file transfer to new M2

[John P. Zenger]

New poster here. M2 should be here in the next few days. I want to transfer data to new machine. I'm coming from a mid-2012 MBA running El Cap. What is the best/easiest way to transfer data to M2? Photos, music, docs, spreadsheets = 100GB. I don't store info in the cloud.

1. pull wanted files off external drive
2. use old MBA in target mode
3. other

TIA,
JPZ

 

[Weaselboy]

Easiest is to make a Time Machine backup to an external drive, then when setting up the new machine tell it yoou want to import and follow the steps. At one point it will ask where you want to import from and you can navigate to the Time Machine drive.

 

[John P. Zenger]

Easiest is to make a Time Machine backup to an external drive, then when setting up the new machine tell it yoou want to import and follow the steps. At one point it will ask where you want to import from and you can navigate to the Time Machine drive.

Thank you!

 

[BanditoB]

What about Migration Assistant? Wouldn't that be even easier?

 

[terryw1]

What about Migration Assistant? Wouldn't that be even easier?

Can someone post a link to how migration assistant works? Used it once and everything was fine, but followed the directions in the link that was posted and I no longer have it.

 

[ian87w]

Easiest is to make a Time Machine backup to an external drive, then when setting up the new machine tell it yoou want to import and follow the steps. At one point it will ask where you want to import from and you can navigate to the Time Machine drive.

Will newer macOS be able to read Time Machine backups from older macOS versions?
Curious as this is something I might have to face in the future as well, as my current mac only officially supports up to Catalina.

 

[chrfr]

Can someone post a link to how migration assistant works? Used it once and everything was fine, but followed the directions in the link that was posted and I no longer have it.

Apple already wrote that: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204350

 

[Weaselboy]

Will newer macOS be able to read Time Machine backups from older macOS versions?
Curious as this is something I might have to face in the future as well, as my current mac only officially supports up to Catalina.

Yes it will.

 

[ian87w]

Yes it will.

Good to know. Thanks.

 

[Scott-n-Houston]

I found this to help ensure you can use Thunderbolt vs. WiFi or even ethernet being slower.

Transfer your information to Mac from another computer or device

Use Migration Assistant to transfer your information from a Mac, PC, or disk.

support.apple.com