Transition from old to new iMac / Iphone backups nowhere to be found

[marku5]

the setup:
my 2007 24" low end iMac was destroyed when lightning struck....
(two years ago I installed a 240GB 3G OWC SSD myself)
I just got my new super sexy maxed out 2013 27" iMac.
I have a 2007 TC with 500GB (with backups of my old iMac)
I have a 2013 TC with 3TB (with a backup of my new "clean slate" iMac)
I also have a 2013 13" MBA
I now have the owc ssd in a usb three enclosure. (works perfectly)

my problem:
i would like to extract all of my iphone backups (mine and my families/friends) from the owc ssd. ( i think the only other thing i`d like to extract are my pictures, but afaik thats just simple drag an drop.. ->will have to organize my new iphoto library anyway!)
i thought i would be able to just go to the location on the ssd like i used to before on my old imac, but i can't.
(-with: " ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup/ " )
i opt. for a clean new mavericks install for my new iMac in order to have a clean slate and everything super tidy from now on out.
i configured pretty much everything the way i wanted and backed it up to my new TC.

so far i tried:
-using the migration assistant in order to get my iphone backups on the new imac. (migration works just fine but i couldn't find the backups)
-restoring the new imac with the backup of the old imac. (doesn't work)
-using the old iMacs ssd as startup drive for my new iMac via usb 3 (doesn't work)
-installing OSX 10.8 in a VM to use the USB 3 ssd as startup drive
(didn't work, just saw the error sign upon startup with the usb3 ssd...)

any suggestions?

I'd REALLY appreciate it......

 

[Bruno09]

i thought i would be able to just go to the location on the ssd like i used to before on my old imac, but i can't.
(-with: " ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup/ " )

I understand you would like to access your user Library on the SSD that is now in an external enclosure.

As you probably know, the ~/Library is hidden by default.

If you want to unhide it, use the Terminal :

chflags nohidden /Volumes/disk_name/Users/your_user_name/Library/

Replace "disk_name" to the actual name of your partition (Macintosh HD for instance).
If the name has a space in it, use : "Macintosh HD" with the quotes, or Macintosh\ HD without quotes.

Replace your_user_name to your actual user name (Home folder) on the SSD.

Example :

chflags nohidden /Volumes/"Macintosh HD"/Users/marku5/Library/

(copy/paste the right command in the Terminal window).

 

[marku5]

I understand you would like to access your user Library on the SSD that is now in an external enclosure.

As you probably know, the ~/Library is hidden by default.

If you want to unhide it, use the Terminal :

chflags nohidden /Volumes/disk_name/Users/your_user_name/Library/

Replace "disk_name" to the actual name of your partition (Macintosh HD for instance).
If the name has a space in it, use : "Macintosh HD" with the quotes, or Macintosh\ HD without quotes.

Replace your_user_name to your actual user name (Home folder) on the SSD.

Example :

chflags nohidden /Volumes/"Macintosh HD"/Users/marku5/Library/

(copy/paste the right command in the Terminal window).

ok, thanks for that..
I thought about unhiding the library myself but couldn't find anything about it..

but so far your instructions didn't get me anywhere..

both the old iMacs sad and the new iMacs sad are called iMac ssd..
could that be the problem? (tried changing the new iMacs ssd's name..)

maybe i misspelled something in the terminal?

I added some pictures:

 

[Bruno09]

You typed "Markus" instead of "Marku5" or am I wrong ?

Anyway, the two discs having the same name is a problem.

I suggest you change the name of the external and try again (modify the command accordingly, of course).
Use "SSD" for instance.

(Also you must use quotes : "iMac SSD", or use : iMac\ SSD)

chflags nohidden /Volumes/SSD/Users/Marku5/Library/

 

[marku5]

You typed "Markus" instead of "Marku5" or am I wrong ?

Anyway, the two discs having the same name is a problem.

I suggest you change the name of the external and try again (modify the command accordingly, of course).

yes i typed "Markus" because thats the name of the user on the external ssd where my backups should be located..

I already tried renaming them but It just won't let me!!
( as you can see in the second picture...)

 

[Bruno09]

Yes you are right for Marcus.

You could be able to rename the external : right click / rename.

Alternatively you can rename the internal, use the Terminal, then revert.

If you rename the external as : "SSD", the command will be :

chflags nohidden /Volumes/SSD/Users/Markus/Library/

If you rename the internal so that the 2 discs do no have the same name :

chflags nohidden /Volumes/"iMac SSD"/Users/Markus/Library/

 

[marku5]

I got the same error message i got when i tried to rename the internal ssd..

just hocked up the external ssd to my MBA an e voila IT RENAMED IT..

it's called "OLD iMac SSD" now..

i think the terminal accepted my command this time right?
(I entered it and pressed enter once..)

but i still can't find the backups (or see any new folders on the ssd)

am i looking in the right place for the backups?

i made another pic:

 

[Bruno09]

It seems that the Terminal did accept your command, but the Library is not visible yet.

Change the name of the external for something simple as : "SSD", and try again.

It MUST work.

EDIT : Alternatively, you can do in Finder :

Go / Go to Folder : /Volumes/SSD/Users/Markus/Library/

Then drag the ~/Library to the side bar of the Finder.

 

[marku5]

it DID work
(see pic)

can i just put all of these backups in the corresponding folder of my new iMacs ssd? (and see/use them in iTunes as usual...)

another question while we're at it:

what would be the best way to import the pictures from my old iMac's ssd into my new "clean" iPhoto on my new iMac?
(something like 10K pics)
from what i remember it handles photos a lot better now (like the iPhone with this year/month/day "zoom-in" functionality.
I will have to sort trough them manually anyway because i want to clean out some i don't need/doubles and some i just needed temporarily ..
(will be deleting something like 2K maybe..)

due to the time consuming nature of this task I'd like to do it right the first time!

Thanks a lot for the help you have given me so far!!
)

 

[marku5]

the pic i forgot to attach:

 

[Bruno09]

Good news !

(you don't need the quotes when there is no space in the name of the SSD :
chflags nohidden /Volumes/SSD/Users/Markus/Library/
would have worked as well).

Yes you can replace the MobileSync/Backup with the one that is on the external SSD.

For the photos it's very easy : simply copy your iPhoto Library folder from the external to the internal (Pictures Folder).

Then, double click on it to launch iPhoto and let him know that it's this iPhoto Library you want to be the default one.
Alternatively you can launch iPhoto from the Dock with the Option key (Alt) depressed : you will be able to choose which iPhoto Library to open.

If your photos are not in iPhoto and you want to import them, you can :
- drag and drop them to an iPhoto window, or :
- in iPhoto : File / Import to Library