New iMac - seamless transfer

Hi all,
Just wanted to let you all know that by reading some posts here, it helped me to experience a seamless transition from my old imac to a new one.
Had a 3 year old imac g4 (which was my first) and it was really starting to chug along....still all working perfectly, but slow.
So finally decided to go a for a new iMac and having read here about the migration assistant after about 3 hours of transferring files etc. new imac is now up and running with no issues whatsover and all setting etc. are all the same same as my old one.
Thanks apple and thanks again to the people who who posted about the migration assistant and advice about using it

I too used the Migration Assistant and it did not take even as long as the download countdown indicated. I was very pleased. I have just ended my first video conferencing with an old friend that moved from the neighborhood a year ago and who recently bought the Intel iMac also. She and I and our S.O.s participated also and it was so fun chatting in real time. What a boon to communication that is. Alas, all of my siblings as well as my offspring and most of my friends, are pc users - drat. I did get a curious message during the migration process which I will post separately about.

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G3 to new iMac file transfer

I just bought a new Intel iMac and will need to transfer some files from the wife's purple G3 iMac. I've read countless threads about how to do this and am more confused than ever. Do I need a crossover Ethernet cable? Firewire? A simple explanation would be much appreciated, if this is even possible to do. It sounds like it is but all of the ways don't seem to apply. The purple iMac has OS 9.2 the new one, whatever version of 10.4 they're shipping. Thanks for some plain English help!

Hi
Transferring files from G3 to iMac (slow way):
First you need a 6-pin to 6-pin firewire cable.
Shut down both computers then connect one end of cable to new computer's firewire port & the other end to the G3's.
Power up Intel iMac
Power up G3 holding down T key until Firewire symbol appears & floats around screen
Icon of G3 hard disk should appear on Intel's desktop.
Double-click Icon & drag&drop files to new computer's hard disk icon to copy.
Fast way:
Get as far as floating firewire symbol
On Intel iMac run Migration Assistant (found in Applications/Utilities)
Hope that helps. If I have gone wrong anywhere can others correct me?
Steve
PS Intel iMacs don't run OS 9, but I'm sure you knew that.
Intel iMac 1.83 Combo Drive, 512MB RAM, 160GB HDD Mac OS X (10.4.8) Voyager 210 ADSL Router, Imation Superdisk

Transfer itunes library from my powerbook G4 to new iMac?

Hi,
Just today I received my brand new 24" iMac, I used setup assistant to transfer the files from my powerbook G4 to the new iMac ( I use an external hard drive connected to my laptop where all the music is located ) and everything seem to transfer well with the exception of my music and videos on itunes... the library is there, but the music and videos didn't transfer ( I get the message that the files could not be found ) What do i need to do to move all my content (almost 180GB) to my new iMac?
Thank you for the help guys!
Rob

I found out how to do it... just connect the external HD to the new iMac and transfer the itunes file and authorize the computer.

Help! App reg/licenses missing after migrating to new iMac.

I just finished migrating to a new iMac (2007 2.16 GHz White Lucite -> 2008 2.83 GHz Aluminum). I used the Migration Assistant after starting up the new iMac to transfer everything. I chose "Transfer from another Mac" (which was actually my SuperDuper! backup on an external FW RAID). Everything seemed fine (I even rebooted first). I logged into my Admin account first and it looked the same. But after logging into my User account and trying to open my apps they were starting as though it was their first time, asking for SN and registration info. Safari has reverted from v4 to v3, Aperture wants SN, and iTunes can't open my library because it was created with a newer version, yet Mail worked fine. What happened? And more importantly, what should I do? I don't want to re-enter SN's and info and re-register my apps.
I have both SuperDuper! and Time Machine backups. I was thinking to boot from SuperDuper! as Start Up Disk and then do a complete restore, or if necessary erase the Mac HD first (which I'd prefer not to). Will restoring the new iMac HD with the SD! backup from the older iMac cause any issues?
Addendum:
I just noticed in the System Profiler that OS X is 10.5.4, not 10.5.6. Why didn't it transfer/update the OS as well? Isn't it suppose to transfer everything? Why would I want to downgrade my OS X with a new iMac?
Message was edited by: Sakahara
Message was edited by: Sakahara

