Migrate Assistant really sluggish

(X post - mistaken put this in the Logic Pro thread)
Sorry - newbie to the forum here. I've search the forum, but can't find an answer so far.
After a few months of having my new MBP, I've decided to migrate my iMac (Intel) across to the new MBP. Set it all up OK - no problems with the wireless setup and it's started fine. (Both machines are running Leopard 10.5). However, after a promising start, both machines now report that there are over 19 hours remaining! They've been reporting this for the last hour or so.
My questions are:
1) Should it really be taking this long? (I've put the machines close to each other and it hasn't affected the timing.)
2) Can I abort the migration and start again using the firewire connection?
Any help/suggestions much appreciated.
Thanks.

According to http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=Mac/10.5/en/9032.html you can't do it wirelessly. Hook them up with FireWire.

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Migration assistant really sluggish

Really sorry mods - just noticed that this is in the Logic Pro thread - can you move it please?
Sorry - newbie to the forum here. I've search the forum, but can't find an answer so far.
After a few months of having my new MBP, I've decided to migrate my iMac (Intel) across to the new MBP. Set it all up OK - no problems with the wireless setup and it's started fine. (Both machines are running Leopard 10.5). However, after a promising start, both machines now report that there are over 19 hours remaining! They've been reporting this for the last hour or so.
My questions are:
1) Should it really be taking this long? (I've put the machines close to each other and it hasn't affected the timing.)
2) Can I abort the migration and start again using the firewire connection?
Any help/suggestions much appreciated.
Thanks.
Message was edited by: grumpyhaggis

Thanks for help in the x post.

Migration assistant really slow

I also decided to use migration assistat to transfer files from my MacBook with tiger to my new
MacBook with snow leopard. I had no cables so am doing it wirelessly. It has been going for about 10 hours and also seems stuck however mine is giving me no indication of time remaining. Just the status bar that hasn't moved for awhile. I would love to cancel it and just transfer the files using my external hard drive. Not sure if I did something wrong or if it just that slow. I can't be without a computer for numerous days.

I used Migration Assistant to populate my data onto a new iMac being restored from a Time Capsule. I think it was about 250 GB. The restore was performed over ethernet (not wireless) but I should point out that it's true gigabit ethernet (1000 BaseT).
The restore took almost exactly 3 hours.
I should probably point out some math before you jump to conclusions. Regardless of network or bus speed, it's not possible to copy data faster than the maximum read or write speed of the hard drives. Most hard drives are going to have a maximum sustained transfer rate of maybe 45-50 MB/sec (some may advertise around 80 MB/sec this assumes completely contiguous data. Throw some randomized head-seek time in there and that will quickly degrade to about half of the max theoretical speed.
If you divide 250 GB by 40 MB/sec, the transfer works out to about 1hr 45mins. My transfer really did take 3 hours which works out to an effective transfer rate of only about 23 MB/sec. I suspect this is probably due to overhead of all the traversal required to reconstruct the data from the Time Machine backup format.
If you were to do the same transfer over 100 BaseT (100 Mbps ethernet) then the network would become the new bottleneck and it would not be possible to get a transfer faster than 10 MB/sec (and more likely 9). This would have turned a 3 hour transfer into a about 7h 40mins.
But you're not even using 100 BaseT ethernet... you're doing wireless. If it's wireless G then the max theoretical speed is 54Mbps (5.4 MB/sec) BUT... it's half-duplex. You'd be lucky to get 4 MB/sec. At that speed a 250 GB transfer would take about 17 hr 20 mins.
With that in mind... you said you've been waiting 3 days? Your transfer is hung. I helped a relative do the same thing several months ago, but after telling him what he needed to do he ended up trying to do the transfer over wireless. The sustained traffic load on his sub $50 wireless router ended up crashing the router and he was making no progress at all. The router had to be rebooted NUMEROUS times before he ultimately gave up, finally put the two machines in the same room so he could directly connect them and do the transfer via wired method. Over wire the transfer didn't take long at all (maybe 30 mins. But he didn't have much data.)

