How to Upgrade and Convert?

[Raven]

OK, good folks. I am making the leap...
going from my dual G4, OS.10.4.11 to iMac, OS10.5x

I don't wanna be anal about this, but the last time I tried this many years ago, things screwed up and I was down for days.
So here is my step by step plan. Does it make sense? I have a few questions prefaced by Q!

1. Load all major apps to new iMac - Photoshop, InDesign, Freehand, QuarkXpress, Keynote.

2. Clean up OS10.5 fonts. (as per Kurt Lang article. Did that once before. Very helpful!)

3. Load Font Agent Pro 4 and my 1000+ fonts.

4. Set up Internet access.
Import email files, addresses, and bookmarks.
Q. Will this happen automatically during Target Disk Mode, or do I have to do this separately?

5. Transfer all my working files from G4.
Q Is Target Disk Mode the best method?.

6. Attach scanner and printers. Check for updated software.

 Anything else that needs sorting out?

Q. For some apps I have install CDs. Some were downloaded online. How do I reload those were I have no Install CDs?

Q. Do small 3rd party apps have to be reloaded from source such as icWord, Graphics converter,

Q. What about AppleWorks 6 ... Will it work on 10.5, or does iWork/Pages take its place?

[Mayo]

If you want to avoid being "down for days" that is relatively easy to avoid by doing the following:  Do not let go of your old Mac until you are fully satisfied that your new Mac is fully functional. In other words, keep your old Mac as your Main Mac and take some time to get acquainted with your New Mac before committing yourself...

Let Migration Assistant move everything to the new Mac immediately after starting it up for the first time. And I mean Everything, including user accounts and applications. Setting up a new administrative account, inputting network settings, etc. before using Migration Assistant is a waste of time and can complicate things (see this related thread). I have used Migration Assistant to move applications such as Photoshop without a single problem. I have used Migration Assistant many times on my own and clients' Macs and I have never had to reinstall a single piece of software other than a few obscure third-party shareware programs and an occasional preference setting.

Keep in mind that the above advice assumes that you have kept your software up to date and that the versions you currently have installed on the G4 are compatible with OS 10.5... (And yes, AppleWorks 6 functions on an iMac running 10.5, but this long-time AW user prefers iWork to AppleWorks.)

Then see how the new iMac functions. If you have to reinstall something, So Be It... Heck, if things go Terribly Wrong you can always reinstall OS 10.5 on the iMac and do it the hard way. But I wouldn't assume that Migration Assistant cannot do the job unless you are determined to create work for yourself. If you keep your G4 Mac up and running during the transition period you will not be under any time or productivity constraints. It can even be a Fun Experience vs. A Significant Hassle. The main reason that is possible is because Migration Assistant works very well and saves us a lot of time and trouble; in my pre-OS X days configuring a new Mac was typically an all-day affair because of all the apps I had installed and tweaking I did to get my Macs just the way I like 'em. In recent years the average amount of time that I personally spend configuring a new Mac is around a half hour.

The only other thing that I can think of at the moment is to forgo installing additional RAM until you have test driven the new Mac for at least a little while. If it runs fine before you install the new RAM and then after installing it things start to get weird you will have saved yourself some trouble-shooting time...

[kimmer]

I'm going to echo what Mayo said -- use Migration Assistant first!

When I went from my old G4 to my iMac, I did it the "old way" and copied all kinds of files and stuff to CD's and then manually moved them onto the shiny new iMac. THEN I used Migration Assistant because ... because ... because ... I can't remember my rationale for this. I think it was because I wanted to set up things all new, or something like that.

Weeeeeellllllllll ... I had no mess of problems. After 3 days and running here for help, I finally started that shiny new iMac from the install disks, wiped the drive, reinstalled the OS and then used Migration Assistant to bring everything over (and for all but a couple of programs it brought over registration codes and such!). The only program that I had to manually copy over (using Target mode) was Eudora. I probably had a few minor things to tweak, but they were so insignificant I don't remember what they were.

If I'd done it right the first time, it would have taken maybe 2 hours. As it was, I spent 5 days. Five days when I could have been enjoying my new toy.

[Raven]

Sounds like great advice, if it is that simple.
Of course, not knowing what Migrations Assitant is just yet, am I hooking up the 2 Macs with a firewire cable and using the target mode procedure?

At what point do I hook up to the Internet live for email, google, etc?

I believe Photoshop 7 is the only app I have that will not work in 10.5, so I've been told.
(I'm trying to buy an CS version and upgrade from there)

I do have iWorks, so it's good to know that Pages will replace Apple Works.

[krissel]

Migration Assistant is an Apple application that will offer itself to you when you first start up the new Mac and begin the normal registration/setup.  If you don't do it at that moment you can find the application in the Utilities folder and run it from there.

