Migration assistant all or part

I have a new MBP Retina that I'm trying to set up from an older MBA & MBP.  Is it possible to use migration assistant only selecting the files you want?  Or is it all or nothing?
Trying not to completely double or triple up things as there are parts of the 2 older Macs I want to transfer. 

You can transfer whatever you want with Migration Assistant or Setup Assistant. It will let you choose what you want to transfer from your old Mac or an external drive. See > http://pondini.org/OSX/MigrateLion.html
If you use Migration Assistant, it will create a new user account with the transferred files, so go to  > Log Out, and log in with the new user account. If you want to merge user accounts, see > https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-5472

Similar Messages

  • Migration Assistant - All of the files were not transferred

    I transferred all the user files, settings and applications using migration assistant. I went from an intel iMac to a newer intel iMac. Snow Leopard to Lion. I checked everything in the migration assistant except for the iPhoto library of one of the users because it was too big for the main hard drive of the new computer. I copied it manually to the secondary hard drive.
    At the end of the migration a window said that not all of the files were transferred and I should check to make sure I have everything I need. (I'm not sure the exact wording). Below that it said that a static IP was transferred and I should not have both the old computer and the new one on the network with the same IP.
    Do you think it's just referring to the iPhoto library when it says all files were not transferred? Or could there be something else. Is there a log that I can look at that will tell me what might not have transferred?
    As far at the IP thing, I changed the static IP on the new computer so that's fine.

    Hard to say. I suggest that you peruse Pondini's Setup New Mac guide and determine if you did things the right way.

  • Migration Assistant created admin user w/ Macintosh HD volume on desktop

    Hi,
    Summary:
    MBP 17" (running Leopard) logic board died
    Retrieved hard drive from MBP and put in USB 2.0 caddy
    Bought Mac Mini 2.5 intel core i5 w/ latest Mountain Lion
    Used for a couple of days as main Administrator user, set up a VPN etc, every working fine.
    Made a back up using Time Machine on a USB connected My Passport Edge for Mac
    Used Migration Assistant to transfer user account from MBP HD (with Leopard) - this was the main adminstrator (not root superuser) of the MBP
    When prompted, renamed the Leopard user account to MacBook so no conflict with new Mountain Lion administrator user
    Transferred everything but applications and download folder of the main (administrator) user on the MBP.
    All appeared successful.
    Restarted Mac Mini and logged into the User account created by Migration Assistant---all files there etc so far so good.
    Then I noticed that this migrated user still had Admintrator rights and appears to have reset some of the global settings effecting the original ML admin user (the one I eventually want to carry on using)
    First inkly of this was that the VPN server I set up was no longer recognised by Safari in any accounts on the machine.
    Logged into original ML administrator user and changed the migrated MBP user to a 'standard' user with no rights to do change settings on the computer.
    [still can't get Safari to recognise the VPN proxy server]
    Decided I'd better make a back-up to the Time Machine on the My Passport, but had to follow these instructions http://pondini.org/TM/A4.html for a 'Full Reset of Time Machine'. Which did the job.
    Then I logged back into the migrated MBP user account to look around. There on the desktop is a volume called 'Macintosh HD' (the same as the main computer default name that is used my Mountain Lion.
    When I do a get info on this volume it tells me the following:
    Kind: Volume
    Created: Friday, 19 October 2012 (which is an odd date)
    Modified: Today ...
    Version 10.8.2
    Formal: Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
    Capacity: 499.25GB
    Available: 361.32GB
    Used .....(127.93 GB on disk)
              Sharing and Permissions
                   You can only read
                   system Read & Write
                   wheel Read only
                   everyone Read only
    Can I delete this volume off the desktop or will that mean I lose all the files and folders for this user? Why is there a 137GB volume on the desktop?
    Also, as it's called Macintosh HD (the same as Mountain Lion's Computer name) isn't this likely to be causing some clashes?
    I will eventually be deleting this migrated user, once I have all the emails, notes, etc off Entourage's Main Identity imported into Outlook 10. In the meantime this volume on the desktop is worrying me.
    My question is: what should I do about this double Macintosh HD volume on the migrated MBP user account?
    Thanks for your help.
    Cheers,
    Tracy

    There are settings in Finder's Preferences to show Hard Disks on the desktop. So, that is likely normal. Deleting it would be bad.

