Using Time Machine to restore to another computer?

[icanhazapple]

I plan on purchasing a new Apple computer within a few days. Currently, I have all my information backed up using Time Machine; I'm wondering if it would be possible to use the external hard drive (Western Digital 500GB) to restore (transfer) everything to my new computer. My desire to is to have my new machine have everything on it just as it was on my old computer, but it being a new machine of course.

Is this possible?

 

[Eidorian]

You can migrate your user directory over without any problems. You might be able to pull off a complete restore if your current version of OS X is a newer build. You might lose some special features like multi-touch though.

The safest bet is still migration.

 

[icanhazapple]

You can migrate your user directory over without any problems. You might be able to pull off a complete restore if your current version of OS X is a newer build. You might lose some special features like multi-touch though.

The safest bet is still migration.

Will the migration assistant notice that all my data is on an external drive and it will do the porting for me?

 

[Eidorian]

Will the migration assistant notice that all my data is on an external drive and it will do the porting for me?

Yes, why wouldn't it?

 

[Scottyk9]

there is a specific option when setting up your new computer to migrate from a time capsule backup.

 

[icanhazapple]

Yes, why wouldn't it?

I've used Windows for far too long, that seems too intuitive and easy to be true

 

[Mal]

there is a specific option when setting up your new computer to migrate from a time capsule backup.

That is the way to go. You could startup from the install disk and Restore from a Time Machine Backup from the Utilities menu as well, but it will replace the entire contents of the drive, including the system software. That may not be a good idea on a new machine. Just connect your backup drive the first time you startup the new machine, and choose the option to restore from a Time Machine Backup when the Setup Assistant asks you to. Nothing to worry about really.

jW

 

[scokim]

That is the way to go. You could startup from the install disk and Restore from a Time Machine Backup from the Utilities menu as well, but it will replace the entire contents of the drive, including the system software. That may not be a good idea on a new machine. Just connect your backup drive the first time you startup the new machine, and choose the option to restore from a Time Machine Backup when the Setup Assistant asks you to. Nothing to worry about really.

jW

So what you are saying is that after having a fresh installation on a new machine, i can go to the time machine and selectively retrieve the relevant files to pull over to my new machine.

I just want my documents and some relevant plist files. But I don't want all the 'junk' from the old machine.

 

[Mal]

So what you are saying is that after having a fresh installation on a new machine, i can go to the time machine and selectively retrieve the relevant files to pull over to my new machine.

I just want my documents and some relevant plist files. But I don't want all the 'junk' from the old machine.

That's not really what I was saying, but yes, that is possible if you'd like to do it manually. The method I suggested would restore everything except the system software, which would have been installed fresh. If you just want to grab a few things manually, just go grab them out of the Backups.backupdb folder on the external drive.

jW