Help - How would you move over to a new Mac? 3 options

[phil.544]

Hello! I am waiting for my new M1 MBA and I'm planning on how to transfer data.

I have a Time Machine backup but I'm not planning on using this as I would like to do a fresh install with just the files and app I really want and not move over tons of application files, junk folders and what not.

By reading the forum I came up with 3 possible ways (without a Time Machine restore)

1. Just set up as new, move files manually via an external drive and just install the apps I need. As per the settings, manually set it as close as possible as my old Mac
   
   
2. Use Migration Assistant (either thunderbolt or wifi), probably the fastest and best way but those junk files (application support files, old libraries...) will also move over
   
   
3. Use either the new Mac or old Mac (which one?) as disk target mode and move the folders I need. Probably just like mode nr. 1, just connected directly?

Also, I use iCloud Drive for the desktop and document folders. If I move files manually does it mean that I will create duplicates for all the files and folders?

It's still rather unclear to me which method is best to use without moving over files I don't need and creating duplicates, and at the same time without messing up. Thank you very much for helping me out.-

 

[jazz1]

Hello! I am waiting for my new M1 MBA and I'm planning on how to transfer data.

I have a Time Machine backup but I'm not planning on using this as I would like to do a fresh install with just the files and app I really want and not move over tons of application files, junk folders and what not.

By reading the forum I came up with 3 possible ways (without a Time Machine restore)

1. Just set up as new, move files manually via an external drive and just install the apps I need. As per the settings, manually set it as close as possible as my old Mac
   
   
2. Use Migration Assistant (either thunderbolt or wifi), probably the fastest and best way but those junk files (application support files, old libraries...) will also move over
   
   
3. Use either the new Mac or old Mac (which one?) as disk target mode and move the folders I need. Probably just like mode nr. 1, just connected directly?

Also, I use iCloud Drive for the desktop and document folders. If I move files manually does it mean that I will create duplicates for all the files and folders?

It's still rather unclear to me which method is best to use without moving over files I don't need and creating duplicates, and at the same time without messing up. Thank you very much for helping me out.-

A couple of months ago I did a clean install on my 2015 iMac. I just manually pulled files over. I reinstalled applications and my iMac ran a lot better, I also regained a lot of hard drives space. Maybe this just made me decide what files I really wanted to keep?

I do use iCloud storage for photos and videos. Those files, of course, became available via my Apple account.

 

[mrchinchilla]

I always go with method number 1. It's the best way to ensure you won't have any issues and a good opportunity to do some spring cleaning.

 

[dmccloud]

I just did a clean install of all my apps on this new M1 Pro. Given that all of the apps on your current Mac will be built on x86 code, you would me missing out on the advantages of the native versions. The only things I moved from my old Mac to the new one were files, photos, and other items that were platform independent. That gave me access to the files I needed, while also ensuring that I was running the newest versions of software, many of which have already been recompiled for the M1 processor.

 

[phil.544]

That is for sure a safe way to do it. And it's pretty much impossible to run into problems. It could take a little more time but I don't have a ton of apps to download and custom settings to set.
What I like the most about nr. 1 is that I'm sure my Mac won't automatically move over unnecessary files that would make it slow down.

 

[4sallypat]

I had an issue with data transfer using a Time Machine backup between my 16" MBP and the M1 Mini.

Apparently, the Thunderbolt 2 SSD external drive connected thru the TB3-TB2 adapter was not seen by the M1 Mini.

Instead, I used Migration Assistant using a Thunderbolt cable between the Mini and 16" MBP using the same TB3-TB2 adapter.

Strange ???

 

[1240766]

I have all m my data on external ssd and backed up to OneDrive. A new computer is always a breeze, just plug the external and move the files when I want

 

[colday]

When doing #1 above don't forget to look in:

~/Library/Application Support
~/Library/Containers

Many apps store your data in one or both of those locations.

I'll usually hold onto my backup drive from the old Mac for some time just to be sure I didn't miss anything. I would not recommend dragging & dropping the whole sub folder!

