Data migration and storage SOS...

[Cbdboz]

Hoping someone out there may be able to help me ...

I have never got around to moving my files from my OLD 2009 IMAC, and missed the opportunity to use migration assistant when I first bought my iMac.

I manually copied all my iTunes folders, and these are now in my new image library, however my biggest concern is my Photos.... which still sit on my old iMac 2009 and its creaking hard drive.

My 2009 iMac is backed up to my Time capsule Time machine....which is rapidly reaching its own limit of storage..

I am currently trying to copy my iPhoto library file (under PICTURES on my User account of my 2009 iMac) to an external 2TB USB drive...but already I am worried as there is 250G to copy, and the transfer rate looks painfully sloe...and estimating 3 days.....

I am thinking that going forward I would use external drives, and possibly an external multibay enclosure for my devices to access...however for now, I have a 3TB fusion drive in my new Imace that has plenty of room to absorb...I just need to find a way to get the iPhoto library over safely...


welcome any help...

 

[Fishrrman]

My advice:

This will require an external drive.

1. Download CarbonCopyCloner from here:
http://www.bombich.com/download.html
CCC is FREE to download, and it's FREE to use for 30 days.

2. Use CCC to clone the contents of the OLD iMac's drive to an external drive.

3. You now have an exact copy of the contents of the iMac on an external drive, in "plain old finder format".
You can mount it, read it, copy one file or folder, or copy dozens of files/folders.

4. Take this to your NEW Mac, and "move over" what you need to move "by hand".

 

[Weaselboy]

I am currently trying to copy my iPhoto library file (under PICTURES on my User account of my 2009 iMac) to an external 2TB USB drive...but already I am worried as there is 250G to copy, and the transfer rate looks painfully sloe...and estimating 3 days.....

The problem here is your older Mac has just a USB2 port, so any transfer that large is going to be slow. Do you have the external drive formatted to Mac OS Extended? If you do, there is nothing to do but just wait it out.

Your iMac has Firewire 800 that would be faster, but you would need a new FW800 enclosure.

 

[Cbdboz]

My advice:

This will require an external drive.

1. Download CarbonCopyCloner from here:
http://www.bombich.com/download.html
CCC is FREE to download, and it's FREE to use for 30 days.

2. Use CCC to clone the contents of the OLD iMac's drive to an external drive.

3. You now have an exact copy of the contents of the iMac on an external drive, in "plain old finder format".
You can mount it, read it, copy one file or folder, or copy dozens of files/folders.

4. Take this to your NEW Mac, and "move over" what you need to move "by hand".

Thanks..... I have heard enough good things about ccc, so if still free as well then seems a no brainier. Guessing I would need to download to the old 2009 iMac.

Going forward I guess I could also download ccc on the new iMac, and use to make regular backups.

 

[Cbdboz]

The problem here is your older Mac has just a USB2 port, so any transfer that large is going to be slow. Do you have the external drive formatted to Mac OS Extended? If you do, there is nothing to do but just wait it out.

Your iMac has Firewire 800 that would be faster, but you would need a new FW800 enclosure.

Thanks.... Not sure if it was formatted to Mac OS extended but it seems to be slowly chugging through, and pleased to say that the time has gone down to within a day.... So will sit it out, and also think about CCC

Cheers

 

[Cbdboz]

good news and bad news.......it didn't take the 3 days or even 1 day it was stating.....but returned an error when halfway through the copying and had to cancel. so back to square 1. maybe will download ccc and try....

 

[nebo1ss]

It has already been said that your problem is that you are dealing with a USB2 connection. Copying more data " the whole drive" is not going to be any quicker than copying the photo library.

Since you are trying to copy the iPhoto library and it is very large. You might also want to try the export command within iPhoto. By doing it that way you can do it gradually and not have a three day process that is likely to fail.

 

[Cbdboz]

It has already been said that your problem is that you are dealing with a USB2 connection. Copying more data " the whole drive" is not going to be any quicker than copying the photo library.

Since you are trying to copy the iPhoto library and it is very large. You might also want to try the export command within iPhoto. By doing it that way you can do it gradually and not have a three day process that is likely to fail.

ok...now trying export under the iPhoto menu...just highlighted 'Photos' under the library, and selected Export from the file menu...now chugging away....hopefully this will export copies of al my 40000 pictures to my USB drive, and retain a copy of the original files within the existing HDD.

 

[Cbdboz]

My advice:

This will require an external drive.

1. Download CarbonCopyCloner from here:
http://www.bombich.com/download.html
CCC is FREE to download, and it's FREE to use for 30 days.

2. Use CCC to clone the contents of the OLD iMac's drive to an external drive.

3. You now have an exact copy of the contents of the iMac on an external drive, in "plain old finder format".
You can mount it, read it, copy one file or folder, or copy dozens of files/folders.

4. Take this to your NEW Mac, and "move over" what you need to move "by hand".

tried CCC, however unlike the Youtube videos, I had a number of folders that were unselected and RED...such as APPLICATIONS, PRIVATE, mach_kernal, Private...etc...

..am i supposed to check these if i want to make an exact copy (and hopefully bootable copy) of my HDD?

alsdo, do i need to do anything such as partitioning the usb beforehand, or do I just create 1 big folder in the USB drive that can be used as a bootable carbon copy, and I can still use the remainder of the USB for other files???

 

[Fishrrman]

CarbonCopyCloner is the easiest solution.

It will make an EXACT copy of your ENTIRE drive.

Then, take that to the new Mac and get what you need from it.

DO NOT attempt to designate folders for copying, just copy the whole thing.
It will take a little time, but even USB2 is good enough for this.

You are "trying too hard" to get this done.
CCC makes it easy-peasy.

 

[Cbdboz]

CarbonCopyCloner is the easiest solution.

It will make an EXACT copy of your ENTIRE drive.

Then, take that to the new Mac and get what you need from it.

DO NOT attempt to designate folders for copying, just copy the whole thing.
It will take a little time, but even USB2 is good enough for this.

You are "trying too hard" to get this done.
CCC makes it easy-peasy.

Hi Fishrrman - and thanks for the feedback.

Note that for some reason not all the folders are checked...hence this would not copy the whole thing.

Question therefore, is do I need to check the ones that are currently nort checked by CCC, so that it does copy the whole thing...??


second question, was on whether i need to create any specific partitioning on the destination drive...or will it just create a folder (that becomes a bootable CC of my HD) and I can still save other content / files to the external drive as an when I want (tho obviously outside any folder CCC may create)??

...hope this clarifies... :0)