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Q: How do I put my old stuff on my new MBPR?

S

starstreak

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Dec 5, 2004
456
12
Sorry if this doesn't go in this area. I have a mackbook pro with the older Lion that didn't support icloud. I don't have a time machine.
I want to move my old programs(my quickbooks, Photoshop, etc. /contacts /mail/etc to my new MBPR. How can I do that? I tried the migration assistant, but while the new MBPR sees my other MBP on the network, the MBP on the other hand just spins the colorwheel looking for a network computer. Am I doing something wrong?

If not, what's another way for me to move all my data?
 
Another way would be to use a Time Machine backup then restore everything you want off of that TM backup using Migration Assistant. No tricky networking needed there.

Your email accounts can just be added manually- it takes around 30 seconds to log in and it automatically fetches your mail- and your contacts should be synced with iCloud. If not, set up an account and sync it over.
 
yeah, if the network stuff isn't working well (did you turn off the firewalls on both macs?), then you can try using a USB hard drive (the time machine backup will erase the drive though do make sure it's "empty" first).

Also, something I didn't anticipate...if you plan to have the same username on the new machine as the old (like "sjobs") then you should make a temporary ADMIN account on the new machine, so that the migration assistant can basically move the old account to the new machine.

Good luck!
 
Um no TM. And no icloud. The old MBP didn't support icloud.

TheMacBookPro said:
Another way would be to use a Time Machine backup then restore everything you want off of that TM backup using Migration Assistant. No tricky networking needed there.

Your email accounts can just be added manually- it takes around 30 seconds to log in and it automatically fetches your mail- and your contacts should be synced with iCloud. If not, set up an account and sync it over.
Click to expand...
 
I just helped my friend transfer things from his Lion MacBook to his new rMBP. We used an Ethernet connection and migration assistant. Ran into the same problem but searched apple support and found that the Lion machine needs an update to migration assistant. I can't easily look up the article on my phone this second but if you run a google search you will most likely find it.
 
If you have the Ethernet adapter for the rmbp you can string a cable directly between them. That should avoid most network problems. If you have a thunderbolt cable and a thunderbolt mbp, or the FireWire adapter and the right cable, you can put the old machine in target disk mode and transfer that way.
 
If you have a recent version of OSX, then you can make a new Time Machine backup NOW, using an expendable external USB hard drive... Time Capsule is the standalone expensive (but convenient) device that lets you do TM over the network...
 
Wait. I can make my own Time machine using a USB drive? I thought it was that Apple router thing.. How do I make a time machine and do a complete backup?

Also, will this corrupt my new MBPR OS since the old MBP was a older OSx?

I didn't have the same name for both computers. But I don't think I checked the firewall. I'll do that once I get home.

Jeff3f said:
yeah, if the network stuff isn't working well (did you turn off the firewalls on both macs?), then you can try using a USB hard drive (the time machine backup will erase the drive though do make sure it's "empty" first).

Also, something I didn't anticipate...if you plan to have the same username on the new machine as the old (like "sjobs") then you should make a temporary ADMIN account on the new machine, so that the migration assistant can basically move the old account to the new machine.

Good luck!
Click to expand...


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I wish I had a TB to 800 adapter. I so need that for my 2.0/800 protable harddrives.
And no, I didn't buy the eithernet adapter for the MBPR. If I did, do I need a crossover cable or will a standard cat5 work?

AlanShutko said:
If you have the Ethernet adapter for the rmbp you can string a cable directly between them. That should avoid most network problems. If you have a thunderbolt cable and a thunderbolt mbp, or the FireWire adapter and the right cable, you can put the old machine in target disk mode and transfer that way.
Click to expand...


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SugaredJuggler said:
I just helped my friend transfer things from his Lion MacBook to his new rMBP. We used an Ethernet connection and migration assistant. Ran into the same problem but searched apple support and found that the Lion machine needs an update to migration assistant. I can't easily look up the article on my phone this second but if you run a google search you will most likely find it.
Click to expand...

not at home atm, but if you have the time, I would be grateful so I make sure I follow the same steps you did.