Here are a couple links with some further advice. Note that the second link discusses moving info from another volume on the same Mac. You will be moving data from another Mac so the choices will be different. But some of the same caveats apply, that is there may some preferences that don't transfer so gather up your registration codes just in case.

http://www.macfixit.com/article.php?story=20090722185241532

http://macs.about.com/od/leopard105/ss/migratevol.htm

After all the data is transferred you should take some time to try out the applications to be sure all works. Some things may not if they are not Leopard compatible. I was surprised at how many were just fine going from Tiger to Leopard, very few programs needed to be tracked down to upgrade. Even some contextual menu items from back in Panther days still work.

The internet info should be transferred along with Mail, etc. but sometimes it does need to be reentered. Be sure to write down all the specs so you can hand enter if necessary.

Yes, AppleWorks does still run on Leopard, probably won't on Snow Leopard.  iWorks will open most of AW files but not any draw documents. I did find a very interesting program (not cheap) that I'm thinking of getting that will open the AW draw docs. It also has a lot of other uses.
Here it is:

http://www.eazydraw.com/

[Mayo]

Migration Assistant is an automated version of Firewire (Target) Disk Mode.

I don't recall exactly each step after you startup the iMac (since Migration Assistant does most of the work I don't really have to pay much attention to it...) But if I remember correctly if you click the box to allow the transfer of your network settings your iMac will connect to the Internet automatically once the transfer is complete. In other words, just let Migration Assistant do its thing; if it needs any help from you it will let you know... It's really Very Smart.

Photoshop 7 won't even startup under Leopard; you will need at least CS3 if memory serves me...  Someone else will probably chime-in if an earlier version will work.

[krissel]

The next version of PhotoShop after 7 (just plain CS) works with Leopard.

[chriskleeman]

Raven, I used Migration Assistant without a hitch going from my G4 iBook to my Macbook Pro. It worked pretty much seamlessly. The only hitch were programs like Adobe Acrobat Reader 8, which were designed for the PPC architecture. A visit to Adobe's site fixed that up pretty quickly. When I first tried to use it on the MBP, I was greeted with an error message about "not compatible with this architecture" or something similar.

And coincidentally, the iBook was running Tiger at 10.4.11, and the MBP was and is on Leopard, just like your machines.

So IAW Mayo, Kimmer and Krissel, definitely make use of what is for the most part, a very smart and very easily used application. And  yes, it's a lot like Target disk mode, but Migration Assistant pretty much does everything for you. When the transfer was complete, I had everything I needed to get to work immediately on my MBP, including all internet and network settings. I just followed the instructions and let the two computers do their thing. Took about 45 minutes, I think...

Good luck, live long and prosper!

Chris

[Raven]

I have 3 partitions on my dual G4. I only want one partition on my iMac.
How will Migration Assistant handle that?
Is there a way to combine them?

[Raven]

delete.

[sandbox]

How does migration assistant handle OS9....Panther to Leopard?

[krissel]

Since it has no use for OS9 it will probably skip the System Folder. You might get a notice to that effect if the OS9 is on the same volume as the X stuff you are moving.

[Raven]

I have one partition on my G4 for OSX10.4.11 stuff, one for WORK files, plus one for OS9 which I don't use or need.

Migration Assistant asks me to choose a volume on my G4.
Does it matter which I choose first?
Can I go back and then choose the next?
Will they become separate partitions on the new iMac?

When I start this process, it states "User Accounts to Transfer". Not sure what this includes.
It's not the total OSX partition as the file sizes are different.

It's confusing because I am not sure if it will transfer everything from one partition at a time or a partial amount, if I can go back and add more, and if I can transfer all data on 3 partitions to only one volume (not sure I am using the jargon correctly).

[krissel]

I'd chose the one with the system files and applications first.  Then you can rerun Migration Assistant later to get the work files. Or even easier, they could just be dragged over to the new Mac. The OS9 of course is useless with Leopard.

It won't create partitions on its own.

User accounts is the folder which holds all your personal stuff, music, photos, preferences, mail, etc.  It does not include the applications and system files which make up the rest of the size difference. It asks about the user files because sometimes there may be more than one and you may not want them all to be transferred.

[Raven]

Well, good news and not-so-good so far...
I've transferred my OSX partition over to the new iMac from the G4.
I'm online as we speak/write!

BUT...

1. It won't let me migrate my WORK partition. Its icon does show on the desktop, but it does not show in the MA window. The only icon there is the OSX partition.
The graphic symbol on the WORK icon on the desktop is different than a firewire symbol. It's in the form of a circular arrow with clock hands in the centre.

When I tried to duplicate the partition, it starts and then - "operation cannot be completed because selection contains both back up and non back up items".

Also, I get another window that opens with a Time Machine Error - "back up is too large for the backup volume. Back up requires 30 gb but only 22 are available."

Are these two issues related somehow?

2. When I set up the Internet settings, it downloaded all emails since July 7th. All my previous emails and folders are missing. There are no email addresses in the Address Book.
And I have no bookmarks.

Suggestions, please!
Thanks