Replacing mac, how to copy image

[Gaprofitt]

Hi All,

I am upgrading from a macbook air to a 15 inch mbp retina. What's the best free tool and how do I reload my current HD/image onto the new laptop? Also how can I backup mail if I decide not to do a whole image level backup?

Thanks,

Greg

 

[GGJstudios]

Carbon Copy Cloner can make a bootable clone of your drive to an external backup drive. You can either boot from that external drive or install it in a computer and boot from it as an internal drive or you can restore from that backup to an existing internal drive.

You can use version 3.5.1 ($40) or 3.4.7 (free, and works well on OS X 10.6, 10.7 and 10.8).

 

[benwiggy]

The easiest free way is to use Migration Assistant on the new Mac, which allows you to copy everything directly from another Mac, or from your Time Machine backup on an external drive.

It allows you to choose what elements you want to migrate, so you don't have to select everything.

 

[Bear]

I am upgrading from a macbook air to a 15 inch mbp retina. What's the best free tool and how do I reload my current HD/image onto the new laptop? Also how can I backup mail if I decide not to do a whole image level backup?

Time Machine or Migration Assistant.

Carbon Copy Cloner can make a bootable clone of your drive to an external backup drive. You can either boot from that external drive or install it in a computer and boot from it as an internal drive or you can restore from that backup to an existing internal drive.
...

Two things, first Gaprofitt said he may not want to do a whole image backup. And second, the Retina MBP may not be able to boot off the Air image.

 

[GGJstudios]

Two things, first Gaprofitt said he may not want to do a whole image backup.

That's not what they asked:

What's the best free tool and how do I reload my current HD/image onto the new laptop? Also how can I backup mail if I decide not to do a whole image level backup?

 

[Bear]

That's not what they asked:

I missed that part, it happens, but my point about the Retina MBP and possibly not being able to boot from the Air image still applies and needed to be mentioned.

 

[GGJstudios]

I missed that part, it happens, but my point about the Retina MBP and possibly not being able to boot from the Air image still applies and needed to be mentioned.

That is certainly a possibility and should be tested, but it will probably work. Some drivers may need to be downloaded. I've booted a Mac mini from a CCC clone of a MBP. Other than a few messages like the backlit keyboard not being detected, it worked fine. I don't recommend replacing the new computer's drive image with the cloned image, but booting directly from the clone should work if needed, and transferring user data from the clone will work just fine.

 

[benwiggy]

i would also not advise cloning an ENTIRE drive image from an older Mac onto a brand new image. 2012 model Macs come with their own builds of OS X which may have drivers that other OS builds of 10.8 lack.

 

[Weaselboy]

Hi All,

I am upgrading from a macbook air to a 15 inch mbp retina. What's the best free tool and how do I reload my current HD/image onto the new laptop? Also how can I backup mail if I decide not to do a whole image level backup?

Thanks,

Greg

If you clone the MBA image to the new Retina, it will not work. The Retina uses a special build of Mountain Lion. You can clone or use Time Machine to get your MBA image/data in an external drive then use Migration Assistant on the new machine to move all your data in. This will also bring in the mail from the old machine.

 

[James_C]

If you clone the MBA image to the new Retina, it will not work. The Retina uses a special build of Mountain Lion. You can clone or use Time Machine to get your MBA image/data in an external drive then use Migration Assistant on the new machine to move all your data in. This will also bring in the mail from the old machine.

Well there was a special build of Lion (10.7) when the Retina was first released, as Mountain Lion was not out then. Not sure if it has a special build now for Mountain Lion (10.8). However I would always go with a clean build of the OS then use Migration Assistant to move all your files, apps, mail, settings over to your new Mac. You can use migration assistant to pull data directly from your old mac, providing it is on the same network as your new one. This is the Apple support guide on Migration Assistant.

One final note, using a clone will only work if both machines are on the same OS, so if your older Mac is running Lion or earlier you could not use a clone anyway as the older machine would not have the drivers for the new hardware.