Btw, besides coping all my programs, it won't overwite the new OSx lion on the MBPR,right?
 
yes, you can do TM without TC...I'm unsure about different versions of OSX, but the apple.com page I read yesterday told me to make sure that both computers were updated (i.e. run software update and update everything on both machines).

You may have some more googling to do (i.e. will you get a Liger or a Tion), but if nothing else you can use USB. Whatever you use, it will be slow and time consuming...but it's neat to see everything carry over. If there are settings that didn't carry over, I haven't found them yet. Maybe other posters can chime in...
 
I'll give it a shot. Main thing is it doesnt screw up the new MBPR and it's OSx, I don't mind if it takes a while to backup. :)

Jeff3f said:
yes, you can do TM without TC...I'm unsure about different versions of OSX, but the apple.com page I read yesterday told me to make sure that both computers were updated (i.e. run software update and update everything on both machines).

You may have some more googling to do (i.e. will you get a Liger or a Tion), but if nothing else you can use USB. Whatever you use, it will be slow and time consuming...but it's neat to see everything carry over. If there are settings that didn't carry over, I haven't found them yet. Maybe other posters can chime in...
Click to expand...
 
If you had the Ethernet adapter, you could use a straight cable. The Mac Ethernet ports and adapters are autosensing, so you don't need a crossover.
 
Thanks! Either turning off the firewall worked or the name thing worked. Anyways, it's now transfering 80+GB of data on wifi. AUGH, 18+ hours. Not the fastest is it? I'm so tempted to to Apple store and buy the Thunderport to Eithernet, and connect the two notebooks. I wonder how much time that would cut off...
It didn't dawn on me until it started, but I hope sleep mode for the laptop gets auto turnoff. I don't remember if I did that.
 
Yep - you can either use a USB hard drive (make sure it's a fairly sizeable one though) or a NAS drive etc just select the option in the Time Machine preferences. There's no specific requirement for it to be the Apple Time Capsule thing.
 
Just for reference.. I have a USB 3 hard drive docking station I can plug in 2.5" or 3.5" SATA internal hard drives to... and Time Machine works fine with that, should work with just about anything.

If you use a Time Machine backup with Migration Assistant, it copies stuff very similar to how it does over the network, and does NOT do a Time Machine restore, so it doesn't affect the OS, you just get apps and settings and such. If you ever do a migration through a Time Machine backup, make sure you use Migration Assistant and NOT try to do a Time Machine restore from backup.
 
Ah ok. So there's a big difference with a TM restore and migration assistant. I wonder if the transfer is still going. lol. I have to check once I get back home.
If not, I'll get the thunderbolt to eithernet and connect the two

doh123 said:
If you use a Time Machine backup with Migration Assistant, it copies stuff very similar to how it does over the network, and does NOT do a Time Machine restore, so it doesn't affect the OS, you just get apps and settings and such. If you ever do a migration through a Time Machine backup, make sure you use Migration Assistant and NOT try to do a Time Machine restore from backup.
Click to expand...
 
starstreak said:
Thanks! Either turning off the firewall worked or the name thing worked. Anyways, it's now transfering 80+GB of data on wifi. AUGH, 18+ hours. Not the fastest is it? I'm so tempted to to Apple store and buy the Thunderport to Eithernet, and connect the two notebooks. I wonder how much time that would cut off...
Click to expand...
I did 450GB with Migration Assistant just using an Ethernet cable in two hours recently. So 80GB would take about 20 minutes.
 
Just to let you know, the update sorta worked. It made another user login on my new MBPR. Same one as my old computer.
Except all my passwords and software required to be registered again. Is that correct? If it is, I guess it worked. But took me ages to figure out what worked and what didn't.
 
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