Transferring data from one Macbook to another.

[Johanbgoot]

My wife just received a new 13" Macbook from her school board. She wants to move the data from her 13" Macbook to the new one. Hers is backed up on an external drive using Time Machine.  My son says the easiest way would be to re-install the OS and use TimeMachine.  Easier said than done as the IT at the board have the install disks, and I would be very surprised if they would give them to her. I plugged in her new machine to the external drive and her back up appears but I don't know what to do next to transfer the data, suggestions please.

Thanks,

Johan

[chriskleeman]

Hi Johan,

Usually, the fastest, easiest way is Migration Assistant, already built into the OS. You would connect up the two Macbooks via a Firewire cable, open Migration assistant in the new MacBook, and restart the old Macbook in Firewire target mode.

When you open up Migration Assistant in the new MacBook, it will give you step-by-step directions on how to do this.

It's not foolproof, but I've had very good experience using it several times. Basically, once you start Migration Assistant, it will just take a little while, you just walk away and let the two computers do their thing.

HTH,

Chris  

[jchuzi]

I second the suggestion about Migration Assistant. It works best if you boot the old computer into Target Disk Mode, connect it to the new computer, and then boot the new computer for the first time. (MA automatically launches the first time that the computer boots.) The new computer won't have any accounts set up and MA will bring everything over. There may be a few minor preferences that need to be reset but that should do it.

I did this when I got my Mac Pro and it took about 90 minutes or so. MA gives an estimate of time remaining but that's just for laughs. It got to a point where MA said that 5 minutes were remaining and it didn't finish for another 30. After you set things up, go have a cup of coffee or three, read War And Peace a few times, study the Congressional Record (you get the idea) and then come back.

[Johanbgoot]

I have used Migration assistant successfully but here is my dilemma, the IT has loaded some apps that she has to be able to use.  My concern is: will MA delete/change anything that is already on the new Macbook? She can't lose anything, nor have anything changed.

[Paddy]

You may end up with two user accounts, as I'm assuming that you've already got a user account set up on the new Mac?

See this thread for what to do:

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa;j...3&#11219673

However, if she hasn't actually got anything important yet in the new user account, it can be deleted after the old one is migrated across and tested. Applications are not normally installed in User accounts (or they shouldn't be) so the new applications will remain and any old ones not present on the new Mac will be brought over. MA is smart enough not to overwrite new apps with old ones.