I've just acquired another iMac, a "pre-loved" 2019/Sequoia. I bought it to future-proof myself, and I intend to migrate to it gradually over the next few
months.
My current system is 2013/Mojave: I want to try and clone it to the 'new' machine as closely as I can, in order to minimise the learning experiences of any new system.
Is the best plan to use Migration Assistant? I also have a complete current system backup using Carbon Copy Cloner -- but I don't know what the pros and cons of using either are: it's years and years since I performed this operation.
Any opinions would be welcome,
Is the best plan to use Migration Assistant? I also have a complete current system backup using Carbon Copy Cloner
On 13 Apr 2025 at 15:42:29 BST, Another John wrote:
I've just acquired another iMac, a "pre-loved" 2019/Sequoia. I bought it to >> future-proof myself, and I intend to migrate to it gradually over the next few
months.
My current system is 2013/Mojave: I want to try and clone it to the 'new'
machine as closely as I can, in order to minimise the learning experiences of
any new system.
Is the best plan to use Migration Assistant? I also have a complete current >> system backup using Carbon Copy Cloner -- but I don't know what the pros and >> cons of using either are: it's years and years since I performed this
operation.
Any opinions would be welcome,
I've used Migration Assistant for the past three machine upgrades - so about 15 years. It's all pretty seamless and hasn't caused any issues I can remember. I suppose my only top tip is choose a connection method between the 2 machines, or your Time machine drive and your new iMac, that's quick. Whichever, you'll be done in a couple of hours. Tops.
Is the best plan to use Migration Assistant?
I've just acquired another iMac, a "pre-loved" 2019/Sequoia. I bought it to >future-proof myself, and I intend to migrate to it gradually over the next few >months.
My current system is 2013/Mojave: I want to try and clone it to the 'new' >machine as closely as I can, in order to minimise the learning experiences of >any new system.
Is the best plan to use Migration Assistant? I also have a complete current >system backup using Carbon Copy Cloner -- but I don't know what the pros and >cons of using either are: it's years and years since I performed this >operation.
Any opinions would be welcome,
Cheers
John
On 13.04.25 16:42, Another John wrote:
Is the best plan to use Migration Assistant?
I do not know a better way to do it.
On Sun, 13 Apr 2025 14:42:29 GMT, Another John <lalaw44@hotmail.com>
wrote:
I've just acquired another iMac, a "pre-loved" 2019/Sequoia. I bought it to >>future-proof myself, and I intend to migrate to it gradually over the next few
months.
My current system is 2013/Mojave: I want to try and clone it to the 'new' >>machine as closely as I can, in order to minimise the learning experiences of >>any new system.
Is the best plan to use Migration Assistant? I also have a complete current >>system backup using Carbon Copy Cloner -- but I don't know what the pros and >>cons of using either are: it's years and years since I performed this >>operation.
Any opinions would be welcome,
J.
(The Real One)
I've just acquired another iMac, a "pre-loved" 2019/Sequoia. I bought it to future-proof myself, and I intend to migrate to it gradually over the next few
months.
My current system is 2013/Mojave: I want to try and clone it to the 'new' machine as closely as I can, in order to minimise the learning experiences of any new system.
Is the best plan to use Migration Assistant? I also have a complete current system backup using Carbon Copy Cloner -- but I don't know what the pros and cons of using either are: it's years and years since I performed this operation.
Any opinions would be welcome,
Another John <lalaw44@hotmail.com> wrote:
I've just acquired another iMac, a "pre-loved" 2019/Sequoia. I bought it to >> future-proof myself, and I intend to migrate to it gradually over the next few
months.
My current system is 2013/Mojave: I want to try and clone it to the 'new'
machine as closely as I can, in order to minimise the learning experiences of
any new system.
Is the best plan to use Migration Assistant? I also have a complete current >> system backup using Carbon Copy Cloner -- but I don't know what the pros and >> cons of using either are: it's years and years since I performed this
operation.
Any opinions would be welcome,
Like you I keep both TM and CCC backups. I’ve never had problems when using TM backups with MA so have never used CCC backups for a complete restore.