  • Transfering Settings with Migration Assistant

    Can anyone tell me what "settings" are transferred when using migration assistant to set up a MacBook Pro (by either migrating from another MacBook Pro or from a time machine backup)? It always asks if you want to transfer 1) applications, 2) documents, 3) settings
    Here is the background:
    1) Applications: I am setting up a new machine (OS 10.6.6) from an almost identical machine that I barely finished setting up (also OS 10.6.6). I had only a few programs installed but because of known transfer problems due to licensing issues (Office 2011, Adobe CS5) was advised by colleagues just to install my applications fresh on the new machine, which I did.
    2) Documents: I would like to use migration assistant to copy all my documents, I don't see a problem with that and I was planning to do that next.
    3) Settings: What I don't know is whether I should restore/migrate "settings". Are these things like my folder display preferences or power settings (which may have taken some time to get just the way I like and would like to replicate)? Are these settings that pertain to my applications, which may not link up with the newly installed (un-migrated) applications and then cause problems? Or are these things like internet settings, which I've already gotten in place and working for the new machine?
    So the big question is: what "settings" are these and will they overwrite or interfere with anything that I already have set up on the new machine?

    what "settings" are these and will they overwrite or interfere with anything that I already have set up on the new machine?
    Using Migration Assistant, all of your settings will be transferred: system settings, application settings, even .ds_store files: your windows will all be in the same place as they are on your other machine; your custom icons will still be there, your file structures, your desktop picture, your passwords, pretty much everything.
    If you use Migration Assistant on the initial setup, the account you transfer from your old machine will be the main admin account on the new machine. If you wait and use Migration Assistant after the initial setup, a new account will be created to contain the migrated data.

  • How can we disassociate an Apple ID from a set of computers formated from a single computer using Carbon Copy Cloner and a single image and then Migration Assistant to install their old profile? The original ID is the Apple ID for all the stores.

    Here is a bit more detail.
    We were replacing old teacher machines and wanted to do it as efficiently as possible. Therefore, we set up one computer, through the OS installation and ran all updates, and then made a disk image so that we can use Carbon Copy Cloner to image all the other computers without having to run all the other updates. Once they were set up to a base level and assigned to a teacher we used Migration Assistant to import all their old files and items. Everything has been fine until recently the computers became aware of needing an update for one or two apps. The machine asks for the original computer's Apple ID for all updates. We have logged out of the apple id and back in with another to test if running the updates will work with that Apple ID and even after a refresh it still asks for the other Apple ID. How can we disassociate the Apple ID from those other computers so that the individual who owns the original is not needed each time there is an update or has to give out their Apple ID password?

    There are two parts to this:
    1) It may be that you should have an Apple Education Support person helping you with this. If you have enough computers for this to be a problem, you may benefit from a Server, a site license, and an occasional visit from an Education Support Specialist.
    2) The brief answer, if you want Individual Apple_IDs to control each computer, is to buy new copies of Mac OS X under those new Apple_IDs and re-download and re-Install. Mac OS X is customized to the Apple_ID before it is downloaded.

  • HT3231 I ended up having to create a new user name because the migration assistant wouldn't let me put the data back onto my original user name.  I now have to log into the new user name to see all my data, apps, photographs etc. What went wrong?

    I have a Mac that was part of the recall involved with the faulty Seagate hard drives.  The folks at the Apple Store near me changed the hard drive early December, 2012. I had my data, etc. all backed up on a portable hard drive.  When the Mac was returned with the new hard drive, I used the Migration Assistant to bring everything back over. Trouble was, it wouldn't let me bring it over to my original user name.  I was forced to create a new user name that became the place where everything was restored.  I can't see any data on my old user name, just the basics.  Everything is on the new user name but I wish I didn't have it (just want everything back the way it was originally).  Any suggestions?

    Probably the cleanest thing to do is to erase and freshly install the operating system on the new drive. Then, on the first boot up, don't create a new user, instead select the option in Setup Assistant to immediately bring things over from your backup, which you must connect via USB or firewire. Setup Assistant will then recretae your old user to look just like it used to.
    Before doing this, make sure you realize you will lose everything on the new drive by erasing it, and make sure your backup is still viable.

  • HT2518 After using Migrate Assistant, I made several accounts for every attempt to migrate files from PC to Mac. How can I put all accounts together into one? How can I transfer the files from the other accounts to my primary account?

    Okay, so I did the entire Migrate Assistant process to transfer all my files and what not to my MacBook. Problem is that I did it on seperate occasions and now I have several accounts.
    How can I transfer my files from the other accounts to my primary account and delete the other accounts?