 

[Ocnetgeek]

Hello! I am waiting for my new M1 MBA and I'm planning on how to transfer data.

I have a Time Machine backup but I'm not planning on using this as I would like to do a fresh install with just the files and app I really want and not move over tons of application files, junk folders and what not.

By reading the forum I came up with 3 possible ways (without a Time Machine restore)

1. Just set up as new, move files manually via an external drive and just install the apps I need. As per the settings, manually set it as close as possible as my old Mac
   
   
2. Use Migration Assistant (either thunderbolt or wifi), probably the fastest and best way but those junk files (application support files, old libraries...) will also move over
   
   
3. Use either the new Mac or old Mac (which one?) as disk target mode and move the folders I need. Probably just like mode nr. 1, just connected directly?

Also, I use iCloud Drive for the desktop and document folders. If I move files manually does it mean that I will create duplicates for all the files and folders?

It's still rather unclear to me which method is best to use without moving over files I don't need and creating duplicates, and at the same time without messing up. Thank you very much for helping me out.-

I always use option 1. Don’t want to clutter up a new machine

 

[Zazoh]

New install always. Always safest and cleanest.

 

[Nick521]

Option 1. I have an M1 MBA on order, and that's what I am doing. With this option, how do you move photos over to the new Mac?

 

[amartinez1660]

Myself for an iMac 27" 2020 just went with migration assistant, I was already working with everything I needed and needed to resume work with the new one as soon as it arrived... plugged it in, turned it on, ran migration assistant connected to the previous one via Thunderbolt, done.
Resumed in no time with everything I needed as if I had never left the old one. There’s no drivers pollution or similar like in windows because it’s at the OS level, for example, a Mac with an Nvidia graphics card won’t pollute a new one running AMD.

Granted the cleanest is always from scratch and going from x86 to ARM no idea what that entails. On my side though it worked without a single issue.

 

[KShopper]

I had done Option #1 earlier this year on a new 2020 MBA, so this time I just did #2, and I was done in lke 15 minutes. No issues at all.

If you have years of legacy app installs, etc. built up I'd go #1 as well.

 

[digitalbreak]

Hello! I am waiting for my new M1 MBA and I'm planning on how to transfer data.

I have a Time Machine backup but I'm not planning on using this as I would like to do a fresh install with just the files and app I really want and not move over tons of application files, junk folders and what not.

By reading the forum I came up with 3 possible ways (without a Time Machine restore)

1. Just set up as new, move files manually via an external drive and just install the apps I need. As per the settings, manually set it as close as possible as my old Mac
   
   
2. Use Migration Assistant (either thunderbolt or wifi), probably the fastest and best way but those junk files (application support files, old libraries...) will also move over
   
   
3. Use either the new Mac or old Mac (which one?) as disk target mode and move the folders I need. Probably just like mode nr. 1, just connected directly?

Also, I use iCloud Drive for the desktop and document folders. If I move files manually does it mean that I will create duplicates for all the files and folders?

It's still rather unclear to me which method is best to use without moving over files I don't need and creating duplicates, and at the same time without messing up. Thank you very much for helping me out.-

I always do 1. Most of my files are in the cloud though (OneDrive and iCloud) so don’t really need an external drive but there are few files that live permanently in an external drive.

 

[Invisible Elf]

I couldn't make migration assistant work with direct transfers, so I backed up to an external SSD using time machine and then imported the backup to the new mac using migration assistant

 

[Spindel]

If you have a TM back up use it.

I used my TM back up and no regrets, that is an TM backup that has lived since 2008.

 

[Modernape]

Open System Prefs, Time Machine, select "exclude system files and applications", then make another backup. Migration Assistant from that backup will then just include your files.

 

[gmwalk]

I used Migration assistant to move from a mid-2012 MBP retina to my new MBP Pro M1. No problems. I got everything set up and working the way the old MBP did, just much faster.