Migration Assistant Issue & Time Machine

[andy8]

Hi All,

I purchased a new Macbook Pro (2016 model) and I have an older Macbook Pro.
I would like to use a Time Machine backup from my older Macbook in order
to setup my new Macbook Pro. I have upgraded both the Mac's to El Capitan
and I have a fully backed up Time Machine.

However, when I connect the External Hardisk (with the complete Time Machine backup)
to my newer Macbook Pro (2016) and then as I start Migration Assistant application;
the External Hardisk with the Time Machine backup never gets detected on the new Macbook and
the spinning wheel keeps going and going - never ending.

Could someone please kindly help me by pointing me as to what may have gone wrong ?
Due to this issue, I'm unable to use my new Macbook Pro for the past few weeks.

I would really appreciate some help on this.

 

[andy8]

Is the issue really difficult to resolve or am I missing some important information from my question ?

 

[richard2]

I don't know what the cause of your problem is, but if you want me to help you manually restore your data, then send me a private message.

 

[NoBoMac]

Have not ever used Migration Assistant, so, no direct answer.

Can try this: from the Time Machine menu bar icon, Option-click it and select the menu option "Browse Other Backup Disks..." to access the previous Mac's backups. See if you can restore your Documents, Pictures, Music, etc. Maybe one folder at a time. You might see one item or more hang, hence, that item is maybe corrupt/has issues.

I'd do Library last, just because if something is squirrelly with a configuration file, just adds more debugging to fix while also trying to restore data (ie. Get the actual data files on first, deal with the fine tweeking second).

 

[Mike Boreham]

Hi All,

I purchased a new Macbook Pro (2016 model) and I have an older Macbook Pro.
I would like to use a Time Machine backup from my older Macbook in order
to setup my new Macbook Pro. I have upgraded both the Mac's to El Capitan
and I have a fully backed up Time Machine.

However, when I connect the External Hardisk (with the complete Time Machine backup)
to my newer Macbook Pro (2016) and then as I start Migration Assistant application;
the External Hardisk with the Time Machine backup never gets detected on the new Macbook and
the spinning wheel keeps going and going - never ending.

Could someone please kindly help me by pointing me as to what may have gone wrong ?
Due to this issue, I'm unable to use my new Macbook Pro for the past few weeks.

I would really appreciate some help on this.

In your situation I would:

1. Connect the TM external to the new MBP
2. Boot the new MBP to its Recovery Partition, (by restart holding cmd+R)
3. Select Reinstall OSX
4. At end of install process it will ask if you want to import from another disk, another mac, TM etc
5. Select the TM drive

This uses the Setup Assistant which is similar to Migration Assistant but imports your users direct from old mac without having to create a temporary user on the new mac first.

A variation on the above would be to connect your old mac directly to your new mac and select the old mac at step 5. I have not personally done this but pretty sure it is possible.

This is a fantastic resource on Time Machine etc. Getting a bit old now as the creator James Pond died a year or two ago, but mostly still valid.

 

[Rockwell719]

Hi All,

I'm about to get a 2012 MBP and I have my 2007 computer TimeMachined on an external drive. The old computer is running Snow Leopard and the new-ish one is coming with El Cap. When I TimeMachine to the newer computer will the OS change back to Snow Leopard? And if so...can I avoid that from happening?

Thanks for your advice. You guys and gals are awesome.

g

 

[Mike Boreham]

Hi All,

I'm about to get a 2012 MBP and I have my 2007 computer TimeMachined on an external drive. The old computer is running Snow Leopard and the new-ish one is coming with El Cap. When I TimeMachine to the newer computer will the OS change back to Snow Leopard? And if so...can I avoid that from happening?