I ended up using OS X disc to 'Restore System From Backup' from Time Machine backup. That returned the system back to almost an exact state as before, but a few apps were still asking for SN, and Mail wouldn't open because it had to reload messages. Strangely though, Aperture won't accept the SN now, whereas it did after the first migration transfer.
Migrating to a new Mac is not as simple and painless as made out to be. At least not clearly enough. It was an all-dayer/nighter full of stress and frustration. Not something I expect from Mac, but a PC.
Another after-effect from this is Time Machine doesn't see its backup now, even though it's there on the external drive. It showed backup failed and then after I reset/highlighted the correct drive it started backing up under a new folder/computer name. I deleted that but can't figure out how to make TM see the existing BU. This has been a lot of fun.

Need help/advice before I power up my new iMac

Hi friends .... I'm sorry to bother here- but I just purchased a new 21.5" base iMac and need advice before my first start up ..... I'm currently using my 2006 iMac with 10.4.11 .... I'd love to be able to transfer some basic files, Safari bookmarks, etc .... I have most of my photos and important docs backed up on CDs (my external super drive for the new iMac won't arrive for another few days ...)I've read that Migration Assistant isn't supported or recommended from my old 10.4 to the new Mountain Lion on the new iMac .... I'm stressed about turning on my new iMac and confused about how to use the setup assistant in my situation .... Should I just rebuild my desktop and files manually later with my back-up cd's ... or is there a way to connect the two iMacs with an ethernet and just drag files from the old Mac to the new one .... I've only used Macs and I'm embarrassed I don't know these things ... please advise the best way for me to transition from my old Mac to the new one ... hoe should I use the onscreen assistant when I start up,...I certainly don't want to junk up my new iMac and transfer all my old applications that won't work or be supported (Photoshop CS2, etc) , but I would also love to have my desktop and other stuff I use there right away to make my new machine familiar from the start .... (please answer as simply as possible ... ) ...thanks so much in advance ....
David

daystar297 wrote:
I just looked at that solution and see that the Firewire to Thunderbolt adapter requires OS X v10.7.4 ... so that lets me out again- I'm using 10.4.11 ...
That will not limit its use with your new iMac.
You will need to boot your Tiger iMac in FireWire Target Disk Mode - hold the T key while starting your older Mac. You can use Setup Assistant (or Migration Assistant). From the new iMac's perspective the old Mac will appear to be an external disk.
When asked "How do you want to transfer your information" select "From a Mac, PC, Time Machine backup or other disk" then click Continue. On the next screen be sure to select "From a Time Machine backup or other disk" and not "From a Mac or PC".
Otherwise, Migration Assistant will look forever for your other Mac.

IPhone not Working with iTunes on New iMac

I recently upgraded a family member's iMac from an early Intel iMac to a new i5 iMac. Both the old and the new were running 10.6.4 and had iTunes 9.2.1.
I used the simple transfer functionality when setting up the new iMac to transfer everything over from the old iMac
When I loaded up iTunes on the new iMac and connected the iPhone (3GS, iOS 4.0.2), nothing happened. I checked System Profiler and it was there.
After trying a couple times, restarting, etc, I followed the instructions here to entirely remove and reinstall iTunes and its files from the new iMac: http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1224
(I did everything, including the "Additionally..." instructions at the bottom).
This did the trick - The iPhone was recognized by iTunes. However, the next time I restarted the iMac everything went back to the old (no iPhone recognition by iTunes).
Any advice on what I might be missing?
Message was edited by: Kai Brinker

It seems I only need to reinstall iTunes, not delete everything first, to get iTunes to recognize the iPhone until restart.
What in the restart process could cause this to go away?

How do I copy my old xl files from my XP machine to operate on xl for Mac on my new iMac. When I copy them onto a stick and transfer them it automatically makes them xls files which are then corrupted when I try to open them in xl for mac

How do I copy my old xl files from my XP machine to operate on xl for Mac on my new iMac. When I copy them onto a stick and transfer them it automatically makes them xls files which are then corrupted when I try to open them in xl for mac

Sorry, yes this is Microsoft Excel. The Microsoft XP has Excel files denoted as xl, the later versions of Microsoft Excel are denoted as xls files. The later verions of Microsoft Excel open the xl files OK, does Excel for Mac not able to do this?

