Migration Assistant for Mac. Apple updates Migration Assistant to improve compatibility with OS X Lion

There are several ways in which you can transfer files from one user to another, within the same Mac. The simplest of them is, perhaps, the use of Public Folders. Many users don't notice them, and some don't even realize they exist, although they are very easy to find and can make it much easier to share files from one account to another within the system. Plus, you don't need administrator rights to use Public Folders, making them accessible to all users.

The principle of operation of Shared Folders in OS X is extremely simple: as soon as you place any files and folders in them, they immediately become available to other users.

After this, the files will be available to all users who have accounts on your Mac. To view or copy them, they need to open Public Folders in the same way, logging in with their account. This is very convenient and I myself often resort to this method when I take screenshots, checking some software or functions that are not available in my main account.

How to create a link for quick access to Public Folders

If you plan to actively use Public Folders, then for convenience it would be a good idea to create a link for quick access.

For example, you can put General in the Finder sidebar so you always have the folder at your fingertips. To do this, simply drag the folder to the side menu, after which it will be pinned.

Do you have any questions, comments or suggestions? Welcome to the comments - I'm always happy to chat and help. Stay tuned, there is still a lot of interesting things to come!

I've worked with clients who were trying to migrate to new Macs using Migration Assistant, Apple's built-in program for transferring apps, user documents, music, photos, and more. from an old Mac. In three cases, both old and new computers were running High Sierra, and all three migrations failed and needed to be redone.

I'm not sure if this is a High Sierra issue, but I thought I'd take the opportunity to give you all the pointers on how to make sure the Migration Assistant works correctly. Many things in technology are frustrating, you buy a new computer and then it takes hours and hours to set it up.

1. Make sure both Macs are running the latest version of their operating systems.

This doesn't mean you need to update your Mac to High Sierra, just go to the Updates tab in the App Store to check for any incremental updates to Yosemite or whatever system you have installed.

Your new Mac will prompt you to transfer your data to it before you sign in and set up a user account; if you're migrating data from a Mac with the latest version of High Sierra, I think it's best to set up the new machine with a blank user account, install any available High Sierra updates, and then move the files using Migration Assistant from the Applications folder > Utilities, a shortcut for which is available from the Go menu in the Finder.

After this, you can simply delete the dummy account created in System Preferences > Users & Groups. This will prevent you from getting confused. Transferring data from, say, a Mac running 10.13.2 to a Mac that ships with 10.13, moving from a newer OS version to an older one can be problematic.

2. Try migrating from a Time Machine (or other) backup rather than between machines.

If you have a backup that is directly linked to your old Mac or Time Capsule that you keep online, you can use the data to restore, and this is the best method for me lately. Just make sure the backup you're using is the latest one, which you can check using Time Machine's listed time in the menu bar.

If your backups are on an external drive, connect it to your new Mac and select it as the source in the Migration Assistant. If they are on the Time Capsule, you can restore the wireless connection, you just need to connect to the network that the Time Capsule is installed on. However, I highly recommend connecting an Ethernet cable between your new Mac and the Time Capsule to increase recovery speed.

3. Let's talk about why it's better not to use Wi-Fi.

Apple has a migration support article that tells you everything you need to do to migrate between two Macs.

If both computers are running macOS Sierra or later, just place them next to each other and turn on Wi-Fi on both. If one of your computers is using OS X El Capitan or earlier, connect both computers to the same Wi-Fi or Ethernet network.

If you're lucky enough to be using Wi-Fi for your migration, plus you don't have the latest Wi-Fi hardware and router, or your network isn't running at optimal levels (it usually is), then the migration may be slow. So I would avoid it.

If the migration fails and you end up in the middle of the migration or it just doesn't complete, then you'll have to do extra work. If only part of your data has been migrated, don't try to go back and start the migration again - if you do, you'll likely end up with duplicate user accounts and the second attempt won't work either.

If this happens to you, boot your new machine into macOS Recovery, use Disk Utility to remove the startup disk, and then reinstall macOS. (Don't accidentally delete the old machine, please.) Then you can try the migration again. This time, try to do it from a backup copy.

I think there is a certain level of technical frustration that I can accept.

Your old Mac may be in a mess that you don't really want on your new Mac and you'd be better off moving only a select group of files and folders. However, if you took care of your old Mac and want to take all or most of its files, apps, settings and accounts, you need to turn to Apple Migration Assistant.

This built-in utility allows you to transfer data from your old Mac or Time Machine backup to your new Mac. Let's start a new computer, but with the old settings and files.

Setting up the Migration Assistant.

Before you start doing hard work, it's always a good idea if things go sideways. You can also quickly go through your old computer and remove any unnecessary stuff that you don't want to take with you.

After the backup, the next step is to make sure both Macs are up to date and running the latest version of MacOS. Click the Apple logo in the top left corner, select About This Mac, and then click the Software Update button to check for updates.

Next, to use the Migration Assistant, your old computer will need a name. To check if it has a name,
Go to System Preferences > Sharing and check the Computer Name field at the top.

