Manual install or Migrate to my new 2012

[davekro]

On Migration and old junk files:
I have been migrating this OS since OS 9 so more than 15 years of built up old apps and non used system related files are lurking on the drive. Since I'm moving only ≈ 225 GB's from the iMac to the new 512 SSD, space and slow down from this old garbage I'm guessing is a non issue, but it would 'feel good' to discard some of it. I just have no idea what I would look for to delete system info or old app wise to do a clean installation. To add to it, my old 2006 iMac came used with LOTS of software on it that is now useless (w/ Lion like Photoshop) and more (that I am not even aware of ;o) that will become useless with any of the higher OS's. I am off to read 'Teh Google' on this, but any pointers or links appreciated.

Which OS to start 2012 Mini 2.6, 16 GB, 512SSD with??? Having just upgraded my old iMac late 2006 from 10.6.8 Snow Lep. to 10.7.5 Lion I have ZERO experience w/ 10.9, 10.10 or 10.11. I have read that El Capitan cleaned up some slowness or bugs from Yosemite and that Mavericks had it's issues. That 10.11.1 had problems w/ MS Office, but hopefully that got fixed by the current 10.11.x.

The main two apps I need compatibility with are Quicken for Mac 2007 and MS Office (version unsure). The empty 2012 Mini now has 10.9.5 Mav. The iMac I'll migrate data from is hardware maxed at 10.7.5.

1) What OS do you recommend going with on new to me 2012 Mini.
2) Would I put the Mini at the desired OS before the migration from the old iMac?
3) Or do I migrate from iMac Lion to Mini Mavericks, then upgrade the Mini to the desired OS?
Any hints or tips welcomed.

On Hard drives, I decided I want to unfuse the 512 SSD from the 1TB HDD. So I'll read up on one of the helpful links already supplied (thank you) on how to proceed with that.

 

[davekro]

Though the idea of a clean install (manual move of my old data) sounds good, from my hour plus of researching Google I do not get a warm fuzzy feeling that my very limited understanding of all the variables involved would get me a complete and unbotched new system running on the Mini. If anyone has link(s) that would help me follow a step by step for dummies manual installation.. awesome. Or, in my situation, would it be better to just accept the bloat that I would transfer over via Migration Assistant?

 

[Celerondon]

I have been migrating this OS since OS 9 so more than 15 years of built up old apps and non used system related files are lurking on the drive.

The main two apps I need compatibility with are Quicken for Mac 2007 and MS Office (version unsure).

1) What OS do you recommend going with on new to me 2012 Mini.
2) Would I put the Mini at the desired OS before the migration from the old iMac?
3) Or do I migrate from iMac Lion to Mini Mavericks, then upgrade the Mini to the desired OS?

1) El Capitan
2) Yes - install the new OS->Install new versions of your apps->migrate data
3) No - Avoid crippling your new setup with all of that history

Get the new Quicken for Macs and a new version of Office as well. In this way you can trim your research and your drama at the same time. Do not make a hobby of trying to make old versions of your apps compatible with the new OS X. Danger Will Robinson! Danger!

 

[Fishrrman]

I "dual-boot" my late 2012 Mini.

My "main OS" is 10.8.5. Runs fast and is solid as a rock.
I run this "externally" from an SSD installed into a USB3/SATA dock.

My "other OS" is 10.11.2.
I also run this externally from an SSD connected to a USB3/SATA adapter "dongle".
It also runs fast, but I've had a very few random lockups that may be due to the fact that I'm running the public beta software.
One other quirk: it will crash if I choose "shut down". BUT -- if I log out first, and then choose shut down, it's fine. I'm wondering if I missed a firmware update along the way, but not sure.

If I absolutely had to choose only one of the above two, it would be 10.8.5.

 

[davekro]

1) El Capitan
2) Yes - install the new OS->Install new versions of your apps->migrate data
3) No - Avoid crippling your new setup with all of that history

Get the new Quicken for Macs and a new version of Office as well. In this way you can trim your research and your drama at the same time. Do not make a hobby of trying to make old versions of your apps compatible with the new OS X. Danger Will Robinson! Danger!

I don't feel brave enough to to a manual data move, So I'll do a migration after I clean up my old system as best I can. I ran AppCleaner and selected all apps with a cycle w/ line thru it (most were power PC apps LOL). That was about 30% of the Applications folder. Next I'll go thru and research what the apps I do not recognize and delete superfluous ones. Hmmmn, many of those may turn into circle w/ line thru when migrated to Mavericks or above. If I get a lot of those, I could go back to source iMac and delete those newly 'broken' apps, then do a re- migration (or is deleting 20 or so apps w/ AppCleaner from the new Mini just fine)?

MS Office, yes I will get a newer version, good idea. But if you are a Quicken user, you may be familiar with the JOKE that Quicken for Mac Essentials (2015) was compared to the last good version Quicken for Mac 2007. From What I've read QM 2016 is barely better. Most hard core quicken users dropped QM 2015 and went back to a fuller function QM 2007. Intuit has treated Mac as the poorest of step children for far too many years.

Thanks for tip on updating new to me Mini to latest OS I decide on THEN migrate from the iMac w/ 10.7.

 

[davekro]

I "dual-boot" my late 2012 Mini.

My "main OS" is 10.8.5. Runs fast and is solid as a rock.
I run this "externally" from an SSD installed into a USB3/SATA dock.

My "other OS" is 10.11.2.
I also run this externally from an SSD connected to a USB3/SATA adapter "dongle".
It also runs fast, but I've had a very few random lockups that may be due to the fact that I'm running the public beta software.
One other quirk: it will crash if I choose "shut down". BUT -- if I log out first, and then choose shut down, it's fine. I'm wondering if I missed a firmware update along the way, but not sure.

If I absolutely had to choose only one of the above two, it would be 10.8.5.

Interesting. I never thought about keeping a lower OS in a bootable partition. God knows with the 1 TB HDD plus the 3 TB USB 3.0 external drive, I have plenty of 500GB volumes to spare!

 

[davekro]

EDIT #3 Ignore this post. I posted a new thread to be more clear and specific. See it here:

https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...7-extern-hd-cc-clone-to-mini-w-10-11.1941827/

Ready to run Migration Assistant BUT... [≈ 180GB from Late '06 iMac to 2012 Mini]
EDIT 1: Looking at theoretical cable speeds. USB 3.0 is leaps and bounds faster than FW400, USB 2 or Ethernet. I'll start a CC Clone of a bootable copy of my iMac OS.
Edit 2: Is running MA as simple as the Apple MA link says? Just cable External HDD to new Mac and run MA?

1) Connection options for what I have available: a) ethernet direct (patch or reg?) b) USB 2.0 c) connect both over network via ethernet or WiFi [I have an Xfinity cable router and wifi router connected to that. Not sure if. Not sure how this would work.]

1.5) I could CC Clone the iMac overnight to an External USB 3.0 HDD, then somehow use that to Use MA from?? Not sure if that works, but at least it would be USB 3.0 on both source and target (Mini)

2) On new Mini, I set up a User, set up Mail and been using the web, so playing for two days so it is not in out of the box condition. I read I DO NOT want to have a User set up (like I do) before running MA. Can I (and how) delete the user account? How best to delete my info on the Mail app? The Apple MA instructions say nothing about starting with no user account set up??

I have El Capitan running on Mini now. I did save the El Capitan installation app on it's own volume on an Ext. HDD before I ran the installation on the mini. I also CC Cloned a copy of 10.9.5 to another Ext. partition (but it has the User I set up on it too).

I was hoping to start this before bed time, but Cloning now hopefully MA tomorrow.