Thanks for your advice. You guys and gals are awesome.

g

Make a bootable USB installer of El Cap (or newer) I recommend Boot Buddy
Connect it and the Snow Leopard TM drive to the newish 2012 MBP
Boot from the USB installer
Launch Disk Utility (while Booted from the USB installer)
Erase the internal drive on the 2012 MBP.
Quit Disk Utility
launch install macOS and install El Capitan (or newer)
At the end of the install it will ask f you want to migrate in. Choose from a TM back or other drive.
It will import everything except the snow Leopard system from the TM drive and add it to the new El Cap install.

 

[Rockwell719]

Make a bootable USB installer of El Cap (or newer) I recommend Boot Buddy
Connect it and the Snow Leopard TM drive to the newish 2012 MBP
Boot from the USB installer
Launch Disk Utility (while Booted from the USB installer)
Erase the internal drive on the 2012 MBP.
Quit Disk Utility
launch install macOS and install El Capitan (or newer)
At the end of the install it will ask f you want to migrate in. Choose from a TM back or other drive.
It will import everything except the snow Leopard system from the TM drive and add it to the new El Cap install.

[doublepost=1528820428][/doublepost]arrrrgh...this is so frustrating! I've tried looking for the download for El Cap and have gotten as far as...

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT206886

When I try to "Get OS X El Capitan." it launches the App Store on my computer and tells me "This version of 10.11 can not be installed on this computer" !! Just trying to download it to make the Bootable USB...

Any suggestions? Thanks. This used to be fun! HA!

 

[Mike Boreham]

[doublepost=1528820428][/doublepost]arrrrgh...this is so frustrating! I've tried looking for the download for El Cap and have gotten as far as...

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT206886

When I try to "Get OS X El Capitan." it launches the App Store on my computer and tells me "This version of 10.11 can not be installed on this computer" !! Just trying to download it to make the Bootable USB...

Any suggestions? Thanks. This used to be fun! HA!

Have you got the 2012 Mac yet or are you trying to download on the 2007 one?
Maybe (I don't know) the 2007 one can't have El Cap ? EDIT A quick look at MacTracker suggests this might be the case.

 

[Rockwell719]

Have you got the 2012 Mac yet or are you trying to download on the 2007 one?
Maybe (I don't know) the 2007 one can't have El Cap ? EDIT A quick look at MacTracker suggests this might be the case.

[doublepost=1528844499][/doublepost]Hi Mike,
The newer Mac is on it’s way. It’ll already have El Cap on it. I just need to migrate my software from the old MBP to the new one.

 

[Mike Boreham]

[doublepost=1528844499][/doublepost]Hi Mike,
The newer Mac is on it’s way. It’ll already have El Cap on it. I just need to migrate my software from the old MBP to the new one.

Sounds like you will have to wait until the new one comes, then you should be able to download El Cap and make a bootable installer, unless you have a friend with newer computer who could make a bootable El Cap installer for you.

 

[NoBoMac]

Just use Migration Assistant.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204350

 

[Mike Boreham]

Just use Migration Assistant.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204350

What I described in post #7 is using Setup Assistant, which is Migration Assistant, run as part of the install process. Doing it at the end of, but part of the install avoids the need to create an initial user which you would have to do in order to run Migration Assistant from the Utilities folder.

If you create this initial user with the same username you are going to migrate in, the Migration Assistant is supposed to ask if you want to overwrite it, but in my experience often refuses to. If it does work, great.

If you create a temporary initial user with a different name, it will have UID=501, and the migrated in user will have UID 502, which can cause permissions problems accessing folder on externals previously created when the main user was UID 501. And you will need to delete the temporary initial user (501) later.

Much easier, quicker and safer to use Setup Assistant at the end of the install process.

 

[Rockwell719]

What I described in post #7 is using Setup Assistant, which is Migration Assistant, run as part of the install process. Doing it at the end of, but part of the install avoids the need to create an initial user which you would have to do in order to run Migration Assistant from the Utilities folder.

If you create this initial user with the same username you are going to migrate in, the Migration Assistant is supposed to ask if you want to overwrite it, but in my experience often refuses to. If it does work, great.

