Just switching over a few things onto new Mac

[Apoirier594]

I have a 2009 Macbook Pro.. 256 hdd.

Just bought my friends mint condition 2015 macbook pro for a steal. 8gb ram, 2.7ghz, 128 solid hdd. only $600!

Problem is.. my other mac has 185gb used when not accounting for the OS. I bought an external hdd and backed up onto time machine.. is their a way to just transfer certain things..?

What are my options? What I'd love to do would be to transfer all my settings and safari data (favorites, etc) over. I like the way my old mac was setup. Then have all of my pictures and videos on the external hdd.. possibly iTunes on ext. hdd as well. With this only being 128gb.. I don't want to overload and slow her down or run out of storage.

Is their a way to have all of my pictures saved on the ext. hdd in an iPhoto like format. Then just plug the ext. hdd into the new mac and access everything easily like its on the new mac?

Know I must be missing something.. Thanks in advance!
- Austin

 

[Fishrrman]

"Know I must be missing something."

Here is what you're missing.

DON'T use Time Machine for this job.
Instead, download CarbonCopyCloner (it's FREE to download and FREE to use for 30 days).
Use CCC to create a bootable cloned backup on the external drive you have now (you'll have to erase it first).

Then...
Connect the external to your new MacBook.

To avoid permissions problems, you must do this (very easy):
1. let drive icon mount on desktop (don't open it)
2. click ONE TIME on the icon to select it
3. Type command-i (eye) to bring up the "get info" window for the drive
4. Down at the bottom, there is a sharing & permissions area. If it's not "revealed", click the disclosure arrow to see it.
5. Click the lock icon and enter your password
6. Now, put a checkmark in the "ignore ownership on this volume" box
7. Close the get info box

Now you can open the drive "right in the finder", and just "copy over" whatever you wish to move. That which is "left behind" will STILL BE THERE, and immediately accessible.

Also important to know:
In your home folder, you CANNOT just copy over the "first level" of subfolders, such a "Pictures", "Music", "Movies", etc.
These are "more than" folders -- I believe they are "symbolic links".

HOWEVER -- you CAN copy the -contents- of these folders, without issues.

Example:
If you want to copy pics from the "Pictures" folder on the backup drive, first open the "Pictures" folder. Then select whatever you want and copy them into the "Pictures" folder on the NEW Mac. Then they will be ready to use.

Also important:
Are you still using iPhoto on the old MacBook?
If so, realize that the iPhoto library will get "converted" to Photos on the new one.
EXCEPTION:
You can still keep using iPhoto if you wish on the new one, but if it's with El Capitan or Sierra you MUST use ONLY the LAST version of iPhoto, which is 9.6.1.
You may or may not be able to get this directly from Apple.
If you can't, there are (cough) "other ways" to obtain it.
I use both iPhoto -and- Photos side-by-side, no problems.

Print out these instructions.
I predict that if you follow them, you'll be successful!