    Problem is that I did it on seperate occasions and now I have several accounts.
    If you had read carefully, Migration Assistant asks what you want to do in this event. That would have precluded the redundancy.
    Part of the fundamental design of OS X is to separate user accounts so that one user can't interfere with another. It's not possible to directly merge an account with another, but you can copy whatever you need to the Shared folder - it is in your Users folder.
    Log in to one account, prefereably a smaller one, and drag the files and folders into Shared. Log out, log into the account you want to be "primary" and drag the files from Shared into their appropriate locations. When you have copied everything you need delete the redundant account.
    Do this for each of them.
    Or, you can just run Migration Assistant again and follow the prompts that address the situation you described. It involves creating a secondary, temporary account from which you can administer the transfer. When it is complete you delete the temporary account(s).

  • Migration assistant doesn't migrate all user files

    I Wanted to do a semi clean install, so I decided to erase everything and install a fresh OS X Yosemite.
    i Used migration assistance to only migrate my user account and all its files. Everything seemed to work fine, until I realized I was missing things. Some fonts were not copied over (/User/name/Library/Fonts) and most of my music was not copied over (~/Music/iTunes etc.). The only music that seemed to transfer were ones I purchased from iTunes or imported recently (with the latest iTunes). I got fed up with the entire process and didn't do any more investigation or debugging and am now doing a full restore from time machine. Luckily I have two time machine backups... Can't always assume everything will go correctly (one time machine is stuffed as it was preparing to backup my new installation with lost user files).
    has anyone else had the same problems?
    As a note I was able to locate those fonts manually on one of the time machine backups but it said the links we broken (they must be aliases) but since I knew the absolute path I could find them. Maybe that's part of the problem? Also I wonder if user permissions (eg ownership) could affect the restore user account process...
    Ps: Apple this site ***** on my iPad mini. Fonts are way too small!

    I did exactly that
    If so, that would have been Setup Assistant, not Migration Assistant. From the sound of it, I'm not so certain that is what you did. They are very similar, but may produce different results. Setup Assistant appears on the first boot of the new Mac. It is generally far more problem free than Migration Assistant. If you select the option to migrate later you get MA. Have you checked to see if you don't now have another User where all your settings now reside. This can be the result of using MA.
    If you didn't use SA on the first boot, it might be far less time consuming and aggravating to simply reinstall the OS and the bundled apps. This will produce a brand new option to use SA on the first boot.

  • I recently purchased an iMac and used migration assistant to get all files from my emac, but now I have three user accounts.  I only want one (perhaps two) accounts.  I want all my music, photos and word docs from old computer in one user name

    I recently purchased a mac and used a firewire to transfer my files onto my new imac with migration assistant.  Now I have 3 users.  I want one with all my main files (pictures, music, files from my old computer).
    I don't mind having an additional "family" account so my younger daughter can't mess us things, but I can't figure out how to get files from one to the next and then delete the one user name.
    Thanks,

    In order to delete other accounts you must be logged into an admin account. You cannot delete the account into which you are currently logged.
    When you started the new computer you were in the Setup Assistant. You created a new admin account before finishing the setup. You need to log into that account because it is an admin account. You can then delete the account you migrated from the old computer (and any other accounts you don't need or want.)
    Then create a temporary new user account with admin status - name it, Temp. Log out of the current account and log into the new account, Temp. Now delete the initial account you created in Setup Assistant. You now have one account, Temp. Now re-migrate your data from the old computer. When that is completed log into the migrated account, which should be an admin account, and delete the temporary account, Temp.

  • HT4889 I have accidentally created another account when using Migration Assistant to a new MBA. How do I now 'migrate' all the files from both accounts into one to save myself having two accounts, both of which are me? Help?

    I have accidentally created another account when using Migration Assistant to a new MBA. I have read that I probably should not have skipped migration in the initial set up and the problem would have been avoided but, alas, here I am. Does anyone know how I can 'migrate' all the files from one of the accounts that has been created to the other, so then I can delete it and have a single user on the computer seeing as I am the only person using it? I have read starting again, if this is the way to go, where is the best place to start 'starting again'?

    Yes definitely should see it but its not coming up (I don't think) when I log out of 2nd user and into the main account. Opening finder in the 2nd account, I can obviously find the public folder because thats where I dropped all the files, but when in the main account, it can't be found. The only public folder that comes up is the folder for that account (main account) and it does not display files I'm looking for. Frustrating....
    EDIT: Have found it through a round-about way but all music and photo and movie etc files have a red stop sign disallowing them from being transferred. Can you guess what the next question will be?

