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.

Similar Messages

Migration Assistant can't see my external hard drive.

Migration Assistant can't see my external hard drive with my back-up info on it. I need to migrate my user data from an older back-up ( OS X 10.4.11) to a recently installed OS X 10.5.8 system on a Mac Pro. The external drive is not bootable. Any ideas?

Great news, thanks!
On iTunes see this...
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4527
Expand the External drive section & it's 6 steps.
More info, especially the Wrong Way part...
http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/articles/comments/moving-your-itunes-library-to -a-new-hard-drive/

I can't find my external hard drive in FCPX

I can't find my external hard drive where I have all my old events and projects. In Finder it shows but not in the latest version of FCPX. I am full updated with FCP and Mavericks
Any Ideas?

Please check this out:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5958
http://fcpx.tv
Take your time and read the above. FCP X will create a new Library comtaining your Projects & Events, but read the above first.
File/Update Projects & Events/Locate

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

I can not find my external hard drive...

The time machine is not working. How do I find my external hard drive and find my backup files? Perhaps this has to do with the fact that I lost power the other day and my router is not working... A different question.. Is this related?

The external hard drive does not work any longer
Do you mean the Time Capsule? If you are having problems with your Linksys router as you indicate, the Time Capsule will likely not function correctly until the Linksys is working normally.
I am getting into the default setting of linsys.
I think you may mean Linksys. If this device is your main router, everything on the network receives connection information from the Linksys, so this device must be functioning correctly in order for any other devices on the network to work correctly.
I can not get the website to open the 192????????
I'm guessing that you are talking about the Linksys router here, correct? You may need to contact Linksys support as our ability to help on that product is going to be limited to a user who understands Linksys products and happens to see this post.
I think we can help on the Time Capsule. Please post back when you have the Linksys router working correctly and we will work on getting the Time Capsule up and running again on the network.
Besides, I tried to log into this website for forever, it wouldn't let me.
I check the Community Support area mutliple times each day and cannot recall any problems with accessing this area in the recent past. We have not seen any other similar compaints from other users, as would normally be the case if there were a general problem with this site.

Am using 2007 iMac running 10.4.11. Do not wish to upgrade now. Where can I find an external hard drive to work with it? Also need a printer?

I'm using a 20" iMac that I purchased in 2007. It's running OS 10.4.11, and still doing beautifully. But I've got to get serious about upgrading and I don't want to lose the material that's on it.   Purchased an external hard drive about two years ago, copied everything I wanted at that time on to it. When I tried using the h.d. a few days ago it was garbled. Now I see that inside the box it says that it requires OS 10.5+.   Anyone know if there's still a new hard drive out there that would work with 10.4.11?   Can't even find thumb drives to work with my system anymore.   Any ideas would be appreciated.

If I were you I would bite the bullet and upgrade to Snow Leopard. You will still be able to use AppleWorks by installing the Rosetta emulator included in Snow Leopard. And, it's a much better OS version than Tiger.
Upgrading to Snow Leopard
You can purchase Snow Leopard through the Apple Store: Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard - Apple Store (U.S.). The price is $19.99 plus tax. You will be sent physical media by mail after placing your order.
After you install Snow Leopard you will have to download and install the Mac OS X 10.6.8 Update Combo v1.1 to update Snow Leopard to 10.6.8 and give you access to the App Store. Access to the App Store enables you to download Mavericks if your computer meets the requirements.
     Snow Leopard General Requirements
       1. Mac computer with an Intel processor
       2. 1GB of memory
       3. 5GB of available disk space
       4. DVD drive for installation
       5. Some features require a compatible Internet service provider;
           fees may apply.
       6. Some features require Apple’s iCloud services; fees and
           terms apply.
See App Compatibility Table - RoaringApps.

ITunes can't find my external hard drive music

Hello, our computer crashed recently and I have restored Windows Vista and iTunes. All of our music is stored on an external hard drive (drive I). There is a main "iTunes music" folder, and then there are a ton of folders in there that are named by music artist. I went to iTunes and changed the preferences to the I drive iTunes music folder, but it will not import the music. If I go to "computer" and open the individual songs, they will play on iTunes. Please tell me I don't have to go in and click on every single song; there are thousands of them. How do I get my songs back in the iTunes library? Any help is appreciated.

Hi, I'm sorry, I don't have an answer, just to be clear immediately, but I do have the same problem and I'm looking for an answer as well.
Because of a problem with the computer I had to re-install everything yesterday. Also my music is on a separate disk, not on the computer itself. I forgot to save or copy the separate iTunes-library-document, because I never use the bloody file, I only use iTunes and sometimes I copy something from the G:\-drive (with the yellow folders with the names of the artists) to the H:\-drive to back-up my music.
So my music is all there, all 60 days of music, so a h e l l of a lot, but I don't know how to get to open everything as one big action, instead of one by one which will be weeks of work. To be clear: because of the re-installment I downloaded iTunes again. The music is for sure on the G:\-drive.
I googled my problem of course, but then problems turn up like people who don't know how to install music on their iPod and stuff, but that's not what my problem is.
Just like Lauren & Mikes mom I changed in 'Preferences' the C:\-drive (the computer says C:-drive automatically) to the G:\-drive, but no action was undertaken by the computer. Of course I tried it several times. In vain.
I don't understand why I can't find the solution by googling this problem. I'm sure Lauren & Mike's mom and I aren't the only ones having this problem...
Thanks in advance for an answer.
Message was edited by: Majesty
Message was edited by: Majesty

I can't find my external hard drive on my imac. Any ideas?