Finally, plug both computers into a power outlet.

Let's start migration.

If your old Mac is running a version of MacOS Sierra or later, you can connect your computers to a wireless network. Just make sure everyone's Wi-Fi is turned on and that they're close to each other and connected to the same network. (If you can't connect them wirelessly, you can follow Apple's instructions for using external drive mode and use a wired connection.)

With the two Macs selected, open Migration Assistant on the new Mac. Just search or find it in the Utilities subfolder of your Applications folder. When Migration Assistant opens, click Continue. In the data transfer method selection window, choose to transfer from a Mac computer, from a Time Machine backup, or from a startup disk. Click the "Continue" button.

On your old computer, open Migration Assistant, click Continue. In the data transfer method selection window, select transfer to another Mac computer. Click the "Continue" button.

Now, when prompted to select your Mac, Time Machine backup, or other startup drive, click the appropriate icon. Click the "Continue" button. If you see a security code on your screen, make sure it matches the code on your new Mac. Click the "Continue" button. A list of backups should appear on your new computer, sorted by date and time they were created. Select the backup you want to use. Click the "Continue" button.

You'll see a list of items to transfer: applications, your user account, other files and folders, and Computer and Network settings. Check the items you want to transfer to your new Mac. If your new user account has the same name as your old computer, you will be prompted to rename it or keep the name and replace it with the user account configured on the computer. Click "Continue" to begin the migration.

Changing a work or home computer is an inevitable process that happens every few years.

Apple developers have done everything possible to make data transfer as fast and convenient as possible.

Here are some simple steps you need to take to transfer data from your old Mac to your new one.

What are the requirements

In order to successfully transfer data from one Mac to another, you need to:

1. Computers must run OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.8 or a newer version of the system.

2. The computer from which the transfer is being carried out must be given a name ( System Settings - Sharing - Computer Name).

3. Both computers must be connected to the network and a power source.

How to transfer data

1. If both Macs have OS X El Capitan or newer, it will be enough to connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network.

Otherwise, the old Mac needs to be connected to the new one via FireWire, Thunderbolt or USB Type-C. Data transfer is possible using external hard drive mode.

2. Next, you should run the utility on the new computer Migration assistant and select item . The utility is pre-installed and is included in every Mac out of the box.

3. On an old Mac, run the utility in the same way Migration assistant and select the item On another Mac.

If the old Mac is connected in external disk mode, you don’t need to do anything on it; Migration Assistant on the new computer will automatically recognize the connected startup disk and offer to transfer data from it.

All that remains is to wait for the process to complete.

How to transfer data via Time Machine

When it is not possible to directly connect the old Mac to the new one or it is being sold before purchasing a second device, you can use the backup utility to transfer data.

1. On an older Mac, you should create a backup manually or automatically. The copy can be stored on a network drive or removable storage device.

2. On a new Mac you should run the utility Migration Assistant and select item From a Mac, from a Time Machine backup, or from a startup disk.

3. The next step is to select a copy from Time Machine and select the data you need to transfer. You can copy documents, applications, account information, and settings. The utility allows you not to copy any type of data.

If the new Mac already has an account with the same name, the system will ask you to rename it or replace it, overwriting the data from the old computer over the data on the new one.

After completing the transfer procedure, you will receive a familiar working environment with all the parameters, settings and programs.

How to transfer several “large” files at once from one Mac to another as quickly as possible? If both computers are nearby, this can be done at a record speed of 10 Gbps! All you need is one Thunderbolt cable, knowledge of one very useful feature of Macs and.

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How to quickly transfer large files from Mac to Mac using External Drive mode

With the addition of super-fast Thunderbolt 3 in the 2016 MacBook Pro, you can transfer large files even faster.

1 . Connect both Mac computers with a Thunderbolt (FireWire) cable through the connector of the same name (adapters may be needed).

• Apple Thunderbolt cable (0.5 m). The cable allows you to connect Thunderbolt-enabled devices to a Thunderbolt or Thunderbolt 2 port on your Mac.
• Apple Thunderbolt to FireWire Adapter. The adapter allows you to connect FireWire devices to a Mac computer with a Thunderbolt port.

2 . On Mac, open System Settings, Choose a section Net and click on the item Thunderbolt Bridge with an arbitrary IP address. If this item is not there, add it manually using the " + " Write down the IP address that appears on the display.

3 . Check if it is activated Thunderbolt Bridge on the second Mac (the one you want to connect to).
4 . Navigate to the Mac you want to connect to. Open it on System Settings, Choose a section General access and check the box next to the item File sharing(second from top).

5 . Go back to the first Mac. Open Finder, select from the menu bar at the top Transition -> Connecting to the server.

6 . In the line that appears, write down the IP address from step 2, then click on the inscription Connect.

7 . In the window that opens, enter the information from the account of the second Mac (to which you are connecting).

8 . Select the volume to mount and click on OK.
9 . The connection will occur and the selected volume will be visible on the first Mac (under General access). You can start transferring data.

Once you're done, remove the drive and disconnect the Thunderbolt 3 cable.