Hi everyone - first post here goes
I have a 2013 iMac which 2 of us share. It is showing some signs of ageing, and we have decided to get 2 x Macbook Air M1, and thus have one each to avoid the daily "queue for the computer". I am reeling from the anticipation, and also the expense..
I have seen differing advice about how to migrate to the new Macbooks
MIGRATION ASSISTANT
I used Migration Assistant back in 2013 to transfer stuff from a Windows PC to the iMAc with a LAN cable and it seemed to work well. So the obvious solution is to use it again, I believe you can migrate individual users separately, so I guess it would be OK to migrate to the 2 new machines one user at a time. Lots of folk say that is the best and most reliable way. Does that sound reasonable?
Question about that - I read that you should start up a new mac with a temporary user account and update the OS in case there has been a recent upgrade before attempting to use Migration Assist. The temp user account means that the Assistant won't get confused trying to send user info to the same name as on the old machine. If I did that would I need to enter my Apple ID as part of that temp account, and would that then be problematic when trying to do anything with the old machine or the real user account when I finally transferred it? Or can you update the OS without a Apple ID - does that even make sense? - I may be overthinking it..
MANUAL MIGRATION
However I guess after all this time the old mac is probably filled up with slime and sediment from updates and old apps and the like, and I sort of like the idea of setting up the new Macbooks nice and clean, and then transferring just the necessary files using a SSD external drive backup or similar. However I am not sure if this is easy, or only for very brainy mac users who would know what the necessary files were.
APPS - I know I can download purchased and free apps from the App store again, and non store apps will need the activation codes so I can download them again and fire them up on the new machines. We don't have any paid 3rd party apps in common so should be OK
FILES - I understand that you can copy the contents of Music , Documents, Pictures, folders into their equivalent on the new machines.
BUT - I am not 100% sure about what else will need moving and how - so Mail, Passwords, Internet connecting and other stuff
Does anyone know of an up to date step by step guide, or should I just stick with MIGRATION ASSISTANT and live some unwanted bilge in the corners of my shiny new MacBooks?
Any advice most gratefully received thanks!
I have a 2013 iMac which 2 of us share. It is showing some signs of ageing, and we have decided to get 2 x Macbook Air M1, and thus have one each to avoid the daily "queue for the computer". I am reeling from the anticipation, and also the expense..
I have seen differing advice about how to migrate to the new Macbooks
MIGRATION ASSISTANT
I used Migration Assistant back in 2013 to transfer stuff from a Windows PC to the iMAc with a LAN cable and it seemed to work well. So the obvious solution is to use it again, I believe you can migrate individual users separately, so I guess it would be OK to migrate to the 2 new machines one user at a time. Lots of folk say that is the best and most reliable way. Does that sound reasonable?
Question about that - I read that you should start up a new mac with a temporary user account and update the OS in case there has been a recent upgrade before attempting to use Migration Assist. The temp user account means that the Assistant won't get confused trying to send user info to the same name as on the old machine. If I did that would I need to enter my Apple ID as part of that temp account, and would that then be problematic when trying to do anything with the old machine or the real user account when I finally transferred it? Or can you update the OS without a Apple ID - does that even make sense? - I may be overthinking it..
MANUAL MIGRATION
However I guess after all this time the old mac is probably filled up with slime and sediment from updates and old apps and the like, and I sort of like the idea of setting up the new Macbooks nice and clean, and then transferring just the necessary files using a SSD external drive backup or similar. However I am not sure if this is easy, or only for very brainy mac users who would know what the necessary files were.
APPS - I know I can download purchased and free apps from the App store again, and non store apps will need the activation codes so I can download them again and fire them up on the new machines. We don't have any paid 3rd party apps in common so should be OK
FILES - I understand that you can copy the contents of Music , Documents, Pictures, folders into their equivalent on the new machines.
BUT - I am not 100% sure about what else will need moving and how - so Mail, Passwords, Internet connecting and other stuff
Does anyone know of an up to date step by step guide, or should I just stick with MIGRATION ASSISTANT and live some unwanted bilge in the corners of my shiny new MacBooks?
Any advice most gratefully received thanks!