Replacing my iMac

[arachn1d]

I am replacing my iMac 250gig hd with a Mac Book Pro (Not sure on size but it's not 250)

So basically, how do I transfer over everything? Obviously buy an external hard drive (can anyone recommend one?)

But is there a way where all applications, etc, can be transfered and work as if nothing happened?

 

[arachn1d]

Anyone?

 

[epochblue]

I'm sure there is, but I've never done it. You might be able to do with a FireWire cable and the Mac Migration Assistant.

I'd just go the external drive route, though. I use a LaCie 250GB Triple Interface drive that works great. I'd highly recommend it.

 

[xUKHCx]

If you will have both at the same time then Target Disk Mode is your friend

If not then Superduper or carbon copy cloner will do the trick.

Just boot from your "now" external harddrive. Fire up the program and clone the drive to your MBP.

I've done this from iMac to iMac (Superduper)

 

[arachn1d]

Yeah I'm thinking I just may dump the hard drive on to the external hard drive.

I am really curious if applications will work though.

 

[Mr. MacBook]

i dont know

 

[arachn1d]

i dont know

Doesn't really help. lol

p.s makes no sense to reply if you have nothing to contribute to the thread.

 

[Macky-Mac]

isn't this exactly what Apple's Migration Assistant is for? I used it a couple of years ago when I bought a new computer and it worked fine for me.

 

[obesecat55]

i dont know

lol

Anyway, Yes I think you should use target disk mode. It's really easy; just plug a firewire cable into each computer and boot with the T key held down on the one you are transfering files from.

All the applications should work; it's not like windows in that there is no "Installation" however I don't know if preferences and such will be copied, as those are in the "Library" folder in Macintosh HD. If you simply copy the entire contents of the disk over, it should work though.

Are the contents on the iMac hard drive smaller than the capacity of the MacBook HD? if so, you don't need the external drive.

 

[smokeyrabbit]

I am replacing my iMac 250gig hd with a Mac Book Pro (Not sure on size but it's not 250)

So basically, how do I transfer over everything? Obviously buy an external hard drive (can anyone recommend one?)

But is there a way where all applications, etc, can be transfered and work as if nothing happened?

When you turn on the new computer for the first time, it asks you if you are going to be transferring data from another Mac. If they are connected by Firewire, you will be able to do this easily by following the prompts.

 

[Mechcozmo]

When you turn on the new computer for the first time, it asks you if you are going to be transferring data from another Mac. If they are connected by Firewire, you will be able to do this easily by following the prompts.

Yes, or any clean OS X installation. Applications ought to work, but sometimes they have trouble if they used an installer. (Photoshop and Palm Desktop for example, but this can vary)

If not then Superduper or carbon copy cloner will do the trick.

Just boot from your "now" external harddrive. Fire up the program and clone the drive to your MBP.

I've done this from iMac to iMac (Superduper)

No!
If you try to clone a PowerPC iMac to an Intel MBP, you'll end up with nothing on the MBP. Due to differences in the disk formatting and the system you cannot clone across architectures. PowerPC->PowerPC is OK, and Intel->Intel is OK, but not a combination of the two. Also, it is not guaranteed that even an Intel iMac to MBP will work due to possible differences in the installed system; power saver, hardware support, etc.

 

[xUKHCx]

No!
If you try to clone a PowerPC iMac to an Intel MBP, you'll end up with nothing on the MBP. Due to differences in the disk formatting and the system you cannot clone across architectures. PowerPC->PowerPC is OK, and Intel->Intel is OK, but not a combination of the two. Also, it is not guaranteed that even an Intel iMac to MBP will work due to possible differences in the installed system; power saver, hardware support, etc.

Stange becuase i did exactly this. Cloned an iMac G5 to an iMac Core 2 Duo and it worked flawlessly.

However your point about iMac to MBP is valid.

 

[Mechcozmo]

Stange becuase i did exactly this. Cloned an iMac G5 to an iMac Core 2 Duo and it worked flawlessly.

Did you copy the formatting of the drives across as well, or just the data? (You can do both.)

Copying the formatting yields a setup that won't allow a PPC or Intel Mac to start up from. Read more about the Apple Partition Map or GUID if you want.

If you only copied data, then you're OK. (This doesn't include the system. Intel system doesn't work on PPC Macs, vice versa, for obvious reasons. Some parts are not Universal; we've got to wait until Leopard for it all to be Universal.)

 

[NuDarwin]

This is part of my line of work. Use the setup assistant to automatically transfer files and applications. Your programs will work. If you don't want to do it the moment that you get your new mac, open the setup assistant program in /Applications/Utilities. Setup assistant really is your best bet at getting everything transferred easily.