Best way to clone 17 imac to new imac pro?

[xgman]

What would be the most thorough way to setup a new imac pro using either target mode through TB3, Carbon Copy Cloned backup disk, Time machine, or Migration Assistant, which would not mess up the new imac pro due to it using different drivers/hardware internal even though it would be the same basic latest OSX. I would like to get as many settings, preferences and files intact as possible, without causing other issues. If i was to simply to clone the old imac drive over to the new imac pro drive, I would think the drivers scheme would be wrong? So out of the above choices, if I just turn on the imac and let the setup continue, what source of backup/clone would make the most sense to point it to? Thoughts?

 

[Ifti]

When I moved MacBook Pros I created a SuperDuper clone of my existing system to an external USB drive, then switched on the new system and went through setup, pointing it to the USB backup and it then restored by files and settings from there.
This way its not installing the OS etc, but just restoring your files, applications and settings etc

 

[niteflyr]

Connect the two via TB3 cable (this will be the fastest) or ethernet, and just let setup assistant do its thing. Point it at the old iMac when asked to do so. That's what it's designed to do. It will tell you if there are any incompatible settings or applications.

 

[Fishrrman]

Title:
"Best way to clone 17 imac to new imac pro?"

Why, with either CarbonCopyCloner (or SuperDuper), of course!
(BOTH are FREE to download and use for 30 days, so what I describe next will COST YOU NOTHING to use).

1. You'll need an external drive capable of "holding the backup"
2. When the new iMac Pro comes, take it out of the box, set it up, but DON'T press the power on button yet.
3. Connect your external drive to the OLD iMac and use either CCC or SD to create a full backup clone. This creates a clone of your OLD iMac "in its last moments" just before you migrate to the new iMac.
4. When that's done, connect the cloned backup to the NEW iMac.
5. NOW press the power-on button for the very first time.
6. Begin setup. At the appropriate moment, setup assistant will ask if you wish to migrate from another Mac or drive. YES, you do. So "aim" setup assistant at the backup drive.
7. Setup assistant will then "scan and digest" the backup, and present you with a list of things that are "migrate-able" (apps, accounts, settings, data).
8. Check what you want migrated (I'd check everything) and then, "let 'er go". It will take a little while.
9. When done, setup assistant should "drop you into" the login display on the new iMac, so log in and check out the desktop. It should look just as it did on the old iMac.
10 Dismount and disconnect the backup drive. Done!

 

[xgman]

Thanks all above, but is there any difference (I guess it would be hard to know for sure) between a fresh clone drive from CCC or TB3 connection etc? Other than maybe the speed of the setup, is there any more or less files it would allow transferred? I'm guessing it would be the same and probably even the same for TM backups. I'm also guessing that if I simply closed the imac drive to the imac pro drive, it would not boot properly because of the drivers differences although that could be tested via a bootable external drive. I'll probably go the TB3 cable or CCC TB3 container drive method. There will be hours of re-registering apps and plugins that have a different hardware id though. Always fun.

 

[nambuccaheadsau]

You are making this too complicated.

Use your cloning software hooked up via TB and proceed. You do have an operating system on the Pro? If so the fisho's steps are the go and no worries with drivers etc. Never have that re-registering problem as passwords, network info etc are transferred.

Regarding Time Machine, personally never use it always use SuperDuper.

 

[mikehalloran]

Migration Assistant (part of setup assistant) pulls your files and settings from your old Mac or a Time Machine backup. It is the safest and easiest way to do so.

There are reasons why Apple never, ever recommends cloning. If you are on High Sierra and the new Mac is on Mojave, there will be issues. Why deal with them?

There is absolutely no reason not to do this the way that Apple recommends.

Regarding Time Machine, personally never use it always use SuperDuper.

It is always safe to ignore this.

When I moved MacBook Pros I created a SuperDuper clone of my existing system to an external USB drive, then switched on the new system and went through setup, pointing it to the USB backup and it then restored by files and settings from there.
This way its not installing the OS etc, but just restoring your files, applications and settings etc

Yea... you don't understand how Migration Assistant works. The reason I say this is because you created unnecessary steps that just add time and serve no purpose.

You're confusing it with a Time Machine Restore—which does replace the OS, something you don't want to do when installing onto a new Mac. If the new Mac is Mojave, you can't do a Time Machine Restore from an older OS unless you create a 10.13 boot drive and wipe the new one in Disk Utility first — unless Apple has installed a firmware update that prevents this. Migration Assistant can install from an older Time Machine backup because it doesn't overwrite the OS.

 

[xgman]

Both machines will have Mojave. I still am curious if there is any difference at all in the number or type of files pulled (during the new imac pro setup) between the 3 possible data and settings sources (assuming all are made same date), TB3 to old computer, TM, or Cloned drive via TB3 enclosure. My assumption is that they are all 3 exactly the same pull of exactly the same files and settings. Anyone know differently?

 

[niteflyr]

They are all the same. Save the unnecessary and time consuming cloning steps, and just connect the 2 machines together.

 

[Ifti]

Yea... you don't understand how Migration Assistant works. The reason I say this is because you created unnecessary steps that just add time and serve no purpose.

You're confusing it with a Time Machine Restore—which does replace the OS, something you don't want to do when installing onto a new Mac. If the new Mac is Mojave, you can't do a Time Machine Restore from an older OS unless you create a 10.13 boot drive and wipe the new one in Disk Utility first — unless Apple has installed a firmware update that prevents this. Migration Assistant can install from an older Time Machine backup because it doesn't overwrite the OS.

