were 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.

 

Next is the selection for what you want to transfer.  You'll see four checkboxes;  some will have "disclosure triangles" (they may not all appear until the "Calculating..." is done) you can click to expand that section (see the pink boxes below for details):


  1. •Users

  2. •Applications                           

  3. •Settings

  4. •Other Files and Folders

(The Transfer button won’t be enabled until it finishes "Calculating" the sizes.)
These are mostly "all or nothing" selections.

In most cases, just leave everything selected and click the Transfer button (as soon as it completes calculating all the sizes). 

Setup Assistant will then transfer everything selected.


(If you backed-up multiple OSX partitions, or have done a full system restore, the volume name in the sample, just below the title, will be a "pop-up" menu where you can select the one you want.)

 
Once the transfer starts
, you'll see a Transferring Information window, with a progress bar, messages about what's being transferred, and a (very rough) estimate of the time remaining. 

That will take a while, of course, depending on how much data is being transferred, and how.  (Network transfers will be slower than FireWire, etc.)

When it finishes, if you didn't transfer settings, you'll see windows to set up your network, select a Time Zone, etc.

Then a Registration Information window, with your identifying data from the old Mac. 

Then A Few More Questions window will ask about how you'll use your Mac, etc., followed by Now you're ready to connect to send it to Apple (or cancel), then a Start Using Mountain Lion or Start Using Lion window.  Click the Go button and your Mac will restart.

 

For each account selected, the default folders created by OSX (Desktop, Documents, etc.) are all transferred automatically, whether you select them or not.   Only the folders that are checked will have their contents transferred.


The exception is the user’s Library folder, which isn’t listed.  It, and all of its contents, will be transferred along with the user account automatically.

Transferring 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 Setup 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.

Transferring 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.

Transferring "Other files and folders on <disk name> <Computer Name>"

This will transfer the following:

  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.


Then you’re asked if want to transfer information to your new Mac,  followed by four options:

  1. •From another Mac

  2. •From a Windows PC

  3. •From Time Machine or other disk

  4. •Don't transfer now

Selecting a transfer option changes the Finder icon to a diagram of the transfer.

See the blue box below, then Click Continue to proceed.

 

The options may be a bit misleading, and some ways are better than others:

  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 Another disk.  You'll next see the Select the Source window in the tan box below.

  3. •If both Macs have Firewire or Thunderbolt ports

  4. FireWire:  if one is FireWire400 and the other is F/W 800, 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 Another disk.  You'll next see the Select the Source 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 Another 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.

If you use Time Machine, as soon as your Mac starts up again, turn Time Machine OFF.  If it’s already started a backup, cancel it.  Unless you back up to the old Mac's backups, the first backup will be of everything.  And if anything didn’t transfer properly, it may be more difficult to recover if a new backup is completed.


If you back the new Mac up 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 . . .?   The first backup may be a full one, or TM may say it's going to be a full one and run very, very slowly, but only do an incremental backup.

There's a brief video demonstration of using Setup Assistant to transfer from Time Machine backups about 3/4 of the way through the Time Machine Tutorial.

Before you get started, if you anticipate an issue with iTunes authorizations, see About iTunes Store authorization and deauthorization.

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 your new Mac, select your country and language.

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

  3. •Confirm 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.

Setup Assistant is designed to transfer all or selected data, apps, etc. from one Mac, its Time Machine or "clone" backups, or a PC to set up a new Mac just like the old one. 

Migration Assistant, however, is used primarily to transfer user account(s) and perhaps other things, from one Mac, its backups, or a PC, adding them to a Mac that's already set up.  If there's any doubt about which you need, see: Setting up a new Mac from an old one, its backups, or a PC.

If the old Mac has any user home folders on a separate disk or partition, and/or you want to set the new one up that way, see: Transferring Home Folders not on a Startup volume.

If the Mac you’re setting up is running 10.5.x or 10.6.x, see Using Setup Assistant on Snow Leopard or Leopard.   It's a bit different from the Mountain Lion and Lion version covered here. (If you're not sure what version of OSX you're running, click here).

If the old Mac is on Tiger (10.4.x), you can transfer to Lion, but not via network; only via FireWire or a "clone" backup.  You cannot transfer from Tiger to Mountain Lion at all.

"Second chance" to use Setup Assistant

Normally, you only get one chance to use Setup Assistant -- when your new Mac first starts up.  If you missed the opportunity, see the green box in Problems after using Migration Assistant for details and instructions.

Transfer via Network:

Your new Mac should already be connected to your network.

Be sure the other Mac is also connected to the same network.

On the other Mac, set it to never sleep, then start the Migration Assistant app (in its Applications/Utilities folder).  Enter an Admin password for that Mac when prompted, then select the To another Mac option. 

If it's found and compatible, you'll see the window in the tan box below.

If there's an incompatibility, you'll see a message on this screen (of the new Mac) to update the version of Migration Assistant on the other Mac. 

If one or more are found and compatible, this window will display it/them.  Select the one you want and click Continue. A code will be displayed on both Macs; click Continue on the other one.  Then you'll see the Transfer Your Information window below.

 
When you first start your
new Mac, you'll see a screen to select your country, then one to select your keyboard.

If your new Mac is not connected to the Internet via an Ethernet cable, you'll get this window to select your WIFI network:

If you don't intend to use WIFI, or want to set up your network later, select Other Network Options.  Of course, that means you can't transfer from your old Mac via network.

 

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