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Setting up New Mac Mini Migration Assistant Help
- Thread starter Sully
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Yes.
No... but Migration Assistant copies files and applications. It doesn't remove files or applications from the source Mac. After Migration Assistant completes, simply delete the unwanted applications from the target Mac.
Do you currently maintain a backup of the 2020 iMac on an external drive?
If so, that's what to use for the migration.
Run your "last backup on the old Mac" the day the new Mini is to arrive.
When the Mini gets there, set it up on the table and connect the backup BEFORE you power it up for the first time.
When setup assistant asks if you wish to migrate, YES you do.
Point the way to the backup and give SA time to "digest" everything.
Setup assistant will present you with a list of stuff to migrate, including applications.
BE AWARE that you can UNcheck the applications option, BUT... it's "all or nothing".
Hmmm...
I'm thinking that since you're already running Sonoma, it's only "one OS jump up" to Sequoia -- so, I'll predict that MOST of your apps will migrate over. They may "run in Rosetta" for now, but they'll still run.
My advice is to just migrate them and see what works and what doesn't.
Keep what works.
Either upgrade or toss out those apps that don't.
Good luck.
If so, that's what to use for the migration.
Run your "last backup on the old Mac" the day the new Mini is to arrive.
When the Mini gets there, set it up on the table and connect the backup BEFORE you power it up for the first time.
When setup assistant asks if you wish to migrate, YES you do.
Point the way to the backup and give SA time to "digest" everything.
Setup assistant will present you with a list of stuff to migrate, including applications.
BE AWARE that you can UNcheck the applications option, BUT... it's "all or nothing".
Hmmm...
I'm thinking that since you're already running Sonoma, it's only "one OS jump up" to Sequoia -- so, I'll predict that MOST of your apps will migrate over. They may "run in Rosetta" for now, but they'll still run.
My advice is to just migrate them and see what works and what doesn't.
Keep what works.
Either upgrade or toss out those apps that don't.
Good luck.
Thank you.
I’d like to get a close to a fresh install as possible while maintaining my existing applications and system settings.
If I migrate only the applications, will I accomplish that?
But what about
- accounts
- data (this being stuff you created with your apps, email, etc.)
- settings
???
Do you REALLY want to set all that up again, from scratch?
And... be aware that if you create a NEW account, and then try to move stuff over from your OLD account on the old Mac, you could start running into all kinds of permissions problems.
When you migrate with setup assistant "from the first boot", you avoid these issues.
Best way is to do the migration at initial setup, and probably better to "migrate it all".
- accounts
- data (this being stuff you created with your apps, email, etc.)
- settings
???
Do you REALLY want to set all that up again, from scratch?
And... be aware that if you create a NEW account, and then try to move stuff over from your OLD account on the old Mac, you could start running into all kinds of permissions problems.
When you migrate with setup assistant "from the first boot", you avoid these issues.
Best way is to do the migration at initial setup, and probably better to "migrate it all".
I wanted to leave all of the data (individual Word files, Spread sheets, old pitch decks etc) on attached storage and then access any files I need from that storage.
The goal is to reorganize my new internal drive and start fresh. But, I’m not crazy about setting up mail accounts again or any other pure settings for that matter. I just don’t want to carry over my poorly organized and old data files.
I’m in the process of trying to do what I think you want to do….. I have 15 years and at least 3 computers worth of migrations on my 2019 iMac 27, and I wanted to start fresh with my new Mini. It really helps if you have everything going through iCloud, so Mail, Photos, Notes, Music, etc., all synced right over once I signed into iCloud on the Mini. I had to set up my four Google email accounts all over again, but that didn’t take very long…… just sign on with the email address and password for each account, and it’s done once it’s verified, and everything comes flooding in.
As for apps, I’m reloading from the App Store only the ones I want to carry forward…..they’re all listed under my App Store account, so that was easy too, again just had to re-sign into some of the apps. For some things like Quicken for Mac, I made a backup of my data, redownloaded the app from the Quicken website, logged in, then did a restore from the backup. I did reinstall the driver packages for both my printers, but again, not hard at all.
Next will be moving documents and miscellaneous items, but so far so good! Not as quick as a migration, and takes longer, but I’ll have a super clean install when I’m done.
ThinkorSwim trading software in which I have some fairly labor intensive charting set ups and personally coded strategy set ups.
When I looked in Finder, it looked like all of the files were contained within the app. I couldn’t see any in the Library folder and I don’t know where else to look.
Recommend you reach out to Charles Schwab for technical support, especially if the software is used for your livelihood. There isn’t much technical documentation, etc on the web site.
