How to transfer all of my data to another mac?

Question

Hello folks,
I have a MacBook Pro 15", I recently bought an MBP 17", now I want to transfer all of my data from 15 to 17. All of my mails, network connections, settings and maybe applications.
What should I do in order to transfer my data? Is there any utility out there for doing so?
Thank you all in advance,
- Dunnil

Answer 1

Mac OS: Moving files from your older Macintosh to a new one
Learn how to move or copy files from an older Macintosh computer to newer one, for example, from a computer that uses Mac OS 8 or 9 to one that uses Mac OS X 10.2.
Tip: If you'd prefer to have someone move files for you, ask about data transfer services at your local Apple Retail Store. For more information, visit http://www.apple.com/retail/. In addition to the Apple Retail Stores, many Apple Specialists, Apple Resellers, and Apple Authorized Service Providers provide various levels of data transfer services. Check the Find Service page to locate an Apple Specialist in your area.
Tip: Some computers that come with Mac OS X 10.3.4 or later preinstalled, such as iMac G5 and Power Mac G5 (June 2004), include a version of Setup Assistant that lets you transfer information easily. The following document applies when you are moving (or "migrating") files manually from one computer to another and do not have that version of Setup Assistant.
Contents
What types of files should you move?
Transferring email
Transferring other files
About reusing memory (RAM), peripherals such as printers, and other third-party hardware
Internet settings
What types of files should you move?
There are probably thousands of files on your computer, including many used by the system software and applications. Thankfully, you do not need to move every file.
You should think about moving these types of files:
Personal documents that are stored on your hard disk, such as to-do lists, recipes, spreadsheets, personal webpages, and databases.
Personal pictures, icons, movies, songs, or other multimedia files that are stored on your the computer's hard disk.
Unfinished iMovie or iDVD projects.
Information you keep in Stickies or Notepad (You might want to copy this information and paste it into a SimpleText document.)
You will probably not need to move these types of files
Entire applications (see notes).
Log files or Read Me files
Anything inside the System Folder
Note: You may need to move preference files for third-party applications and third-party fonts that cannot be reinstalled from a disk. If you do not know exactly which preference or font files these are, you should not plan to move any preference or font files. It is often quicker to configure preference settings from scratch or reinstall applications from original disks on your new computer.
Note: If you use Apple applications with your older computer (such as DVD Player, iMovie, iTunes, and iDVD), your newer computer probably includes a version of the software, and you should not need to transfer the older version.
Will my applications (software) work on a new computer?
Moving files is great, but what about using them after they've been moved? In most cases, you will enjoy the best Mac OS X experience by using Mac OS X versions of your applications. However, most applications that work with Mac OS 9 work fine with Mac OS X. This is because Mac OS X includes a feature called the Classic environment, which lets you use your Mac OS 9 applications. Computers that come with Mac OS X installed also include a Mac OS 9 System Folder for the Classic environment. Want to use your current Mac OS 9 System Folder instead? No problem, just copy it from your older computer. Note that it should be using Mac OS 9.1 or later, and you should also delete the Mac OS 9 System Folder that came with the newer computer. For more information about Classic, choose Mac Help from the Help menu on your new computer.
Transferring email
For an easy transition, use Mac OS X Mail on your new computer. Make sure you set it up before you transfer any messages.
Use .Mac or IMAP?
If you use .Mac or another IMAP email account, this will be very easy. If you don't use IMAP with .Mac or don't know what IMAP is, skip this section.
You only need to configure the email application on your new computer, such as Mac OS X Mail, to work with your .Mac or IMAP account. You may have already done this when your computer started for the first time. Messages stored on the .Mac or IMAP server appear in Mail when you open it.
You need to move a small number of messages (using POP)
The easiest way to do this is to forward (or redirect, if your application allows) the messages you want to move to your own email address. Do not retrieve email on your older computer. Instead, retrieve email on your new computer (such as with Mac OS X Mail), and the messages that you forwarded will appear.
Alternatively, you can open the messages in your older computer's email application and save them to your hard disk volume. You can typically do this by opening the message and choosing Save or Save As from the File menu.
You need to move a large number of messages (using POP)
If the choices for moving a small number of messages above won't work very well, you will need to know how your email application stores email. In some cases, such as with Microsoft Outlook Express, messages are not stored individually on the hard disk, but are stored within the application's folder in "mail databases." In this case, you should move your email application's folder just as you would transfer other files (described below). After you've moved the older email application, open Mail and choose Import Mailboxes from the File menu. For more information, see these documents:
61459: "Mac OS X Mail: How to Import Email"
25330: "Mac OS X 10.1, 10.2: How to Import Addresses Into Address Book"
106996: "Mac OS X 10.2: About Import Addresses and Other Mail Scripts"