If it becomes necessary the CCC method is described via the link below.
<https://support.bombich.com/hc/en-us/articles/20686469175575-How-to-restore-from-your-backup>
I have used Migration Assistant a number of times in the past with complete success. Sometimes Time Machine but more usually Carbon Copy Cloner backups were the source. Once it was the old machine.
Another John <lalaw44@hotmail.com> wrote:
I've just acquired another iMac, a "pre-loved" 2019/Sequoia. I bought it to >> future-proof myself, and I intend to migrate to it gradually over the next few
months.
My current system is 2013/Mojave: I want to try and clone it to the 'new'
machine as closely as I can, in order to minimise the learning experiences of
any new system.
Is the best plan to use Migration Assistant? I also have a complete current >> system backup using Carbon Copy Cloner -- but I don't know what the pros and >> cons of using either are: it's years and years since I performed this
operation.
Any opinions would be welcome,
Like you I keep both TM and CCC backups. I’ve never had problems when using TM backups with MA so have never used CCC backups for a complete restore.
If it becomes necessary the CCC method is described via the link below.
<https://support.bombich.com/hc/en-us/articles/20686469175575-How-to-restore-from-your-backup>
[...stuff from me, and other posts deleted.]
I have used Migration Assistant a number of times in the past with complete success. Sometimes Time Machine but more usually Carbon Copy Cloner backups were the source. Once it was the old machine.
But quite recently I decided that my User Library was getting so full of junk after 35 years or so of accumulation of drivers for long gone printers, settings for 32 bit apps and the like that it was time for a clear out.
So I made sure my CCC backups were fresh (two copies) and did a disk erase as David recommends (standard practice for me). Then I copied my Applications and
the *contents* of individual User folders across manually. NOT the User folder, that would have brought the old Library folder across too. And the applications to a folder from which I could transfer them to Applications bit by bit.
This all took some time, of course, and I had to re-enter a load of application keys and passwords (make sure you have them, if you try this!). And I'm not sure that it saved much space or made the slightest difference to performance. But it pleased me aesthetically - something akin to a major spring clean.
I suspect that most users would have neither the time nor the inclination to do this, but I thought it might be of interest all the same.
Old John.
On Sun, 13 Apr 2025 14:42:29 GMT, Another John <lalaw44@hotmail.com>
wrote:
I've just acquired another iMac, a "pre-loved" 2019/Sequoia. I bought it to >> future-proof myself, and I intend to migrate to it gradually over the next few
months.
My current system is 2013/Mojave: I want to try and clone it to the 'new'
machine as closely as I can, in order to minimise the learning experiences of
any new system.
Is the best plan to use Migration Assistant? I also have a complete current >> system backup using Carbon Copy Cloner -- but I don't know what the pros and >> cons of using either are: it's years and years since I performed this
operation.
Any opinions would be welcome,
"Opinion", you can have, also anecdotal pseudo-evidence.
The first personal Maccy-box I ever used was the wife's MacBook in
about 2007. Once I had that set up so she liked it, I left it alone
for ages.
Eventually, though, it broke down sufficiently for me to replace it
with another MB - my fault, not Apple's. Then an MBP, then another
MBP, this time a really good one, then I was given a free Maccy Mini.
All of those replacements and improvements got the same set-up as the original MB with only their physical idiosyncrasies making any
differences.
I used Migration Assistant to move her UserID and settings, including
her browser bookmarks and games settings from one box to another. This
worked perfectly every time.
The first MB used OS Leopard (or Tiger?), then Snow Leopard. The next
and later ones got upgrades to their OSes as those came out. Some of
the old softwares on the SL MB box don't work any more as they are 32
or 16 bit but there are usually upgrades or close replacements or even
lots of work-arounds.
Even the wallpaper-changing hasn't really changed much.
The latest MBP is running Sequioa 15.3.something and the Minibox has
the same OS but they still run Prime95 in the background.
So far as I can tell, Migration Assistant *JUST* *WORKS* and it works beautifully.