If you create a temporary initial user with a different name, it will have UID=501, and the migrated in user will have UID 502, which can cause permissions problems accessing folder on externals previously created when the main user was UID 501. And you will need to delete the temporary initial user (501) later.

Much easier, quicker and safer to use Setup Assistant at the end of the install process.

[doublepost=1529116631][/doublepost]

What I described in post #7 is using Setup Assistant, which is Migration Assistant, run as part of the install process. Doing it at the end of, but part of the install avoids the need to create an initial user which you would have to do in order to run Migration Assistant from the Utilities folder.

If you create this initial user with the same username you are going to migrate in, the Migration Assistant is supposed to ask if you want to overwrite it, but in my experience often refuses to. If it does work, great.

If you create a temporary initial user with a different name, it will have UID=501, and the migrated in user will have UID 502, which can cause permissions problems accessing folder on externals previously created when the main user was UID 501. And you will need to delete the temporary initial user (501) later.

Much easier, quicker and safer to use Setup Assistant at the end of the install process.

[doublepost=1529116702][/doublepost]Hi Mike,
I got the new MBP today and it has Sierra on it not El Cap as advertised... is this still possible for me to do the El Cap USB gag on this or do I need to send this pig back?

Thanks
g
[doublepost=1529119532][/doublepost]ah, I just tried to download El Cap from the App Store and it says it can't because the computer is too new! :-/

bummer

 

[Mike Boreham]

[doublepost=1529116631][/doublepost]
[doublepost=1529116702][/doublepost]Hi Mike,
I got the new MBP today and it has Sierra on it not El Cap as advertised... is this still possible for me to do the El Cap USB gag on this or do I need to send this pig back?

Thanks
g
[doublepost=1529119532][/doublepost]ah, I just tried to download El Cap from the App Store and it says it can't because the computer is too new! :-/

bummer

Everything I wrote is just as applicable to Sierra as El Capitan. I don't see any problem unless you had a special reason for wanting El Capitan.
[doublepost=1529127959][/doublepost][doublepost=1529119532][/doublepost]ah, I just tried to download El Cap from the App Store and it says it can't because the computer is too new! :-/
[/QUOTE]

That can't be right.... A 2012 MBP is definitely not too new to run El Capitan.

Late 2012 MBPs were supplied with Mountain Lion (10.8). They will run all OSes from 10.8 to current 10.13 High Sierra.

El Capitan is 10.11 and was released in Sept 2015.

If your "newish" MBP is really too new to run El Capitan it must be a 2016 or 2017 model.

What does "About this Mac" say....will show a model number and year.

 

[Rockwell719]

Everything I wrote is just as applicable to Sierra as El Capitan. I don't see any problem unless you had a special reason for wanting El Capitan.
[doublepost=1529127959][/doublepost][doublepost=1529119532][/doublepost]ah, I just tried to download El Cap from the App Store and it says it can't because the computer is too new! :-/

That can't be right.... A 2012 MBP is definitely not too new to run El Capitan.

Late 2012 MBPs were supplied with Mountain Lion (10.8). They will run all OSes from 10.8 to current 10.13 High Sierra.

El Capitan is 10.11 and was released in Sept 2015.

If your "newish" MBP is really too new to run El Capitan it must be a 2016 or 2017 model.

What does "About this Mac" say....will show a model number and year.[/QUOTE]


The About this Mac says it's a late 2011

 

[Mike Boreham]

Well it shouldn't be saying it is too new to run El Capitan!

It should run El Capitan fine, but that doesn't matter if you are happy to end up with Sierra, which it is currently.

Actually no reason why you shouldn't install High Sierra.

Make a bootable USB Sierra installer and follow the steps I listed to run Setup Assistant at the end of the install, and import from your old TM Drive.

 

[Mike Boreham]

Any update on this?

I am very curious why a 2011 MBP says it is too new to run El Capitan released in 2015!