Migration Assistant on really old User

I recently used Migration Assistant to transfer all data (but no apps) from my G4 ibook running the latest version of Tiger. That ibook itself was set up using Migration Assistant to transfer all data (but no apps) from my previous ibook, which was bought circa 2002. I've had no issues -- but I have poured through the various library and app support folders to delete folders and files that I'm quite sure I no longer have any use for, such as all Classic apps and preferences.
I'm having no issues, as I've said, so I guess all's well that ends well, but this does seem like something that's not particularly sustainable. Plus, it means that I do have some files with really old dates on them, which seems kind of weird. One of the reasons I've done it this way, however, is that it's not entirely clear how neatly transfer your data otherwise; I suppose I could recreate preferences in various programs, but I've seen people have a lot of trouble transferring metadata from the itunes library, etc., and then there's the frequent permissions problems.
Can someone point me to a method of transferring data to another machine that works? Or is Migration Assistant really the best way? I'd be inclines to just start over if I ever had a problem that merited it, or if I were doing a major OS upgrade.

IMO, the migration assistant is the best way. FWIW, I have docs going back to the mid 90s on my machines. Mostly Word and Excel files that can still be opened and updated using Office 2004.

Migration Assistant created account without a Drop Box

I migrated a friend's account from old Pismo running Tiger to my Mac Pro running Leopard. The last time I had seen the Migration Assistant was years ago under Tiger, & it was crystal clear and idiot proof. The Leopard Migration Assistant has more stages to the operation, and a lot more choices, some of which weren't immediately clear to me. The end result was the account was created without a Drop Box! I thought I was telling it not to copy his Drop Box, and never realized I was telling it not to create it. Now, the question is, after this ridiculous Human Interface Failure, how can I create a Drop Box for this account? I need to move stuff across the User account barrier sometimes, and it is presently not possible.

OK, I noticed the Drop Box doesn't look right, so I will try your terminal commands, thanks.
Ooops - Looks like I have more problems. The Migration Assistant really screwed me up. When I opened the Terminal, it was displaying "Last login...." and it says my computer is now called my friend's computer. Also, I am not sure how to use your commands, because how does the computer know what folder it applies to, if I am in my account, and the drop box is in my friend's account? Did you mean for me to run the commands from within my friend's account?
Message was edited by: Gary P

HT4889 Am I wrong or does Migration Assistant not work in Mountain Lion (10.8.2) when migrating from a PowerPC running Tiger (10.4.11)? Apple really needs to get on the ball or face losing people buying their new desktop products.

The title alone speaks to my frustration about this issue.
Used the process that was recommended by Apple to migrate from my "Lampshade" iMac (PPC running 10.4.11) to the new iMac (Intel running 10.8.2) and I got bupkiss...
Just a spinning wheel (not beachball) and no drive recognized using Migration Assistant for both nor when using Target Mode on the iMac running 10.4.11 and Migration Assistant on the iMac running 10.8.2. Which is ironic, or more accurately oxymoronic, since the iMac in Target Mode (10.4.11) is recognized on the desktop of the iMac running 10.8.2 but not in the Migration Assistant. And before you can misdiagnose..it is not the Thunderbolt connection since I have the Apple recommended Thunderbolt to Firewire adapter and also used the Firewire 400 to 800 cable to expedite the transfer.
On a personal note...
I'm not bashing Apple for this...they are "head and shoulders" above the competition in what they do but I've been burned a few times so I feel I can share a small bit of loyal customer advice...I understand your iOS and mobile products hold huge sway in company focus and market-share but I find it a tad unwise to slack on the desktop applications. I don't recall any app for the iPhone/iPad family being made on the iPhone/iPad...only from desktop applications if I recall correctly. And how can I clearly "Move my Mac even further ahead" as your marketing states when I can't even migrate my files from my old Mac to my new one in a simple fashion as per your instructions?
I thank anyone in advance with an answer or even a workaround for this issue and please have a great day.

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4889
Migration from Mac OS X v10.4 Tiger to OS X Lion
Migration from Mac OS X v10.4 computers to OS X Lion over your Wi-Fi or a wired network is not supported. However, if both Macs are equipped with a FireWire port, you can use Target Disk Mode to transfer your data:
Verify that both Macs are equipped with a FireWire port. Note that different model Macs may have different FireWire connectors, which will require an appropriate cable, such as FireWire 400 to FireWire 800.
On the Mac you want to transfer data from, Restart, and immediately hold the T key.
Wait for the FireWire logo to appear on the screen. If it does not, restart and try again.
Connect both Macs via the FireWire cable.
On the Mac you want to transfer data to, Open the Migration Assistant application.
Select the option "From another Mac, PC, Time Machine backup, or other disk" and click Continue.
Select the option "From a Time Machine backup or other disk" and click Continue.
Select your other Mac's volume, such as "Macintosh HD", from the list, and click Cont
EDIT: Actually I realize you did follow these directions and if your drive is seen on the new Mac it should work. You're entitled to free Apple support with the new purchase, I'd give them a call.