I do do back-ups using Time Machine but I've only needed to use them
once to find an accidentally deleted file. MA has moved her User
settings across perfectly every single time, even from a laptoppy MB
and MBP to a desktopy Mini.
I've used the Windows version of MA a couple of times and that, too,
has worked perfectly.
Whoever wrote those has done sterling work and should be very proud.
Does any of that help?
J.
(The Real One)
Note: I loved the Snow Leopard wallpapers so much that I added them to
the list of wallpapers I use as my rotating set. Those little kitties
are gorgeous. :)
On 14 Apr 2025 at 07:09:38 BST, "Alan B" <alanrichardbarker@gmail.com.invalid>
wrote:
Like you I keep both TM and CCC backups. I’ve never had problems when using
TM backups with MA so have never used CCC backups for a complete restore.
If it becomes necessary the CCC method is described via the link below.
<https://support.bombich.com/hc/en-us/articles/20686469175575-How-to-restore-from-your-backup>
Just to clear up a small misunderstanding: I use CCC, but not Time Machine. When TM was first introduced (goodness knows when) (1) I found the interface too complicated, (2) I couldn't be bothered learning about YET ANOTHER new Gizmo and (3) I didn't entirely trust it. I had my own Lacie disks and the Finder, for the stuff I was really concerned to preserve.
Since that time, I decided to go with CCC, mainly due to advice sought, and given, in this noble Usenet group. And as you say, Alan, Bombich's support is second to none.
But for my present purposes, the overwhelming vote of confidence is for Migration Assistant, and when I find the time (I'm retired, you know!) I will gird my loins to use MA.
Best wishes all!
On 14 Apr 2025 at 09:14:30 BST, "John Hill" <watcombeman@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
[...stuff from me, and other posts deleted.]
I have used Migration Assistant a number of times in the past with complete >> success. Sometimes Time Machine but more usually Carbon Copy Cloner backups >> were the source. Once it was the old machine.
But quite recently I decided that my User Library was getting so full of junk
after 35 years or so of accumulation of drivers for long gone printers,
settings for 32 bit apps and the like that it was time for a clear out.
So I made sure my CCC backups were fresh (two copies) and did a disk erase as
David recommends (standard practice for me). Then I copied my Applications and
the *contents* of individual User folders across manually. NOT the User
folder, that would have brought the old Library folder across too. And the >> applications to a folder from which I could transfer them to Applications bit
by bit.
This all took some time, of course, and I had to re-enter a load of
application keys and passwords (make sure you have them, if you try this!). >> And I'm not sure that it saved much space or made the slightest difference to
performance. But it pleased me aesthetically - something akin to a major
spring clean.
I suspect that most users would have neither the time nor the inclination to >> do this, but I thought it might be of interest all the same.
Old John.
A useful post, thanks John, and you're right on that last point! But I very much identify with the distaste for old junk in one's system -- it's just that
I'm lazier than you!
I also identify with your "35 years or so" ... so perhaps I should change to being "Another Old John" (I forget who the "John" was which prompted me to call myself, in Usenet, "Another John").
and did a disk erase as
David recommends
On 14 Apr 2025 at 00:12:15 BST, "John" <Man@the.keyboard> wrote:
On Sun, 13 Apr 2025 14:42:29 GMT, Another John <lalaw44@hotmail.com>
wrote:
I've just acquired another iMac, a "pre-loved" 2019/Sequoia. I bought it to >>> future-proof myself, and I intend to migrate to it gradually over the next few
months.
My current system is 2013/Mojave: I want to try and clone it to the 'new' >>> machine as closely as I can, in order to minimise the learning experiences of
any new system.
Is the best plan to use Migration Assistant? I also have a complete current >>> system backup using Carbon Copy Cloner -- but I don't know what the pros and
cons of using either are: it's years and years since I performed this
operation.
Any opinions would be welcome,
"Opinion", you can have, also anecdotal pseudo-evidence.
The first personal Maccy-box I ever used was the wife's MacBook in
about 2007. Once I had that set up so she liked it, I left it alone
for ages.
