HT4796 Help needed with Migration Assistant, can't find files?

I've just purchased my first Mac (macbook Pro 15in) so please be kind, I'm so clueless it's ridiculous! Using migration assistant I've transfered aprox 100GB of files from my PC which seemed to take about 2seconds, but have no idea where they are or how to access them. The files were mostly music but when I opened itunes there is nothing in my library. The rest of the stuff was pics, docs, email accounts but none of that seems to be there either.. From the few articles I've read I seem to have somehow created another user account which is labeled Guest User/Sharing only, but I can't seem to log in as that user to find the files.. What have I done?! HELP!!

Congratulations!
... Using migration assistant I've transfered aprox 100GB of files from my PC which seemed to take about 2seconds, but have no idea where they are or how to access them.
It sounds as though Migration Assistant did not do a thing. With Migration Assistant, 100 GB will take time, no matter how the two computers communicate it will be at least an hour. Probably more. I recommend you connect them both to a wired network and make sure the PC is really using it. Wireless will take a lot longer.
I suggest you read the following step by step. On your Windows PC, you will need to download Migration Assistant. That link and everything else you need to know is in this document: OS X Lion: About Windows Migration Assistant. Follow its instructions to the letter.
The "guest" user is a feature of OS X and will not contain your files. Don't concern yourself with it.

Similar Messages

Help needed with Migration Assistant

How and where do I find the Migration Assistant on my new iMac running on OS X 10.9.4? I skipped the migration assistant at initial startup. I have it installed on my old PC. Now I am supposed to start it on my iMac. I can't find it. It's probably right in front of me. Help please.

It's in the "Utilities" folder inside your "Applications" folder.
You could also just use Spotlight to find it.
On the initial Mac startup, it is referred to as "Setup Assistant" in lieu of Migration Assistant. If you skip the process, you will have issues if you want to use the same user name that you previously used.

Migration Assistant-can't find files

I have used migration assistant. When it was running I was able to see another user account with all the files. The next day, I cannot find any files, and there is no other user account than the main one I have. I know the files are somewhere, because the info on my hardrive says 31 gigs are occupied. It is a brand new computer so I assume that is 31 gigs from my migrated files. I have repaired permissions and still, no other user account and no view of the files. Thanks.

1. When I looked in the User folder on my new harddrive the old user name appeared with I think noindex attached to the user name. There were files that I could actually copy into another user folder.
2. There were more than 1 user on the Older Mac, but I was only migrating one user.
C. I checked only to migrate files and folders and network settings. No applications.
I manually did create a main user account when I first booted up the new computer. I also loaded some software that I needed for immediate work. It was a bit later that I migrated. I first started a migration that I then realized was going to take some thirty hours, so I aborted it. When I started migration assistant the second time, it asked if I wanted to resume the interrupted migration. I said no so that it would begin again. The first time I did include applications, and I then decided only to migrate files. So I started what I thought was a clean migrate. There was a messsage at the end that said network settings and some other system info could not be transfered. It said migration was complete.

Migration assistent, can't find my external HD, help!

I have reinstalled OSX 10.8.6 on my moms Mac mini2,1, 1,83 GHz, 80 Gb harddisc, 2Gb ram, bus 667MHz, to keep the speed fresh. The time machine copy from her mac is on a Iomega external hardisc 160 Gb, the "disctool/help" detects it as Toshiba MK1652GSX Media, physically it has two USB connections. But when I use Migration Assistant it doesn't appear as a option to choose.
On this external harddisc I have a Timemachine copy that goes back to 2008. I can see the harddick on the screen, I can connect the harddisc to Timemachine and it can start to copy and save, I can even copy back my moms documents, but still Migration Assistant can't find it.
I need to migrate all her applications, iPhoto for instance as the most important as well as her I need to migrate her letters and adresses.
What do I do?

Dear MrHoffmann
Maybe it is because I am foreign, that I don't understand correctly, and for that I am very sorry. I can't imagine what a restore of a Time Machine disk is then. And I tried to find out what a scratch disk is, and the online computer dictionary told me it was an external HD, with a space for not permanent files. Maybe I misunderstood that too. Where do I then perform a restore of the backup? And where am I told if the disk is vail and bootable... sorry for my lack of understanding. As I understand I am not able to boot from a Time Machine backup, at least before Lion, and I am talking about Snowleopard. And I am not able to understand Install logs. This just sounds too difficult and far beyond what I am cabable of with my skills. Sorry.
But on the other hand, I like to learn. And I am returning to my moms house for a few days in the end of september. And with me I can bring all kinds of tools to examin her Time Machine disk, extra hardisks, my macbook with the same system and age as my moms old Mac Mini2,1 (2006) and other things, mayby if I can find out excactly what to do, I can find out what was wrong with her Time Machine disk or Migration Assistent, to prevent that from happening again.
Thank you for taking your time to help me :-)
Bodil