Whatever I do I can't seem to locate my external hard drive to back up my files. If anybody has any ideas it would be much appreciated.

Launch disk utility do you see the drive in the window on the left? if not then the drive is not working or not connected. Try using a different USB port, and make sure you have power to the drive.

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.

HT2518 Migration assistant can't find my external drive - I ran the disk utility on it and it checked out. What can I do - I am trying to transfer PC files to my new MacBook Pro. Thanks

Hi,
Wonder if someone has a suggestion for getting Migration assistant to recognize my external drive so that I can transfer some PC files from it to my MacBook Pro? I have been opening files in the drive with the Mac without a problem and I ran the diagnostics utility and the drive verified. Still, migration assistant spins and spins without finding anything. There's a lot of files and doing it manually with take days.
Thanks!

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.

Migration Assistant can´t find correct external drive

Hi,
I have an iMac that I replaced an harddrive through Apple´s Seagate program. Now I am trying to get use the Migration Assistant to get my backup onto the new harddrive and I am having the most frustrating problem. I am running OS X 10.6.8 and have an external (Synology NAS) mounted by ethernet to the iMac and I can´t get Migration Assistant to select the correct disk.
I can see that my share is mounted correcly in the Finder and I can see the backup file (.sparsebundle) but Migration Assistant go to another share. I have of course chosen the Migration Method "From a Time Machine backup or other disk". The only disk I can select is the wrong one and I can´t for the life of me see how I can force the Migration Assistant to look for the other share. In Time Machine it can find the disk correct disk. In the Finder my drive also appears with <name of drive>(Time Machine) which might be the source of confusion but I don´t know how to solve this. This also of course appears in the Time Machine setup when selecting what disk to use....
I have used a lot of time crawling through webpages about this and I thought connecting directly through ethernet would solve this but no luck. I have called Apple support with no luck...I just want my "old" iMac back..help!
Regards,
Ann

Hi Ann, was the old drive & hence the backup of a later OSX version?
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3193144?start=15&tstart=0

Soooo frustrating ! itunes can't find my external hard drive :(

itunes had screwed up all of my music, i've not got enough space on my laptop's hard drive for all of my music so it's stored on my external HD it worked fine when i installed itunes and life was fine, today it can't find any of my music unless i search for it manualy. I've searched this forum to find a resolution and followed the step's for adding an external drive but that has just screwed up all the music on my HD, not only can it not find it but it's converted everything into quicktime MP4's and renamed my external HD from my E: drive to my G: drive can anyone help before i dump all of it,sell my ipod, regress back to the 80's and get a tape player !

Hi, I'm sorry, I don't have an answer, just to be clear immediately, but I do have the same problem and I'm looking for an answer as well.
Because of a problem with the computer I had to re-install everything yesterday. Also my music is on a separate disk, not on the computer itself. I forgot to save or copy the separate iTunes-library-document, because I never use the bloody file, I only use iTunes and sometimes I copy something from the G:\-drive (with the yellow folders with the names of the artists) to the H:\-drive to back-up my music.
So my music is all there, all 60 days of music, so a h e l l of a lot, but I don't know how to get to open everything as one big action, instead of one by one which will be weeks of work. To be clear: because of the re-installment I downloaded iTunes again. The music is for sure on the G:\-drive.
I googled my problem of course, but then problems turn up like people who don't know how to install music on their iPod and stuff, but that's not what my problem is.
Just like Lauren & Mikes mom I changed in 'Preferences' the C:\-drive (the computer says C:-drive automatically) to the G:\-drive, but no action was undertaken by the computer. Of course I tried it several times. In vain.
I don't understand why I can't find the solution by googling this problem. I'm sure Lauren & Mike's mom and I aren't the only ones having this problem...
Thanks in advance for an answer.
Message was edited by: Majesty
Message was edited by: Majesty

HT4413 What if migration assistant isn't recognizing my external hard drive with my time machine backup on it.

Tech department updated my computer to Lion and wiped it clean. I'm trying to restore my documents/photos/etc from a Snow Leopard time machine backup. When trying to use Migration Manager, when it asks for me to "Select my system," my hard drive with the time machine backup doesn't appear.

See Pondini's TM FAQs for starters.

I have 10.5.8 installed and can't find an external hard drive. It used to work...but hasn't in a while. any suggestions?

I have an older Mac, prob 2007/early 2008. I've got OS 10.5.8 installed. For the last couple months, I haven't been able to recognize my iomega HD. It used to work with time machine, had it set to run on a weekly basis if there were changes, and then I started getting messages that Time Machine hadn't run in a while. Googled it, and there are a lot of suggestions out there. I've tried a few, but to no avail. Any suggestions?

It could be the cable or the drive may have failed. Plug in another external HD and see if that works OK, if it does then that points the finger at the EHD.
Roger

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 my external hard drive

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