Eventually, though, it broke down sufficiently for me to replace it
with another MB - my fault, not Apple's. Then an MBP, then another
MBP, this time a really good one, then I was given a free Maccy Mini.
All of those replacements and improvements got the same set-up as the
original MB with only their physical idiosyncrasies making any
differences.
I used Migration Assistant to move her UserID and settings, including
her browser bookmarks and games settings from one box to another. This
worked perfectly every time.
The first MB used OS Leopard (or Tiger?), then Snow Leopard. The next
and later ones got upgrades to their OSes as those came out. Some of
the old softwares on the SL MB box don't work any more as they are 32
or 16 bit but there are usually upgrades or close replacements or even
lots of work-arounds.
Even the wallpaper-changing hasn't really changed much.
The latest MBP is running Sequioa 15.3.something and the Minibox has
the same OS but they still run Prime95 in the background.
So far as I can tell, Migration Assistant *JUST* *WORKS* and it works
beautifully.
I do do back-ups using Time Machine but I've only needed to use them
once to find an accidentally deleted file. MA has moved her User
settings across perfectly every single time, even from a laptoppy MB
and MBP to a desktopy Mini.
I've used the Windows version of MA a couple of times and that, too,
has worked perfectly.
Whoever wrote those has done sterling work and should be very proud.
Does any of that help?
It certainly does - very useful, thanks, to read of your experiences.
I _have_ used MA in the past, of course, but - you know - these Macs ... they >last so well! It's always _years_ between my having to use it, and I am much >encouraged by all the "votes" that MA has received here!
John
J.
(The Real One)
Oh! The Real One? No .. ITYM "The Real John-ny" don't you?) :-)
Note: I loved the Snow Leopard wallpapers so much that I added them to
the list of wallpapers I use as my rotating set. Those little kitties
are gorgeous. :)
Ahhhh - Snow Leopard! Now there was a MacOS! Gawd bless Snow Leopard, and the >Apple Inc who produced it!
John
Does any of that help?
It certainly does - very useful, thanks, to read of your experiences.
I _have_ used MA in the past, of course, but - you know - these Macs ... they
last so well! It's always _years_ between my having to use it, and I am much >> encouraged by all the "votes" that MA has received here!
Just as an idea: you can always do A "Migrate Assistant" from the
older box to the newer one, play with the result and bin it if it
annoys you too much.
Binning a Mac User is dead easy and they don't tend to spill over
into the Syatem Zone and to leave horrendous amounts of guff in there.
You can even MA your old User stuff into a new Username just for
funsies, so the two machines are instantly recognisable as being
different as soon as you login.
I'm not entirely sure but I *think* you could even MA the old User
inside an already copied Assisted version of the old User on the new
machine. Layers of MA-ing fun. That way, you might be able to Migrate
really old stuff into a new, clean UserSpace. Just to keep it.
Or you could Migrate lots and lots of old Users into completely
independent Users on the newer box. "J-old-1", "J-old-2", "J-so-old-Trilobites-forgot-about-it-76" and suchlike amusements.
Having a tiny, new account called "J-ust-for-funsies" on the newer
box to manage all of the fun Migrations is a cool thing Apple lets us
do. This, too, can always be deleted though just leaving it probably
would do little harm as it may not even have a browser inside it. It's
just an Administrator account used to manipulate the real ones.
J.
(The Real One)
Oh! The Real One? No .. ITYM "The Real John-ny" don't you?) :-)
No.
No human has *ever* called me "Johnny",....
My wife liked it. She saw it as being easier than Windows, much of the time.Ahhhh - Snow Leopard! Now there was a MacOS! Gawd bless Snow Leopard, and >>> the Apple Inc who produced it!
More news, for anyone interested:
- Yesterday I used Migration Assistant to move the contents of my older iMac (Mojave) to my newer one (Sequoia). (As expected) it took hours - at least 3.5, but we were out whenever it finished. It's a terabyte disk, but I've never used more than c.670GB.