Yes, I do understand how migration assistant works.
I regularly create a clone backup of my drive, so there were no extra steps taken, it was part of my routine.
I did not complete a Time Machine Restore - I used the clone I had created for Migration Assistant to copy all of my data back across - not the OS. I did not clone the drive back across to my new mac or use a restore in any way - Migration Assistant sees the clone and can use it to migrate the data back across.
I then keep that clone on my external drive as an external backup should I ever need it in future.
[doublepost=1541517587][/doublepost]

Both machines will have Mojave. I still am curious if there is any difference at all in the number or type of files pulled (during the new imac pro setup) between the 3 possible data and settings sources (assuming all are made same date), TB3 to old computer, TM, or Cloned drive via TB3 enclosure. My assumption is that they are all 3 exactly the same pull of exactly the same files and settings. Anyone know differently?

Whether you connect the machines together or use the cloning method detailed above. both will do the same thing. Migration Assistant will pull the same data across regardless. It will NOT do a restore of the system and pull the OS or drivers etc across - just your data and settings.
The benefit of making an external clone and restoring from that is if you wipe your old machine afterwards before selling or giving it to someone else, you still have a clone of that system on an external drive should you ever wish to refer back to it for any reason.
[doublepost=1541517797][/doublepost]

Title:
"Best way to clone 17 imac to new imac pro?"

Why, with either CarbonCopyCloner (or SuperDuper), of course!
(BOTH are FREE to download and use for 30 days, so what I describe next will COST YOU NOTHING to use).

1. You'll need an external drive capable of "holding the backup"
2. When the new iMac Pro comes, take it out of the box, set it up, but DON'T press the power on button yet.
3. Connect your external drive to the OLD iMac and use either CCC or SD to create a full backup clone. This creates a clone of your OLD iMac "in its last moments" just before you migrate to the new iMac.
4. When that's done, connect the cloned backup to the NEW iMac.
5. NOW press the power-on button for the very first time.
6. Begin setup. At the appropriate moment, setup assistant will ask if you wish to migrate from another Mac or drive. YES, you do. So "aim" setup assistant at the backup drive.
7. Setup assistant will then "scan and digest" the backup, and present you with a list of things that are "migrate-able" (apps, accounts, settings, data).
8. Check what you want migrated (I'd check everything) and then, "let 'er go". It will take a little while.
9. When done, setup assistant should "drop you into" the login display on the new iMac, so log in and check out the desktop. It should look just as it did on the old iMac.
10 Dismount and disconnect the backup drive. Done!

THIS!!
By following this you are not cloning across to the new Mac.
You are cloning from the old mac to an external drive, and then using that to migrate your data/applications/settings to your new MAC with Migration Assistant.
Either do the above or connect both macs directly.
Same result.

 

[dwig]

...
The benefit of making an external clone and restoring from that is if you wipe your old machine afterwards before selling or giving it to someone else, you still have a clone of that system on an external drive should you ever wish to refer back to it for any reason.
...

+1
The clone is a good thing to have for a range of reasons.

• As mentioned, above, it provides a backup of the state of the old machine at the time of the migration. Backups are a good thing.
  
• It allows you to use the old machine during the migration and setup of the new machine
• It isolates the old machine from the migration process thus insuring that if anything goes south during migration the data on the old machine is safe.

Regardless of the migration method, there can be some very hidden files that don't get migrated. These are things like the software licensing files that some vendors go to great lengths to hide in the hopes of preventing bootlegging of their software. Some of these may be successfully hidden from Migration Assistant. Be prepared to reserialize and/or reregister some software.

 

[xgman]

Tons of audio plugins etc. Hours of testing and re-registering hardware id based licensing/registration. ugg..

 

[Fishrrman]

"Tons of audio plugins etc. Hours of testing and re-registering hardware id based licensing/registration. ugg.."

Once again, I suggest you do the "clone-->setup assistant" migration process I described in reply 4 above.
If you do this, I predict you will be very happy with the results.

 

[niteflyr]

"Tons of audio plugins etc. Hours of testing and re-registering hardware id based licensing/registration. ugg.."

Once again, I suggest you do the "clone-->setup assistant" migration process I described in reply 4 above.
If you do this, I predict you will be very happy with the results.

Please explain how the "clone-->setup assistant migration process" gets better results, as you infer, than a computer to computer direct connect migration process via setup assistant.

 

[Weaselboy]

Both machines will have Mojave. I still am curious if there is any difference at all in the number or type of files pulled (during the new imac pro setup) between the 3 possible data and settings sources (assuming all are made same date), TB3 to old computer, TM, or Cloned drive via TB3 enclosure. My assumption is that they are all 3 exactly the same pull of exactly the same files and settings. Anyone know differently?

If you use Migration/Setup Assistant during the initial setup process, all three of the methods you listed will be the exact same end result. If you already have the cables, TB3 direct connect will be fastest.

No matter what option you use, you will likely still need to register some apps since they detect they are on new hardware. MS and Adobe apps are bad about this. All your settings will come over, but you will just need to rereg.

 

[xgman]

Good info. I'll give it a whirl tonight. Gotta get my '17 packed and ready to sell.

 

[xgman]

imac pro came yesterday without mojave..geeze.. ( a llitle slow over in the Chinese production facility?) So it wouldn't update via anything I had. So I updated it to Mojave and then started over, but at that point was only offered to use Time Machine, which worked, but just took longer than target mode, etc. Anyway all's well. thanks again.