2013 MBP to late-2016 MBP migration

[kurl]

Hi all-

Wanted to pick your brains since I'm a bit confused about the Migration Assistant options for my (coming tomorrow!) late-2016 MBP from my early-2013 rMBP...

I'd obviously like the get the migration done as quickly as possible. What I was hoping to do is use a TB2-TB2 cable, plugged into my old rMBP, then use the USB-C->TB adapter from Apple, to achieve a TB-based migration. My thinking is that should be significantly faster than my other options, which would be:

- USB-C -> ethernet adapter -> ethernet -> ethernet adapter -> USB-A
- USB-C -> USB-A adapter -> USB-A (since I think this would just be USB 2.0?)
- Restore from Time Machine with wired ethernet connection to time machine

That said, it's not 100% clear to me that the TB2-based approach spelled out at the top would work - I can't seem to find support articles for either the MB or the late-2016 MBP that explicitly say this will work. Will it? If not, which of the approaches I've outlined would be best? (Or is there a fifth option that's better?)

Thanks so much in advance for the expertise!

 

[cmaier]

I always prefer migrating from a carbon copy cloner or super duper backup to an external disk. Seems to be most reliable and quickest (and allows me to use the old machine while it's happening).

Time machine should work too, but it always makes me nervous.

 

[Fishrrman]

I agree with cmaier above.

I suggest doing this:

1. Use a USB3 external drive (HDD or SSD).
2. Use CarbonCopyCloner to create a bootable clone of the OLD internal drive.
3. Connect this to the NEW MacBook (preferably BEFORE you run the setup the first time).
4. Boot the NEW Macbook and go thru setup.
5. At the appropriate time, setup assistant will ask if you want to migrate from and older Mac or drive. Select the external cloned copy as your source.
6. Let setup assistant do its thing. I predict the process will go faster than it would from a TM backup.

When you're done, and if everything looks good, use CCC once more to clone the contents of the NEW MacBook to the external drive.
You always ALWAYS ALWAYS want to keep a second fully-bootable (that means "bootable to the finder) drive within arm's reach...

 

[kurl]

Interesting - two recommendations that don't suggest bridging directly from the old MB I'll see if I can scare up a drive.