Migration assistant freezes - PLEASE HELP ASAP

I am trying to run the migration assistant on a new imac i7 that I received. The "old" machine is an i5 ,and it is transferring about 500gb of data. It ran for many hours, and has been stuck on "19 minutes" remaining for about an hour now. What should I do?
Am I going to have to redo the entire transfer? (I hope not - it took HOURS, AND HOURS!)
I'm sure it isn't "good" to simply power off, or unplug one of the machines while the migration assistant is running. What should I do? Need to some asap, as I need to get the machine up and running.
Thanks for your help!
-Rick
twitter.com/Rick_Smith

Thanks for the feedback. I actually just followed the directions on the new i7.
I took it out of the box, powered on, went through a few menus, and then selected the option to transfer settings from another mac. It never asked for updates, or anything.
It simply asked me to hook up a firewire cable (fw 800), and then restart the "old" computer and hold down "t" as it restarted. It did that, the new machine "found" the "old" one, and it started transferring.
I had about 500 gb of data on the old machine. So it's taken a long time, but then it got to 19 min remaining, and has been stuck there every since. I really hate doing a hard restart, but it looks like I have no choice...
I guess I"ll go try that..
**fingers crossed*

I have just taken delivery of a brand new 15" macbook pro, tried migration assistant from a time machine backup, music, photos, programs etc. They now take up 350gb of my hard drive but the files are nowhere to be found? can anyone help?

Set migration assistant to run whilst on a lunch break, given that it needed 2 hours or so, when i returned all programs and applications had moved across from my time machine backup of a now dead 15"macbook pro 2009 edition running snow leopard...When i look at my new system information it shows my new 500gb drive is full of music, movies and photos and has only 168gb free, not enough to run a new migration and i don't have any boot disks for Lion so really don't want to erase the hard drive. To compound the problem i'm in Vietnam where there isn't a genius bar just around the corner, or even an aasp within 700km - what should I do?

Is the HDD in the 2009 15" MBP dead? (The original source of your data) If not, you might want ot take it out and put it in an enclosure.
You might try spotlight on know files to see if that gives you any clues where your data is located.
You might down load from the Internet OmniDiskSweeper (free) and open it. It should show you all of the files you have on your MBP and enable to locate them.
Ciao.

10.5 Time Machine backup not visible in 10.6 Migration Assistant

Hello everyone,
Helping my not-so-tech savvy auntie move over from her old 5,1 iMac to a newer 8,1 MacBook. Her old iMac has a Time Machine backup on OS 10.5.8. I plugged in the Time Machine to the new MacBook (which is on a clean install of OS 10.6.8) and for some reason the Migration Assistant is not picking up the Time Machine in the "Select Your Disk" section. All I can see is the MacBook's internal HD. The Time Machine backup is showing up in Finder, however the disk's icon is yellow, not Time Machine green.
I'm a bit stumped - can someone please advise? By all indications, a 10.5 Time Machine backup should be able to restore to a 10.6 system. We are visiting for the weekend and I really would like to get her up and running before we leave tomorrow.
Thanks!
VIkki

Yes, that's option B as she still has the IMac but I'm curious as to why the TM backup isn't working - just in case I need to do this on another machine down the road, it would be nice to know what's going wrong with the more convenient TM restore option.... Thanks!

Merging user accounts after using Migration Assistant

I've just acquired my first Mac (Lion OS) and set it up without using the Migration Assistant. I set up mail accounts for my existing email addresses (Gmail & Virgin). A few days later I decided to transfer my old files from the PC using Migration Assistant. Rather than do the whole thing in one go I thought I'd start with iTunes. What I failed to realise is that the Migration creates a new user account on the Mac (something I only noticed when I couldn't find iTunes and went searching). If I now migrate something else such as "My Photographs", another user account will appear.
I don't really want more than one user account so how do I transfer the iTunes music from one account to another and the same when I bring more stuff across from the PC? A related issue is the fact I've set up mail accounts already. If I migrate my Outlook mail folders and email account details can these also be merged or will the Mac be confused as I've already set something up?
Any help appreciated from this newbie Mac user. Thanks.

Have a read here Transferring files from one User Account to another
Stefan

I used the migration assistant to transfer files from my PC to my Mac but it recreated my user profile from the PC and I wanted to transfer the files to the new different user profile I've setup on the Mac. How can I transfer everything now?

