I used migration assistant with a Time Machine backup from my (temporary) M1 Mac mini to the new M2 Pro Mac mini. Worked great, but took all night.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Anyone successfully migrated to M2 Mac Mini using Migration Assistant?
- Thread starter twynne
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I migrated from a late 2015 iMac using a time machine backup, 99.5% no issues. However a few days before i received my M2 Pro, I updated my old mac and made a fresh standalone time machine backup on an ssd external I purchased to use with the new Mac. 530GB migration and such took less than fifteen minutes total. The only issues so far was no contact sync ( there were dozens of "fixes" to this posted online, but....) , so I just dropped my phone/synced contacts to the M2 Pro and all was good with only one merge suggestion on the M2 Pro. I don't know if the single copy TM backup made a difference, but it made me feel better going in and so far, all is good in my desktop world.
I’ve thought about the single Time Machine backup to restore to my new Mac mini as well. My only concern is how much legacy garbage will be
Migrated from my late 2014 iMac that is useless and will just take up space on the new mini?
I did clean out a ton of no longer needed legacy junk before making the Time Machine backup and i figured i could fine tooth comb the rest out after the fact.
I ditched the myriad backups from my old iMac 2015, set up the M1 Mac mini fresh and used iCloud to populate it with documents, photos, bookmarks, mail accounts etc. I only downloaded the apps I actually use. When I migrated to the M2 Mac mini, I thus avoided the old apps and system files from the iMac.
Last edited:
Just like @Greenlantern1863 I also did a full clean install: let Photos sync the photos libs, set up OneDrives and enabled iCloud.
In the meantime I installed my apps and let the whole box sweat for a night.
Works like a charm and - must be a silly remark - the MMPro M2 seems to be a bit more responsive than my MBPro M1.
In the meantime I installed my apps and let the whole box sweat for a night.
Works like a charm and - must be a silly remark - the MMPro M2 seems to be a bit more responsive than my MBPro M1.
These days I just start fresh with a new machine. I keep my data in dropbox and an external RAID and I download and install all apps and drivers from their websites.
It still takes way less time than dealing with migration assistant’s c**p. And I would just end up doing it manually anyway after it fails.
It still takes way less time than dealing with migration assistant’s c**p. And I would just end up doing it manually anyway after it fails.
I'm also thinking of starting fresh from a MM2018. I'm only concerned I won't be able to transfer over the small settings and tweaks that I have made (many of which I can't even recall)🥲
Last edited:
On the positive side, you'd discover a range of new options to tweak in the depths of system settings. 🙃
True, that!😆
By the way, does Migration Assistant allow you to select which application to transfer over and which not to? I'm not exactly how it works.
Reason is because I have an old copy of Adobe Lightroom 6 which I can't reinstall due to it having a 32-bit installer, so I can only migrate it from system to system😂
gnohz wrote:
"By the way, does Migration Assistant allow you to select which application to transfer over and which not to?"
No.
With setup assistant (and migration assistant), it's "all or none" insofar as migrating applications is concerned.
However...
Are not the "32-bit problems" with Lightroom 6 ONLY with the installer itself?
I'm thinking that since it's already installed and running, it will migrate and run (under Rosetta2) WITHOUT the installer issue. The only way to know is to try it.
"By the way, does Migration Assistant allow you to select which application to transfer over and which not to?"
No.
With setup assistant (and migration assistant), it's "all or none" insofar as migrating applications is concerned.
However...
Are not the "32-bit problems" with Lightroom 6 ONLY with the installer itself?
I'm thinking that since it's already installed and running, it will migrate and run (under Rosetta2) WITHOUT the installer issue. The only way to know is to try it.
No, but incompatible apps or apps with newer versions already installed may not be transferred or may not be usable, says Apple support https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/mac-help/mh27921/mac
Thanks. Yes the problem is only with the installer. I was originally thinking of not migrating everything over from my MM2018 but instead start from scratch, but I want to keep Lightroom 6 working, I have to migrate it over instead of reinstalling in on the MM M2 Pro (since the installer won't work)😅
Thanks for the info! I have to give it a try to be sure😅 Anyway, I'm prepared for the app to no longer work on the newer os, which means I have to also migrate my entire photo catalog to an alternative software😬
Just used migration assistant on my M2 Pro.......worked slick with no issues other than having to log into iCloud and a couple of apps needed disk access. Nice, got have everything all setup and working without spending days doing it.