Migration Assistant can't find External HD on MacBook Pro Mid-2012

Hi, I have a MacBook Pro Mid-2012 running OS X Mountain Lion 10.8.2 and I am trying to use Migration Assistant to transfer Time Machine backups that are on my external hard drive, that I backed up from my old MacBook Mid-2010. The problem I am having is that Migration Assistant can't find my external hard drive. My MacBook Pro can find it when I plug it in (I see it in Finder), but Migration Assistant can't. Can anyone help or should I go to the Apple Store? I need help with this problem as soon as possible.
Thanks in advance,
- Daniel 

Since no one replied I figured out how to do it myself.
1.) First I plugged in my external hard drive with my Time Machine backups on them, then I opened Finder and click on my external hard drive under devices.
2.) Next I clicked on and opened the folder named "Backups.backupdb"
3.) Once inside that folder I could see folders with the backups from Time Machine and all of the folders names were the date I backed up that backup. I clicked and opended the lastest backup folder.
4.) Inside that folder, I clicked and opened the folder named "Macintosh HD"
5.) Inside that folder, I clicked and opended the folder named "Users"
6.) Inside that folder, I clicked and opended the folder named "Daniel" which was my Username on my previous Mac.
7.) Finally I could see and access all my folders from my Time Machine backups from my previous Mac.
Keep in mind this is only helpful if you are trying to access old backups (backed up from another Mac) on a new or different Mac. (Sorry for the blurry images)
Hope this somehow helps someone else,
- Daniel 

Migration assistant can't find external hard drive

I bought a Macbook Air and I can't move my files from the Time Machine created by my previous MacBook. Specifically, migration assistant can't find the external disk. I can see the external disc on the desktop, it's just the migration assistant that can't find it. I've done software update, I've attached and detached the external disk and restarted the Air in all imaginable combinations, migration assistant still can't see the external disk. Anyone know how to fix this problem?

franz1 wrote:
The top one has icons showing the two partitions from the external drive and the Air's HD.
That sounds like the Today (Now) display, the one that's show in full when you first Enter Time Machine. It's not a backup; it's the current contents of your Mac.
When I clicked on the 2nd window, it seems to be a back up from July 20, which I remember making on the old MacBook. It has one folder on it with my username.
Yes, that's a backup.
When I click on this folder, I find 4 folders inside it titled: Applications, Users, Library and System. I clicked on Applications and it was empty
That sounds like you'd excluded Applications from backups. Or else you didn't wait long enough for all the apps to be displayed.
sometimes the names of programs covered with a see-through "no parking" sign - a circle with a slash through it
That's an incompatible app.
Is this the Time Machine's records?
Yup.
Can I click on the July 20 date and click on restore? Will everything just come back on it's own?
No. You can restore individual items that way (if you have permission to them), but not a whole system. You can restore "simple" apps that way, too, but not "complex" ones -- ones that came with their own installers, because they install other files in other places. If you don't restore those other things too, the app won't work well, if at all.
Can you post a screenshot of the Migration Assistant window that should show your backups (something like this):

Migration Assistant Can't Find Previous Volume

Hello!
I just sent in my Mac to AppleCare to have the top case replaced. In addition to fixing that, it looks like AppleCare reinstalled my operating system. (It loaded as 10.6.2, but was 10.6.4 before. I ran Software Update and now it's back to 10.6.4.)
I tried using Migration Assistant to locate my previous hard drive, but it doesn't move past the "Select Your Disk" screen. It just keeps searching and searching, but it doesn't find anything.
Any tips? Is my old hard drive lost?
Thanks for your help.

hi collegiatelife,
migration assistant is to move information from one computer to another. Or from an external hard drive. An external hard drive would be some thing you plug into the computer, like a usb flash drive. do you have an external hard drive that you have been using to back up? it doesn't sound like it.

Migration assistant can't find computer/is it bc of 2 OS?

I have a macbook pro and macbook air. I am trying to transfer ichat from pro to air but the migration assistant can't seem to connect.
I have the same network, fileshare is on, etc. One has snow leopard (pro) and the other leopard (air). Can't I still transfer them? I'm trying to get ichat on my air -- forwhatever reason it keeps crashing and won't open and I thought I'd reinstall it...but now I've been working for an hour on this simple task and losing my mind (sorry that slipped out)
Kate

Yes, I feel sheepish. I figured it out.
But I had too much stuff on the iMac to transfer my files, so all I transferred was my applications. Now I have to figure out how to get my documents and my iTunes over there. I don't want to transfer all my pics, etc. because that's what's eating up all my memory. It doesn't look like Migration Assistant can be used for just a few things like this.
Thanks for the QUICK response!