I have an older Windows laptop and I am switching to a new MacBook Air. The main user on the Windows laptop is going to be different than the main user on the MacBook. I used the migration assistant to transfer data to the MacBook but it recreated the whole older profile on the new Mac when I just wanted to pull everything over into the new user profile I had already created on the new MacBook. How can I go about putting the data over into the new user profile and erasing the older other user profile it recreated? Would I erase the old user profile on the new Mac and start over with the migration assistant using some setting I missed that lets me pull the data over to the new main user on the MacBook? Or is there a way to rename the old user profile on the Mac to match what I want the new username/password to be somehow?
Or would it be best to back the data I really need from the old PC onto an external HD and then copy it over to the new Mac from the external HD?
Looking for advice on how to best go about this. On the old PC I had multiple profiles and it was awkward. On the new Mac I just want a single profile for the primary user and both users will just share the same user profile. I wasn't sure if the Migration Assistant only let you recreate entire profiles or if there was a way to just import data from the old PC's primary profile into the new Mac's new primary profile with some setting adjustment.
Data would be docs, pics, bookmarks, music. Fairly basic.
Thanks for any and all advice,
-Crosscourier.

Look in the /Users/ folder.

I just ran migration assistant, and now I have two accounts on my new iMac...how do I merge my iPhoto libraries?

I just ran migration assistant, and now I have two accounts on my new iMac...how do I merge my iPhoto libraries? Is there anyway to do it without using an external hard drive?

Yes there is.
1: Log out and into the account you later want to remove.
2: Open your Pictures folder and look for the iPhoto Library.
3: Right or control click on it, a menu appears and choose the option "Show Package Contents", it's really a folder.
4: Find the folder called "Originals", select it and use the Finder menu to Duplicate it.
5: Move the Copy of Originals to the Desktop. Close the window.
6: From the Finder menu, select Go Computer.
7: A window appears with your boot drive, double click it and on the Users folder inside.
8: Select the OTHER users folder and open the folder called Public, inside is a folder called "DropBox"
9: Drag the Copy of Originals to that DropBox folder, it will copy it.
10. Log out and into the other account and access the DropBox folder, your files can then be imported into that iPhoto user Library from within the program itself.

I used Migration Assistant to copy data to an new MacBook Pro from an old via my Time Capsule. When asked if to inherit time machine history on the new Mac, I mistakenly said no. How do I go back one step to say yes?

There isn't enough space on the Time Capsule to create a separate backup of the data on the new MacBook. And I am reluctant to delete old backups of the old MacBook to create space to backup the new machine. This occurred about 3 weeks ago so the data on the two machines are now out of sync. If I start over by formatting the new MacBook and rerunning Migration Assistant to pull data from the Time Capsule, how do i preserve the last 3 weeks of data on the new MacBook, considering that I didn't keep track of which files changed in the last 3 weeks?

All the rest of the stuff is where it should be. As best I can tell. I have been going through my programs one at a time to see what works. With the change in the OS (Launchpad? What the heck?) I am finding a significant number of my old programs are not working. Some I have found upgrades. But without a working mail program, the machine is pretty useless for work.
The Apple techies had me run through 3 hours of 'stuff' (holding down keys and restarting, etc, etc). It still does not launch. I think we are waiting for a 'miracle', but I need to know now if they should just come get this piece of junk or if they really are able to find a solution in a timely manner.

Time Machine backup/restoring through migration assistant/issues

Hi.
I would like to restore a backup from an external hard drive to my macbook pro.
Not beeing aware of the procedure, I skipped the "set-up assistant" phase where you're proposed the option of transferring informations from an another Mac or from a Time Machine, etc...
My backup files from my previous TimeMachine are on an external hard drive, plugged via USB to my MacBookPro. After looking for the right procedure, I tried to restore my backup through the Migration Assistant.
But the Migration Assistant won't find my external hard drive. Even though, weirdly, I can see and naviguate it via the Finder.
Is there something I should've done? Am I missing something?
I would really like some help on this one.
Thanks.

Quit Notes and temporarily disable iCloud synchronization, if applicable.
Triple-click the line below to select it:
~/Library/Containers/com.apple.Notes
Right-click or control-click the highlighted line and select
Services ▹ Reveal
from the contextual menu. A Finder window should open with an item selected. Enter Time Machine and restore the selected item.

Migration Assistant doesn't allow me to choose what drive.