Migrated from an Time Machine backup from a 2017 iMac 27"
Migrated from an Time Machine backup from a 2017 iMac 27"
Did you do any cleanup prior in the user library to get rid of legacy intel stuff or uninstalled apps?
I did a MA for the first time ever going from an iMac 2014 27 inch 5k to a new mini. Had lots and lots of "stuff". Over 1 TB. So I was a little apprehensive about it. I purchased a brand new Samsung T7 SSD and ran a completely new TM on it, (twice) and then connected it to my new mini before first boot. I was surprised how fast it did it. Just a little over an hour and that is including an update to Ventura. No problems at all. I can breathe again. <s>
Yes, I got rid of of old APPs I no longer used and purged files that are out-dated.......
Also cleared out things like the downloads folder, etc.
I sold my 2017 Mac to "Sellyourmac" right after I ordered my M2 Mini, so I made sure I had good Time Machine backups and also manually backup a bunch of stuff, just in case.
Apple would only give me $180 for it, I got $525 from SYM.
I’m getting my new Mac mini pro today/tomorrow I’m going to set it up as new I only want to transfer my mail account safari bookmarks and the keychain. I’m currently booting from an external t7 Mac mini 2012 what is the best way to import the mail safari and keychain please? Plug the t7 into the new mini once I have the the new Mac mini set up access the files that way or time machine drive ?.
I don’t want to use migrate assistant just for those files.
I don’t want to use migrate assistant just for those files.
"I’m currently booting from an external t7 Mac mini 2012 what is the best way to import the mail safari and keychain please?"
The email could be "manually migrated" without problems, using Mail.app's "import" menu choice.
If by "safari" you're talking about bookmarks, they can be easily migrated as well. Go to "export bookmarks" in Safari.
BUT...
I don't see how the keychain can be manually migrated.
REASON WHY:
You're going to create a NEW account on the NEW Mac.
Even if you use the same username and password, the Mac will see the "new" account as DIFFERENT FROM the "old one".
The keychain on the old Mac will be associated with the old account.
I don't see how it can be made to work with the new one (which will have its own keychain).
There may be workarounds for this, but I don't know them. Perhaps others will help.
The email could be "manually migrated" without problems, using Mail.app's "import" menu choice.
If by "safari" you're talking about bookmarks, they can be easily migrated as well. Go to "export bookmarks" in Safari.
BUT...
I don't see how the keychain can be manually migrated.
REASON WHY:
You're going to create a NEW account on the NEW Mac.
Even if you use the same username and password, the Mac will see the "new" account as DIFFERENT FROM the "old one".
The keychain on the old Mac will be associated with the old account.
I don't see how it can be made to work with the new one (which will have its own keychain).
There may be workarounds for this, but I don't know them. Perhaps others will help.
would you suggest migrate assistant then ? or could i plug in the ssd t7 get information from that? im concerned about corrupting the new one with old stuff from the 2012.
"at first boot of the new mac mini what would be the best option ?"
Connect external SSD BEFORE you boot for the first time.
When setup assistant asks if you wish to migrate, yes, you do.
"Point the way" for SA to the external SSD and give it time to "digest everything".
SA will present you with a checklist of things that can be migrated.
At this point you can "go through the list":
applications
accounts
settings
data
I'd just migrate it all, and "do the pruning" later on.
But you can "uncheck" things if you wish.
If you want the keychain, I suggest you migrate at least your [old] account to the new one.
Connect external SSD BEFORE you boot for the first time.
When setup assistant asks if you wish to migrate, yes, you do.
"Point the way" for SA to the external SSD and give it time to "digest everything".
SA will present you with a checklist of things that can be migrated.
At this point you can "go through the list":
applications
accounts
settings
data
I'd just migrate it all, and "do the pruning" later on.
But you can "uncheck" things if you wish.
If you want the keychain, I suggest you migrate at least your [old] account to the new one.