Migration to a new iMac

[IndyBob]

I have a new IMAC (RETINA 5K, 27-INCH, LATE 2015) being delivered next week.

I have a chance to sell my current iMac before the new one gets here. Is using my Time Machine backup going to be the same and safe as using the old iMac for the Mac migration?

If not I will wait and not sell the old one until I have the new one.

Both will be running El Capitan. I am not sure what version the new one will have but my current one is 10.11.1

Thanks

 

[JustMartin]

If you've got another drive available, I would look at the possibility of using carbon copy cloner or similar so that you have an exact copy of your hard disk and therefore, two types of backup. Then, you can erase the hard disk on your current iMac and do a test restore from both media.

 

[IndyBob]

Thanks. I do have another drive and do use CCC. Sounds like a good plan.

Bob

 

[xgman]

I used the TB cable to connect the old imac and used that as a data source. TM works the same.

 

[Fishrrman]

Here's one more vote for creating a fully-bootable cloned backup using CarbonCopyCloner (or SuperDuper).

Everything will be there in plain old finder format.
Just connect the drive and go.

If Migration Assistant gives you problems, you'll still be able to access the backup via the finder as you would any other drive.

 

[Weaselboy]

Is using my Time Machine backup going to be the same and safe as using the old iMac for the Mac migration?

Yes. That Time Machine drive can be used as the source for Migration Assistant just fine.

 

[IndyBob]

Great. Thanks