Well, I got my new computer. I tried to migrate a drive from my old computer using Migration Assistant. and it doesn't allow me to choose what drive.
In my old computer I have 5 drives. The original HD (was 10GB, was replaced last year by a 40 GB) and on my Hitachi 250 GB drive that I added 2 years ago, there's a partition with 4 drives.
I wanted to migrate one particular drive from there (called Current work).
First I did a mistake. I connected both computer via the firewire in the afternoon when there was enough daylight so I don't have to do it later at night (the computers are under the table.) I thought it's OK since I'm not pushing any button yet ("migrate now", "transfer", and such).
I turned on the new computer and a message appeared: you must restart.
That's strange, I said to myself. it's a brand new computer. Usually It says that when there's a problem, but OK I restart and when it's back on, I see that my external drive (Neptune from OWC which was still hooked up in the old computer) is on the desktop. And it took just a few seconds. I open it and all the files, etc. are there. It did copy the whole external drive !
I'm not an computer expert but I believe the Mac Pro did notice that's there's a firewire hooked up and then, without asking me, migrated the external drive and that's why it asked me to restart. I would have prefer if it tells me "restart so migration can begin".
I don't mind for now that my external drive is on my new computer. I can always erase it if I don't want it. It is still external right ? so it doesn't intrude on the 640 GB of my HD so I just keep it.
But it also copied/migrate Mac HD 40 GB which is full of OS 9 and I almost never use it anymore. I don't want it coz it has applications and they advise not to migrate applications (certainly not applications with issues).
They say migrate folders, settings but re-install applications.
And it migrated also another drive called "Scratch" which has only personal date no system, no software.
Anyway, I erased everything and re-installed using the Install disk that came with the computer.
BTW, what they say in the manual (p. 90: Re-installing the software that came with your Mac Pro) is different than what really happens.
They say insert disk, double- click on Install and then click options in the "Select a destination" pane of the installer. Then click "erase and install" Problem is: there's no "Select a destination" pane. Or any options.
I had to go to Disk utility and erase, then re-install OS X.
Then re-install the applications using "Install applications" (the other disc that came with the computer. )
OK, I did that. Then while everything is empty, new, I used Migration Assistant.
Now here is the reason why I post this.
They say hold T key until you see a firewire icon then select a drive. I can't see when there's an icon coz I have only one monitor, so I just hold and hold the T-key and turn on the old computer. The screen shows "waiting for you other computer to restart" 2 min.... 5 min... 7 min. Nothing happens. I stop holding.
I look at the desktop and I see that the icon of the old 40 GIG Mac HD is there. (and I believe with a firewire logo, but not sure about that.)
I have the impression that if I kept the T-key longer it would have migrate the other drives as well.
They say keep the T-key down until you see the firewire (then let go I suppose. As I said I don't see what's going on on the desktop of my old computer so I kept the T-key for a few minutes. I also tried another time to let go after 1-2 min. No difference.
I shut down the new comp. and the old computer screen appears automatically (both are connected to the monitor; the old with analog port, the new with digital port) and sure enough the firewire icon is moving on the screen.
I go back to the new computer and put the old 40 GIG Mac HD in the trash. Actually, when it touched the trash, I just saw an eject icon and the drive disappear. Did not go in the trash which is empty. So I guess I ejected, not sure what's the difference but I looked for it to see if it's anywhere in the computer. Could not find it. Not in the HD, not in the desktop. Good, I don't want it there. Is it hidden somewhere ?
So I tried again but wondering perhaps the old computer should RESTART not turn on (it was off) so now I wait until it's on, then push restart. I hear the gong when it shuts off but that's it, no other gong when it comes back. I keep the T-key. But nothing happened. Just see the message "waiting for your other computer to restart"
PS: BTW Target mode (which seems to me similar to Migrating with "Migration Assistant") will not work for me because it must be SATA, mine is ATA.
I didn't try but read that it has to be SATA.
Is it the same ? In migrating they say hold down the T-key (T for target)
And how come that my 40GB HD which is ATA did migrate (not that I wanted too but still).
Also, this drive ("Current Work") that I want to migrate to the new computer is in my external drive. Can't I just drag it ? If it has only personal data, files and folders I know I can, but It has system (OS X) and applications. It's the one I use and boot on, in my old G4 but I want to transfer Files and folders and settings, so the new computer will know what are my Safari preferences, Automatic fill-in, and perhaps it will move my iTunes music Library too ?
Basically everything except applications. Although I would like my Nikon scanner to be in the new computer as well as the LaCie DVD recorder but I guess I can do that later, separately ?
What are the settings or info I need ? Because if it's just Safari preferences, automatic fill-in and other such small thing, it might be better to just do it again in the new comp and forget about the hassle of migrating.

Try getting into Windows and then plugging in the Superdrive. The drive will only be attached to one OS or the other, not both.

Migrate Assistant really sluggish

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