HT4796 migration assistant can't find my old PC

my new macbook air can't find my old PC, even though I installed the migration assistant on the PC first. What am I doing wrong?

Hey dochazem,
We have a helpful article about how to use Windows Migration Assistant to migrate your files from your Windows PC to your new MacBook Pro:
About Windows Migration Assistant
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4796
Enjoy your new computer!
David

Migration Assistant can't find my hard drive - can you help?

Hi, I've just bought a new MacBook Pro (Lion) as my 6 year old iMac (Snow Leopard) has died. I wanted to restore my data from my iMac, via my Time Machine back-ups which are stored on a WD MyPassport. When using the migration assistant, I've followed the instructions, but the assistant refuses to see the hard drive and all I get is "Looking for Other Computers" and a spinning wheel. I've done this before when a hard drive went south and it worked really well, but this is not good at all.
Any advice gratefully received. Thanks.

John Brandt wrote:
Setup Assistant never sees the source drive:
Does it show anything at all? The disk should have a yellow icon.
Is the main issue that I am trying to migrate from too old of an OS X version (e.g. 10.4.11)?
I don't think so. I don't have a Mac running Tiger, so couldn't test it, but many folks have done it without a problem.
Have you run Verify Disk or Repair Disk on the old Mac and/or the backups? If there's a directory problem, it may boot the old Mac, but the new one may not recognize it.
If all else fails, you may have to do it manually. Try starting the new Mac normally, logging on as a normal (Admin) user, connect the clone to it, and see if it appears. If so, you should be able to manually copy from the backups via drag & drop.
If so, you'll have to be careful of two things:
User accounts: If the old Mac only has a single account, the first account you set up on the new one should have permission to copy from the backups. If not, either set up a second account on the new Mac and try it, or use Get Info on the backups to grant the user account on the new Mac permission to read the data on the backups.
Special files/folders like Mail and Address Book / Contacts. You can't just copy the files since the structure has changed, but you may be able to import the old mailboxes via File > Import Mailboxes from the Mail menu on the new Mac. Similarly, you may be able to use File > Import in Contacts on the new Mac to import contacts.
(Note: it's late here, and I'll be going to bed soon, but will be back tomorrow.)

Migration Assistant can't find mounted external disc

Running Snow Leopard on newer iMac Dual Core. Trying to migrate users of dead G5. The G5 User data is intact, and on an external disc, and was transferred to this external disc from the G5's HD, by techs at The Apple Store. The specs of this external drive are:
30.74 GB
Format: Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
S.M.A.R.T. Status : Not Supported
Partition Map Scheme : Apple Partition Map
Mount Point : /Volumes/Macintosh HD 1
The external disc mounts to the desktop, but Migration Assistant just spins and spins looking for it, without success.
I have tried to boot from the external drive; Restart/Option does not result in the external disc as a startup option.
I'm thinking when the Mac boys wiped the external disc to make room for the G5 User data, they reformatted the disc to non-bootable. In an experiment, Migration Assistant easily found and transferred User data from my laptop (when restarted in target disc mode).
Is there a way to help Migration Assistant find this external disk - or an option that transfers the User files intact from the external drive to the new SL machine?
Thanks,
lex

lexsongs wrote:
+then MA will not work on it, period. you need to migrate manually. Migration assistant does not give a hoot what the partition scheme is on the drive you are migrating from so don't bother with that. the partition scheme on your main drive should be GUID but it's probably that already.+
+P.S. if you still have access to the old drive of the G5 then you can migrate from that drive directly.+
Thanks V.K. I did open Disk Utility and was ready to change the partition scheme (on the external disc) to GUID, but based on your last post I will hold off.
Yes, I have the old G5 HD, and will get some help with connections for migrating - or will build an enclosure (or have one built) and then use MA to move the User folders. In the meantime, I can still access the data in all User folders on the external disk.
if all the data you need is in the user folders you can simply do the following. drag a user folder from Users on your backup drive to the /Users folder at the top level of the main hard drive. make sure you don't have another user by that name already present there. you'll need to authenticate with your admin password. once you copied the user folder to Users on the main drive go to system preferences->accounts. unlock the lock at the bottom, click on + and create an account with the same short user name as the name of the folder you just copied to Users. it will tell you that a home directory by that name already exists and ask if you want to use it. say "yes".
Question: What allows MA to work with the original G5 HD but not with the copied User data on the external disc?
I don't know the exact innerworkings of MA but it clearly checks the drive to see if it recognizes it as something it can possibly migrate from as it needs a lot of stuff present to work. It doesn't just migrate user folders. it migrates applications, some library files etc. so unless it sees a full clone of another system drive or a TM backup of another drive (which both have all that stuff present) it won't even try migrating.