Some applications may store the messages or attachments as separate files. In this case you need to find the files and move them with the others as described below.
Other email services, such as America Online (AOL), or email you access through a Web browser such as Yahoo email or MSN Hotmail, may store your email on their mail servers. In this case, you should only be concerned with transferring messages that you have previously saved to your disk and deleted from the server. If these services normally work through your email application instead of a browser, see the transferring email section as well.
Note: To access AOL mail on your new computer, you will need to install a Mac OS X version of AOL.
If you're not sure how your email application stores email, refer to the documentation that came with it, or contact the publisher for more information.
Transferring other files
Using .Mac and iDisk
If you're a .Mac member, you can use your iDisk to copy files between computers. Copy files from your older computer to the iDisk, then from the iDisk to your new computer. If your iDisk isn't large enough to copy all the files at once, you can check your .Mac account settings to manage your iDisk space, consider purchasing a capacity upgrade, or copy fewer files at the same time. If you have individual files that are too big, consider using third-party software to compress your files or folders, such as Aladdin Stuffit.
Using a network or direct connection
If you already have a network and know how to transfer files across it from your older computer, it's just a matter of turning on file sharing on your new computer and copying files to it.
If you don't have a network you may be able to directly connect your computers for the transfer. See "Macintosh: How to Create a Small Ethernet Network". Even if you've never done this before, you'll find it's an easy process.
If you don't know how to set up or use file sharing in Mac OS X, see "Mac OS X: About File Sharing".
For more information, you can also read the Mac OS X Networking Support page.
In the unlikely event that your older computer does not include an Ethernet port or an AirPort card, consider transferring files by other means listed below.
Portable hard drive, iPod, or other storage device
You can use a portable hard drives to transfer data from one Macintosh computer to another. These drives usually have a FireWire (IEEE 1394, iLink) or a USB port. Make sure your older computer has a USB or FireWire port first.
If you have an iPod that works with your older computer and has some free space, you can use it like a portable hard drive, in Disk Mode.
Portable FireWire drives provide the fastest transfer rate and are widely available. Portable USB hard drives have a slower transfer rate, but you can use them to transfer files.
Burn a CD or DVD
One of the easiest ways to transfer files from your older computer is to make or "burn" a CD or DVD of them. This has the added benefit of creating a backup of your data. Your new computer should have no issue reading the burned CD. These documents may help:
58804: "Mac OS 9: How to Burn a CD and Choose a Format"
25545: "Mac OS X: When You Put in A Blank CD, It Doesn't Appear"
25402: "Macintosh: Factors That Affect Writing to or Reading From Optical Media"
Other portable media
You can also use portable ZIP, Jaz, magnetic optical (MO), or other forms of portable media to transfer files as long as the media device can be used on both computers.
Advanced method: Moving an entire hard drive
It is possible to move some kinds of hard drives from some older desktop Macintosh computers to newer ones, but you shouldn't do this unless you are an experienced computer user. Make sure your new computer has an available storage bay, cable connection, and internal bus to support the type of drive you have. You may also need to adjust master/slave or cable select jumper settings depending on the type of drive and type of new computer you have.
About reusing memory (RAM), peripherals such as printers, and other third-party hardware
Depending on the technologies your older computer uses, some hardware upgrades or peripheral devices may not work. To find out what's compatible, check with the items' manufacturers.
These kinds of hardware should work, but check with the manufacturer to make sure. You should also download the latest version of any drivers or support software from the manufacturer's website.
USB-based mouse devices, controllers, storage devices, cameras, handheld organizers (PDAs), or printers
FireWire-based cameras, hard drives, or other devices
These kinds of hardware are less likely to work with a new computer. You may need to purchase a more modern equivalent:
Memory (RAM) that works with your older computer
PCI or NuBus-based expansion cards
SCSI-1 or -2 devices that connect externally
Serial port- or LocalTalk-based devices
GeoPort hardware
You can search or browse tens of thousands of products made for Mac at the Macintosh Products Guide.
Internet settings and bookmarks
On your new computer, you'll need to enter Internet settings such as your type of connection and email account information. You may have already done this when the computer started for the first time. If not, see " Mac OS X: Internet and Network Topics (Getting Connected, Troubleshooting)".
Bookmarks (or "favorites") can be transferred in a number of ways. If you have a small number of bookmarks, you may find it easier to just set them up from scratch in your new computer's Web browser. Alternatively, you can paste the URLs of your bookmarks into an email message, mail it to yourself, then get the message with your new computer.
If you have lots of bookmarks, most Web browsers offer a way to export bookmarks to a single file. You can then transfer the file to your new computer, and import the file with your new Web browser.
Related documents
75320: "PC to Macintosh: How to Transfer Data"
107600: "Safari: Can Only Drag One Bookmark at a Time From Internet Explorer"