Windows Migration Assistant - for existing user account on Mac?

[JrBill]

My kid just got a MacBook Air, after using a Windows laptop for a few years. (Yeah, yeah, it was her mom's earlier decision.) I've read up on using Windows Migration Assistant to move a user account onto a Mac, but I can't tell whether you're supposed to create the user account on the destination Mac first (which she did), or whether it's intended to create a new user via the process. I'm guessing that it's the former, but I'm not sure.

Rather than forging ahead and hoping I don't screw things up, I figured that asking here might enlighten me. I'd be glad to get any advice on this.

Thanks.

 

[KeesMacPro]

I can't tell whether you're supposed to create the user account on the destination Mac first (which she did), or whether it's intended to create a new user via the process.

First of all, TBH I never migrated data from a Windows machine to a Mac.
Nevertheless , I'm quite sure the procedure on the Mac is very similar to a data migration from another Mac device.

Migrating user accounts can get messy when there's an existing user account with the same name on the "new" Mac.
To avoid this I'd make an account (with admin privileges) called e.g. Admin and logged in to this account, I'd delete the new created account first and then start the migration (still logged in as "Admin").
This way there will be no data merged between user accounts and in case something isnt as expected , one could simply delete the imported account and do it differently.
The admin account can be left on the new Mac as a fallback in case of user accounts issues (or deleted if preferred after a succeeded migration and logged in to the imported user account).

BTW congrats on saving your kid from the darkside ; )

 

[ApfelKuchen]

Short answer: According to this support article, https://support.apple.com/HT204087 migration creates a new user account.

You need to read the footnotes of that article to find the answer (emphasis added):

2. Migration Assistant transfers only the Mail or Contacts data that belongs to the logged-in Windows user. To transfer data from another user account, use Migration Assistant again while you’re logged in to another Windows account. Each time you migrate, your Mac creates a new user account.

 

[JrBill]

Short answer: According to this support article, https://support.apple.com/HT204087 migration creates a new user account.

You need to read the footnotes of that article to find the answer (emphasis added):

Sheesh, I can't believe that I didn't read all the way to the end of the page and see that. Thanks for clueing me in! We'll probably just use an external SSD to copy the essential Documents, Pictures, Downloads, and other folders. She doesn't use Outlook, so there won't be any system-tied mail/calendar/contact info.