New system setup or restoration from a superduper image?

[cool11]

I will get a new retina macbook pro 15 late 2013, in the next weeks.

I have a bootable image of all my old 'mac' system, which I took using the marvelous backup application 'superduper', from my previous mbp.

I know that I can 'copy' my system, from external hard disk, to the new mbp.
I have to say, that I am doing this procedure successfully, from 2007 that I had mbp with 'tiger', till today with an early 2011 mbp with 'mavericks'.


I have heard many stories about what is better to do, keep using the compatible-older osx setup in new machines, or setup everything from the start.

Many say that it is like 'format' procedure of ms windows, you just have to do it when you get a new machine, in order to be sure you will not have problems in the future.

Others say that this is not needed in mac platform. Osx can run from one apple computer to another, and adapt itself accordingly. Apple has taken care of all its machines and osx versions, so why bother?

The question is 'new setup from the start' or 'copy existing setup from the older mac and be up and running in 20 minutes'.

Of course, new setup, needs some time, and find out how to customize the whole environment as you want, some apps need installation etc.

I don't have time, that's for sure, but if I am going to have any problems in the future from the continuation of this infinite process through the years, of everlasting migrating my whole osx system setup, between different macs and osx versions, I will think very seriously to do my best and try hard, someday to find some time to make a new setup of the new system and apps.
But until I find the time to do it, I will have not to use my mbp, because it would be not very functional for me. But, I should make the best choice and the most future-proof.


I want your experiences and suggestions.

 

[Fishrrman]

The old copy of the OS on the SuperDuper clone from the older mbp is probably not going to boot a new MacBook. If you want to try, connect the old drive to the new MacBook, then reboot with the option key held down until the startup manager appears. Do you see the old drive as a "bootable choice" in startup manager?

First course of action (after the NEW MacBook arrives):
1. Boot up the new MacBook
2. When the Setup routine asks if you wish to import your accounts and data from another computer or drive, connect the SuperDuper cloned backup and use that as your source.
3. The setup assistant should import your accounts, settings, apps and data from the old drive.

An alternative course of action:
1. Boot up the new MacBook and create a NEW user account
2. Use software update to bring the OS and Apple apps "up to date"
3. Connect the SuperDuper clone, and use "Migration Assistant" to import old accounts, settings, apps, and data.
This should produce results that are roughly equivalent to the first way. HOWEVER, you may want to set up to log into your OLD (imported) account, rather than the new one.

The last course of action:
1. Boot up the new MacBook and create a NEW user account
2. Use software update to bring the OS and Apple apps "up to date"
3. Re-install apps "by hand", and then manually copy data files over, again "by hand".

 

[cool11]

In the past, I restored the whole environment of osx from a superduper image, from macbook pro 2007, to macbook pro 2011. So, it can be done.

But, to be honest, I am not sure this is the best way to do it.
I want the best of both worlds.
I welcome any automation in migrating all my setting from the existing image, while I would like to have all the freshness of the new machine.
Keeping this in mind, just 'restore' the image to the new mbp, will work, but it seems rather a not ideal way.

I don't remember any 'setup' routine coming up, the first time I booted my previous macs.
So, can 'migration assistant' be a smart solution, to transfer to the new system, all settings-apps-data? Can 'migration assistant' use the superduper image to do the job?

 

[Fishrrman]

[[ Can 'migration assistant' use the superduper image to do the job? ]]

Sure. SuperDuper doesn't create "an image". When you mount a SD-created backup, you are simply mounting your old drive, as it was, with all the files in "plain old finder format". No "image" at all...

 

[cool11]

The superduper 'image'/backup, resides there, in the external hard disk.

The question is: what is better for what I want?
Make a full restore from this disk, or better using 'migration assistant'?

I want to have all the setup I made through years in my new mbp, in a fraction of time, but avoid any 'junk' or possible problems in the future.
Also, I don't want to 'harm' the new mbp performance, with any action from me.

So, how should I go?

 

[Weaselboy]

The superduper 'image'/backup, resides there, in the external hard disk.

The question is: what is better for what I want?
Make a full restore from this disk, or better using 'migration assistant'?

I want to have all the setup I made through years in my new mbp, in a fraction of time, but avoid any 'junk' or possible problems in the future.
Also, I don't want to 'harm' the new mbp performance, with any action from me.

So, how should I go?

I would just use the Migration Assistant that pops up and the end of the setup wizard at new system startup. That will pull in your apps and data from the SD backup while preserving the new OS.

Depending on what version and build number of OS X you have on the SD drive a full clone might work, but it offers zero benefit over the migration and will take more time. Also, SD does not clone the hidden recovery partition, so I am concerned a clone from a SD drive to e new machine would erase the recovery partition on the new machine.