There’s is a cut and paste solution, which I will do if I have to. I think I’ll try the drag and drop method first.
Thank you for commenting.
If you'd like to ascertain whether or not there are "more files" to the ThinkOrSwim app, you could do this:
Download the free "AppCleaner" utility.
Launch AppCleaner so it's window is on the desktop.
Open the applications folder in the finder (along with the AppCleaner window).
Now, "grab and drag" the icon for ThinkOrSwim and "drop it" into AppCleaner.
Give AppCleaner a moment to "look around" for ancillary files.
DO NOT touch the "Remove" button...!
We are doing this just to see if there are other files relevant to the app.
What I would do at this point is use "command-shift-4" to bring up the "crosshairs", and then drag them across AppCleaner's window to create a screenshot of the relevant files.
Then, cancel out of AppCleaner (leaving the app untouched).
Now you have the screenshot as a reference to the other files and their names and locations.
It MIGHT be possible to move all these "by hand".
======
I still recommend using Setup Assistant and the CCC backup to migrate.
Just leave the checkbox for "Applications" UNchecked, so all the apps are "left behind".
Then, once the migration is complete and you're running from the new Mac, try "copying over" the ThinkOrSwim app.
Even if the app has "other files" that are scattered around your account, they will have been migrated because you DID migrate your data and settings...
Download the free "AppCleaner" utility.
Launch AppCleaner so it's window is on the desktop.
Open the applications folder in the finder (along with the AppCleaner window).
Now, "grab and drag" the icon for ThinkOrSwim and "drop it" into AppCleaner.
Give AppCleaner a moment to "look around" for ancillary files.
DO NOT touch the "Remove" button...!
We are doing this just to see if there are other files relevant to the app.
What I would do at this point is use "command-shift-4" to bring up the "crosshairs", and then drag them across AppCleaner's window to create a screenshot of the relevant files.
Then, cancel out of AppCleaner (leaving the app untouched).
Now you have the screenshot as a reference to the other files and their names and locations.
It MIGHT be possible to move all these "by hand".
======
I still recommend using Setup Assistant and the CCC backup to migrate.
Just leave the checkbox for "Applications" UNchecked, so all the apps are "left behind".
Then, once the migration is complete and you're running from the new Mac, try "copying over" the ThinkOrSwim app.
Even if the app has "other files" that are scattered around your account, they will have been migrated because you DID migrate your data and settings...
The thing is, one of my reasons for doing a clean install is to leave my data behind.
I was planning on using my back up SSD as attached storage and accessing any files that I need from my old computer on an as needed basis.
Using migration assistant would bring all of my sloppily organized (and unneeded) files as well as the ones that are precisely organized (and potentially useful) to the new computer and that is precisely what I’m trying to avoid.
EXACTLY my thinking and process as well…..I had apps and data going as far back as 2004 on my 2019 iMac! I got an external 4TB SSD to put all my old stuff on, and reinstalled only the few apps I wanted to carry over to my clean install. Happy to report that everything is up and running, and this allows me to again use Migration Assistant with confidence the next time I upgrade my Mac.
"The thing is, one of my reasons for doing a clean install is to leave my data behind."
I have to admit, this is perhaps the first time I ever heard anyone say that.
Folks usually want to bring their personal data along with them when they get a new Mac.
I still have files created in 1987 [on my Apple //c] on my main Mac...
I have to admit, this is perhaps the first time I ever heard anyone say that.
Folks usually want to bring their personal data along with them when they get a new Mac.
I still have files created in 1987 [on my Apple //c] on my main Mac...
For me, better to leave old data on attached storage making it accessible without cluttering my primary drive.
With the speed of modern SDDs it’s quick and easy to get to this data when needed.
My latest idea is to use migration assistant for apps and settings and leave everything lease behind on attached storage.
I’m about to make the final decision. Are there any pitfalls I should be aware of or any unexpected issues you faced?
The only thing negative that happened to me was forgetting how to redownload my standalone Microsoft Word 11 app. It wasn’t in the App Store, but I finally discovered I originally bought it from Amazon. When I tried the code it came with, it didn’t work. I ended up buying a new license for a new copy, but when I went to go download it from the Microsoft store, I saw that my old licensed copy was already there and could’ve just downloaded that.
Just make a list of every app you want to use with your fresh Mac setup, and make sure you know how to get it, download it, and re-license it if needed. Some of mine came from the App Store, some from Amazon, and some from manufacturer’s websites. I could not be happier with my clean install.