Used Migration Assistant - can't find any files!

I just got a MacBook and attempted to run Migration Assistant. to transfer data from my iBook. I had about 34 gigs of data on the iBook, which seemed to transfer with no problems...but I can not find a single one of these files on my MacBook now that the transfer is finished. My memory on the new (120 gig) machine decreased from 90 to 63.3 gigs after the transfer, so this information has to have gone somewhere! But I've searched for many files and they are simply not found.
Help!! (please?)

Log in with that account, and then open the Terminal application in the /Applications/Utilities/ folder. Run the following:
chmod -R a+rwX ~
sudo chown -R username ~
Replace username in the second line with the short name of the desired account; the account logged in needs to be an administrator. The second command will request your password, which won't appear in the Terminal window while it is being typed. Next, log back in from your normal account; you should then be able to move files and folders to your account's home folder. Once the previous home folder is empty, use the Accounts pane of System Preferences to delete the unwanted account.
(19434)

Migration Assistant can't find my external hard drive

I'm trying to set up my Mac Mini and it isn't working. Three steps into the process and already I'm locked up. I'm trying to migrate data from an external FireWire 400 drive. I have to use an adapter because the Mini only has a Firewire 800 port. That's not a problem because I've used the adapter several times and it works fine. The external drive is connected directly to the Mini and turned on. It's been turned on before I went into this mode. Now the Migration Assistant is hung up on Select The Source with a spinning circle and the Continue button is greyed out. I don't want to bypass this step and do everything manually because that's a nightmare and with my schedule it will likely drag out for months.
Can anyone help?

Personally I have always used the manual method for moving my files over to a new iMac and never use Migration Assistant.
Go to the Apple drop down menu and select Force Quit.. and if Migration Assistant has failed, force quit it and try re-launching it again from your Applications Utility folder.

The Migration Assistant can not find my Time Machine Backup

Hello,
I had to reinstall Mountain Lion on my iMac. So I made a fresh backup with TM on friday, everything was fine with it.
Then I formated my HD and installed 10.8.2 from the AppStore. After setting up the Admin-Account I opended the Migration Assistant
to migrate my User Account from the TM-Backup, but it is not showing up. There are 4 backups on the Time Capsule, but only 3 are
showing up. And for sure it is mine, which is missing. :-(
When I start in Revorery-Mode and choose to set up the iMac from a Time Machine Backup, the latest Backup is from the 1. of November,
which I really don't want to use right now.
Would be very nice to get some help in here.
Thank you

No, both the backup and the new system are OSX10.6.
I'm afraid your solution doesn't work. If I go through finder and open up the folders on the backup, and try, for example, to open my "Movies" folder (which is one I dearly hope to recover), I get a message that:
"The folder "Movies" can't be opened because you don't have permission to see its contents."
I have tried Repair Permissions, but this doesn't help. All of the important folders have a little red stop sign on them.
Thanks though.

Migration assistant can't find target disk

I've just bought a Macbook Pro (Leopard), and am trying to use the migration assitant to move everything from my old Macbook (OS 10.4.11), the way I once did when I upgraded from my old iBook (OSX) to my Macbook. Everything seems fine - I plug in the Firewire 400 to Firewire 400 I used the last time, and start up the Macbook in target mode, getting the Firewire symbol and all. However, the migration assitant on my MBP won't find my MB target disk. At first it says "Waiting for disks to appear", then nothing happens, until I get an error message saying the target computer has no OSX...
I've repaired permissions as well as the disk on the MB with the OSX installation disk, but to no avail. To be fair, the MB startup disk could not be completely repaired, which I'm thinking might be the problem. (However, the MB does work fine otherwise.) I've searhed this forum and googled for it, but haven't found much help anywhere. Any chance anybody here knows why it won't work?

AFAIK, the setup assistant only needs to see a good OS on the computer you're transferring from. The setup assistant uses the migration assistant to do the transfer if you select a user account from the drop-down menu. I used E&I and transferred/migrated from 10.4.11. If transferring from a PPC to an ICBM (Intel-chip-based Mac) peruse http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=1872713 before doing it.

HT4796 Help needed with Migration Assistant, can't find files?

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