- As widely recommended in this group, MA worked brilliantly, and the instructions are equally brilliant (I speak as an ex-technical writer).
- Except for the speed! I was lazy: the new one doesn't have an ethernet cable
yet, so I switched on WiFi for the old one and did the migration across wifi.
My praise above notwithstanding, the documentation doesn't mention an ethernet cable (much less how to use it, which I understand is a bald peer-to-peer plug-in (not even involving the router). (Like much of techno-user-interface these days, the _assumption_ seems to be that you will be using wifi.)
-The "new" one (2019) is supposed to be a terabyte disk but "About this Mac" says it's 849GB. Further, there's stuff still on the disk about which I know nothing - remnants of the previous owners. Among this detritus may be stuff from Windows: the owner had installed a version under MacOS. (What is Sophos?
What is Creedence? Why is "System Data" in Storage Settings taking up 182GB?)
- SO ... I've decided to do it all again. This time I will delete the disk (as
recommended by the other old John, and David), as per https://support.apple.com/en-gb/102773 ), then use MA again, but this time over an ethernet connection.
Also run Disk Utility's First Aid
while you're at it.
On 17/04/2025 13:11, Alan B wrote:
Also run Disk Utility's First Aid
while you're at it.
Why?
On 16 Apr 2025 at 03:04:20 BST, "John" <Man@the.keyboard> wrote:
No human has *ever* called me "Johnny",....
(Sorry: that was an attempt at humour: your first post had "-y" attached to >quite a few words.)
Ahhhh - Snow Leopard! Now there was a MacOS! Gawd bless Snow Leopard, and >>>> the Apple Inc who produced it!
My wife liked it. She saw it as being easier than Windows, much of the time.
"Easier than Windows"! It was easier than Apple's own successor systems!
After OSX 10.6 (SL), I have found every MacOS to be more complicated, and very >often inexplicably so!
But then again, after 35 years of using them, I'm not
really a properly serious Mac user :-)
More news, for anyone interested:
- Yesterday I used Migration Assistant to move the contents of my older iMac >(Mojave) to my newer one (Sequoia). (As expected) it took hours - at least >3.5, but we were out whenever it finished. It's a terabyte disk, but I've >never used more than c.670GB.
- As widely recommended in this group, MA worked brilliantly, and the >instructions are equally brilliant (I speak as an ex-technical writer).
- Except for the speed! I was lazy: the new one doesn't have an ethernet cable >yet, so I switched on WiFi for the old one and did the migration across wifi.
My praise above notwithstanding, the documentation doesn't mention an
ethernet cable (much less how to use it, which I understand is a bald >peer-to-peer plug-in (not even involving the router). (Like much of >techno-user-interface these days, the _assumption_ seems to be that you will >be using wifi.)
-The "new" one (2019) is supposed to be a terabyte disk but "About this Mac" >says it's 849GB.
Further, there's stuff still on the disk about which I know
nothing - remnants of the previous owners.
Among this detritus may be stuff
from Windows: the owner had installed a version under MacOS. (What is Sophos?
What is Creedence?
Why is "System Data" in Storage Settings taking up 182GB?)
- SO ... I've decided to do it all again. This time I will delete the disk (as >recommended by the other old John, and David), as per >https://support.apple.com/en-gb/102773 ), then use MA again, but this time >over an ethernet connection.
Best wishes, all
[Another] John
More news, for anyone interested:
- Yesterday I used Migration Assistant to move the contents of my older iMac (Mojave) to my newer one (Sequoia). (As expected) it took hours - at least 3.5, but we were out whenever it finished. It's a terabyte disk, but I've never used more than c.670GB.
- As widely recommended in this group, MA worked brilliantly, and the instructions are equally brilliant (I speak as an ex-technical writer).
- Except for the speed! I was lazy: the new one doesn't have an ethernet cable
yet, so I switched on WiFi for the old one and did the migration across wifi.
My praise above notwithstanding, the documentation doesn't mention an ethernet cable (much less how to use it, which I understand is a bald peer-to-peer plug-in (not even involving the router). (Like much of techno-user-interface these days, the _assumption_ seems to be that you will be using wifi.)