  • Using migration assistant I transferred my complete MacBookPro to my nex iMac. Now I find out that all jampacks are missing in GarageBand. Can anyone advise? Thanks!

    Using migration assistant I transferred my complete MacBookPro to my nex iMac. Now I find out that all jampacks are missing in GarageBand. Can anyone advise? Thanks!

    I would think the migration assistant transfers 100% of all contents...
    When you are setting up a new Mac you can use Setup assistant the moment you boot the mac the first time. Setup Assistant will usually transfer everything. If you miss tha t moment and later launch Migration Assistant some library files will not be transferred. Migration assistant will not transfer system files, only User Files and Application files. I think, that is why your files are missing.
    so could you please tell how this copying is done?
    Best take an external drive with plenty of free disk space and plug it into your MacBook Pro.
    Open the System drive, your Macintosh HD in the Finder and open the folder "Library", then "Application Support", then "GarageBand". Copy the folder
    /Library/Application Support/GarageBand/Instrument Library/  to your external drive by dragging it there.
    Then open again the folder "Library" on your Macintosh HD, and this time open the folder "Audio" inside. Copy the folder
    /Library/Audio/Apple Loops/
    to your externall drive. Eject the drive and plug it into your iMac.
    Now compare the AppleLoops folders and instrument library folders and copy all missing items over to the corresponding folders in the iMac's Library.
    Afterwards you need to reindex the loops, by dragging any loop you newly installed onto the Loop Browser in garageband, see: Rebuilding the Loop Index in GarageBand

  • I bought a new iMac today. I'm using migration assistant to move all my software, but the time just keeps getting longer. It says connect an Ethernet cable for faster data transfer. I did, but that doesn't seem to help. Any ideas?

    I bought a new iMac today. I'm using migration assistant to move all my software, but the time just keeps getting longer. It says connect an Ethernet cable for faster data transfer. I did, but that doesn't seem to help. Any ideas?

    m1doc,
    Are you migrating from a Mac or a MS Window machine? Either way you probably should be in touch with AppleCare, you have 90 days of free AppleCare telephone support. They can usually help on issues like this. If you don't know the phone number please use http://support.apple.com/kb/HE57 to help find the number in your country.

  • I just bought a new iMac and used the Migration Assistant to transfer my files. Initially, all was working, but now a week later, I get the message that the application manager is missing, and I cannot get Photoshop and InDesign to launch. I do not want t

    I just bought a new iMac and used the Migration Assistant to transfer my files. Initially, all was working, but now a week later, I get the message that the application manager is missing, and I cannot get Photoshop and InDesign to launch. For my personal use, I did not a need to join Creative Cloud. Have you any suggestions for a work-around?

    Try to install Adobe application Manager from below link and check
    Adobe - Adobe Application Manager : For Macintosh : Adobe Application Manager : Thank You

  • When migrating from a pc to  macbook pro migration assistant caused multiple user accounts how do I get the data all in to one account now that it is migrated ?

    I am switching over to apple from a PC platform and I have tried to use migration assistant to transfer the stuff on my PC to my macbook pro. When i tried the first time the two went to sleep due the long time required to transfer 13 GB of data and the transfer failed. I tried to transfer again only opting for some of the data  but when I did it created a second user account . I tried again and now I have transferred most of the data but I have it in three user accounts. Not what I wanted to do. Is there an easy fix for this or do Ineed to start from scratch ?

    Open the Users folder on the internal drive, drag all of the other home folders to the desktop, and then move the files inside to the desired locations.
    (91949)

  • All menus greyed out after transfer to new computer via Migration Assistant

    Hi!
    My collegue just moved all his stuff to a new computer using the Migration Assistant.
    All seem to work fine except Apple Remote Desktop 3 which start up, but the main window isn't shown and the menus are all grey.
    We have tried to re-install and also tried to toss everything that's related to ARD (Like the ”Remote Desktop” folder in /Library/Application Support/Apple and the ARD prefs. file in ~/Library/Preferences) and re-installed again, but still the same.
    Any ideas?
    A permission problem somewhere perhaps?

    It helped to do this command:
    +sudo rm -rf /var/db/RemoteManagement+
    Found here:
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2577
    This let us type in the serial number again when starting up the ”Remote Desktop.app” and all seems fine.

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