Feasibility of the migration assistant?

FortWorthMac · Apr 28, 2013

Well finally decided it was time for a new iMac. I have a 5 year old 24inch and ordered a 27inch from Amazon.

My question is the feasibility of the migration assistant. How well does it work? And I guess the fastest way to accomplish the migration. My old iMac does not have the Thunderport or whatever it's called.

Thanks
David

Bear · Apr 28, 2013

There are multiple ways to connect the systems. Also, if you have a current Time Machine backup, Migration Assistant should be able to copy from that as well.

Weaselboy · Apr 28, 2013

FortWorthMac said:
Well finally decided it was time for a new iMac. I have a 5 year old 24inch and ordered a 27inch from Amazon.

My question is the feasibility of the migration assistant. How well does it work? And I guess the fastest way to accomplish the migration. My old iMac does not have the Thunderport or whatever it's called.

Thanks
David

Both machines have GB ethernet, so I think that would be fastest. Just connect an ethernet cable directly between the two and run MA. It works quite well.

Make sure you run MA as part of the setup process and not after you have created the account as that causes duplicate folders and all sorts of problems. You old account will be created on the new machine as part of MA.

As Bear mentioned, if you have a Time Machine backup on an USB external, that can be used as the MA source also.

FortWorthMac · Apr 28, 2013

Weaselboy said:
Both machines have GB ethernet, so I think that would be fastest. Just connect an ethernet cable directly between the two and run MA. It works quite well.

Question in regards to that. Back in my old Windows IT days one would have to use a "cross over" ethernet cable to hook up two machines together. Is that not the case here?

Bear · Apr 28, 2013

FortWorthMac said:
Question in regards to that. Back in my old Windows IT days one would have to use a "cross over" ethernet cable to hook up two machines together. Is that not the case here?

Macs as I recall do not need those corssover cables. Nor do most systems these days.

FortWorthMac · Apr 28, 2013

Bear said:
Macs as I recall do not need those corssover cables. Nor do most systems these days.

Gotcha, thanks.

Weaselboy · Apr 29, 2013

Bear said:
Macs as I recall do not need those corssover cables. Nor do most systems these days.

Exactly. The ethernet port will sense it is a direct connection and handle it for you. No crossover cable needed.

I still have an orange crossover cable sitting in a drawer I just can't bring myself to throw away though.

MultiFinder17 · Apr 29, 2013

Another vote here for Ethernet. I just used MA via Ethernet to migrate from my old Mac mini to my new iMac without a hitch. It took around 30 minutes to transfer all of my data, applications, and settings. Good luck, and enjoy your new iMac

FortWorthMac · Apr 29, 2013

MultiFinder17 said:
Another vote here for Ethernet. I just used MA via Ethernet to migrate from my old Mac mini to my new iMac without a hitch. It took around 30 minutes to transfer all of my data, applications, and settings. Good luck, and enjoy your new iMac

Thanks.

I got a little confused reading the apple support page. So let me try and clarify since you just did it.

I simply run the ethernet cable between BOTH iMacs.

This line on the support page confused me: "o use Ethernet for migration, connect the two computers with a single Ethernet cable; you don't need to connect the computers to a hub, switch, or router. This may be faster than using a wireless connection. For the best experience, be sure to attach your source and target Macs to the wired network before you start."

If the two macs are attached via an ethernet cable, how can they then be plugged in to a wired connection?

Weaselboy · Apr 29, 2013

FortWorthMac said:
If the two macs are attached via an ethernet cable, how can they then be plugged in to a wired connection?

They aren't. I agree, that is very poorly worded and confusing. You just connect the ethernet cable directly between the two machines.

FortWorthMac · Apr 29, 2013

Weaselboy said:
They aren't. I agree, that is very poorly worded and confusing. You just connect the ethernet cable directly between the two machines.

Good and thanks. Glad it wasn't just me that was confused by it. I promise I haven't started drinking yet today.

MultiFinder17 · Apr 29, 2013

FortWorthMac said:
Good and thanks. Glad it wasn't just me that was confused by it. I promise I haven't started drinking yet today.

Haha, it's all good. As stated, just connect the two machines via ethernet directly; you can also do it over a regular wired network, which is how I did it, but either way works fine

Weaselboy · Apr 29, 2013

FortWorthMac said:
Good and thanks. Glad it wasn't just me that was confused by it. I promise I haven't started drinking yet today.

You should... it will make the time pass more quickly while you wait for the migration to finish.

FortWorthMac · Apr 29, 2013

Weaselboy said:
You should... it will make the time pass more quickly while you wait for the migration to finish.

Well the new one is coming "sometime" tomorrow via FedEx so it's going to be a loooonnnnnggggg day. But I'm sure they'll be plenty of some of Kentucky's finest enjoyed during the process.

FortWorthMac · Apr 29, 2013

And do I understand that the "best" way to do this is during the initial startup?

Weaselboy · Apr 29, 2013

FortWorthMac said:
And do I understand that the "best" way to do this is during the initial startup?

Yes, definitely.

FortWorthMac · Apr 29, 2013

Weaselboy said:
Yes, definitely.

Gotcha, thanks.....

So excited.......

Weaselboy · Apr 29, 2013

FortWorthMac said:
Gotcha, thanks.....

So excited.......

I think FedEx has it out for us. If I order say razor blade refills... BAM! 10:30 AM FedEx delivery. New Mac I desperately want.... 7:30 PM... every single time!!

FortWorthMac · Apr 29, 2013

Weaselboy said:
I think FedEx has it out for us. If I order say razor blade refills... BAM! 10:30 AM FedEx delivery. New Mac I desperately want.... 7:30 PM... every single time!!

Yeah tell me about it.

And the "estimated" delivery time tomorrow is "before 8pm". Come one really!!!??? #firstworldproblems

old-wiz · Apr 29, 2013

Weaselboy said:
I think FedEx has it out for us. If I order say razor blade refills... BAM! 10:30 AM FedEx delivery. New Mac I desperately want.... 7:30 PM... every single time!!

Sometimes I swear FedEx and UPS rush delivery of unimportant items, but when it's something you want now it comes at the very end of the day or they "forget" to drop it off and it comes the next day.

FortWorthMac · Apr 30, 2013

Damn that was seamless!

Weaselboy · May 1, 2013

FortWorthMac said:
Damn that was seamless!

Glad it worked out. Enjoy the new Mac.

FortWorthMac · May 1, 2013

Weaselboy said:
Glad it worked out. Enjoy the new Mac.

Yup, thanks.

But gotta say, and granted its only the i5, it doesn't seen as fast as I thought it would moving from a 5 year old Mac.

Weaselboy · May 1, 2013

FortWorthMac said:
Yup, thanks.

But gotta say, and granted its only the i5, it doesn't seen as fast as I thought it would moving from a 5 year old Mac.

Last couple upgrades for me felt sort of like "incremental" upgrades also. The really big and noticeable change in perceived speed came with the SSD for me.

Feasibility of the migration assistant?

macrumors 6502a

macrumors G3

Moderator

macrumors 6502a

macrumors G3

macrumors 6502a

Moderator

macrumors 68030

macrumors 6502a

Moderator

macrumors 6502a

macrumors 68030

Moderator

macrumors 6502a

macrumors 6502a

Moderator

macrumors 6502a

Moderator

macrumors 6502a

macrumors G3

macrumors 6502a

Moderator

macrumors 6502a

Moderator

Our Staff