-The "new" one (2019) is supposed to be a terabyte disk but "About this Mac" says it's 849GB. Further, there's stuff still on the disk about which I know nothing - remnants of the previous owners. Among this detritus may be stuff from Windows: the owner had installed a version under MacOS. (What is Sophos?
What is Creedence? Why is "System Data" in Storage Settings taking up 182GB?)
- SO ... I've decided to do it all again. This time I will delete the disk (as
recommended by the other old John, and David), as per https://support.apple.com/en-gb/102773 ), then use MA again, but this time over an ethernet connection.
I've only ever used MA via some kind of cable, typically a USB lead to a backup on a
portable drive. WiFi can be slow, as you say, and the initial backups via WiFi to my NAS
On Thu, 17 Apr 2025 11:57:02 GMT, Another John <lalaw44@hotmail.com>
wrote:
More news, for anyone interested:
[snip]
- As widely recommended in this group, MA worked brilliantly, and the
instructions are equally brilliant (I speak as an ex-technical writer).
Cool. I'm happy that you had no issues. As I may have mentioned, I
have *never* had an issue with Apple's M.A. software. They do good
work.
- Except for the speed! I was lazy: the new one doesn't have an ethernet cable
yet, so I switched on WiFi for the old one and did the migration across wifi.
And *that*, friend, is why it took months and months and months. When
I first tried to migrate a User from one box to another the software estimated that it would take about four times longer than the time to
the Heatdeath of the Universe. I'm patient but not *that* patient.
Wi-fi is ever so cool and useful and brilliant for emails, web-pages
and little downloads but moving entire disks across it is a pain. We
really need a faster protocol. :)
[snip]
-The "new" one (2019) is supposed to be a terabyte disk but "About this Mac" >> says it's 849GB.
That *is* about a "terabyte". The disk makers don't measure in powers
of two but in groups of three of powers of ten. It makes smaller disks
sound bigger.
Also, there is always "stuff" on the disk to make it go. That uses up
some room. As does the recovery partition and formatting for the file
system.
Further, there's stuff still on the disk about which I know
nothing - remnants of the previous owners.
Okay, here's thing: that is the sort of crud that I'm really, really
good at binning [after preserving on an external drive in case you
ever want any of it] from my own boxes. Somewhere, nearby, wherever
you live there will be someone as good at it as me, or better. Small
repair shops are sometimes a source of bored guys who like to play
with stuff but be careful and pick a good one.
Among this detritus may be stuff
from Windows: the owner had installed a version under MacOS. (What is Sophos?
"Sophos" might be an anti-virus. Win-boxes used to need those.
[snip]
Why is "System Data" in Storage Settings taking up 182GB?)
The System folder on a Mac can be quite large and the "System Data"
area has more than just that one in it. My "S.D." on the Mini is 39GB
but I don't have lots of additional programs on that box.
My macOS says it's 22 GB and I have apparently used 3.54GB on "Other
Users and Shared". My own "Documents" total is allegedly 55GB. None of
which helps you, right?
Your "System Data" space might include the Windows installation and
other guff that you don't need.
You could have a lookie at:
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/254588225?sortBy=rank
which I found using: https://www.startpage.com/do/dsearch?q=mac+OS+System+Data&cat=web&language=english
along with other nice results. There's even advice on how to clear
the System Data space but I'd be careful with that. Anything called
"System" is probably something the machine likes to have.
- SO ... I've decided to do it all again. This time I will delete the disk (as
recommended by the other old John, and David),...then use MA again, but this >> time
over an ethernet connection.
Cool. But back-ups are nice. -- *Before* deleting stuff. :)
| Sysop: | Keyop |
|---|---|
| Location: | Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, UK |
| Users: | 546 |
| Nodes: | 16 (2 / 14) |
| Uptime: | 00:18:26 |
| Calls: | 10,385 |
| Calls today: | 2 |
| Files: | 14,057 |
| Messages: | 6,416,567 |