I copied all of my CD's onto my iMac's hard drive. Now I'd like to buy a new iMac and am wondering how to transfer the music I have loaded on my iMac from CD's on to my new computer w/o going through the process of loading them into my iTunes Library.

I have copied all of my CD's, probably over 100, on to my iMac, through iTunes and now am considering buying a new iMac. Would like to be able to transfer what's in my music library w/o having to recopy all of the CD's. Any thoughts? Can I do it throught the iCloud or do I need to buy and external storage device?
Thanks Brenda

When you buy your new iMac you will be able to have the installation process transfer all your applications, data (including music, pictures, documents, etc) and settings to your new computer. In the past that was done via Firewire. I'm not entirely sure of the process with the new iMacs that don't have firewire. I think it can be done via ethernet and probably via tha thunderbolt cord using a firewire adapter but you'll want to check that out.
    With the your new computer properly connected to your old computer, the initial booting of the new computer will include the ability to move everything over.
    If for some reason you don't want to do that (smart if you have some horrible software issue that is causing problems) you can connect your old computer to the new one and start it in Target Disk mode where it will be seen as a hard drive. You can then manually copy over all your music and import that into iTunes (and any other data you want).
    Somebody here will surely point you to directions for connecting an older iMac with no Thunderbolt to a newer iMac with no Firewire.

I am trying to transfer files from my MacBook Pro to my iMac using migration Assstance and they cannot find one another. My MacBook Pro uses Migration Assistance 1.0.6 and my new iMac uses 10.5.3. What can I do to allow sharing?

How does one transfer Files from an old MacBook Pro to a new iMac?

10.5.3 is at least part of the problem. You need to apply the latest updates to that mac.
See How do I set up a new Mac from an old one, its backups, or a PC? Select the appropriate link and follow the instructions carefully.

Can I use firewire to transfer everything from my Macbook Pro (Intel Core 2 Duo 2.25 GHz) to the new iMac (2.5GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5)?

I have a MacBook Pro to use at work. It has everything (all genuine softwares, server connection etc). The company is using a contract IT company so connecting to the server and setting email is real issue with me as this IT people can't configure Mac. Last time it took them 1 week to set up everything for me ( me one the phone with them as they aren't coming to our office - they only use QuickViewer to get access to my laptop).
Now the company is buying me an iMac so that I can use the laptop at home. Can I use firewire to transfer everything to the new iMac so that I don't waste my time installing softwares & calling this IT people to set up my email and connection to the server again? If it works do I have to enter serial numbers in again for all the softwares or I have to buy new softwares (I know with Adobe CS - I can only install in one computer)?
Thanks in advance.

If you want to use the adobe suite on the imac you will have to deactivate it on the MBP or it will show up as being used. That is if you can only install it on one computer. Some licenses you can install it on 2 computers but it has to say that on the cd key tag.
Sorry to hear about your bad experience with the contractors. It is not that hard to get stuff like that up and running on the mac.

Will old iMac problems transfer to the new one?

My present Intel iMac is having firewire issues and past its warranty, so I'm going for a new iMac. In an effort to try and salvage the old one I wiped everything clean, reinstalled the the OS and restored from a Time Machine backup. Now I'm having problems that weren't there before, like not being able to open Mail, iTunes, or Safari.
The new iMac arrives on Monday, but I'm worried that whatever is wrong with the old computer will transfer into the new one. Any ideas on how to avoid this?

That's a good thought on the 3rd party apps. I'm taking inventory of all my disks and downloadable Apps now, and removing them so I can individually reinstall them on the new machine.
I checked out the permissions and everything seems to be OK. But still no luck on the those three apps. Mail opens, but crashes as soon as I try to read a message. And iTunes and Safari can't stay open at all. Interestingly enough, I'm trying other Mac apps like iCal, Garage Band and iPhoto and they're all still good.

HT4889 How can I transfer my iPhoto photos and iTunes library to my new iMac?

How can I transfer my iPhoto photos and iTunes library to my new iMac?

If the Migration Assistant won't do it, move them over as you would any other folder; they're located in the Pictures and Music folders of your home folder by default. The iPhoto library needs to be transferred via a drive, partition, or disk image formatted as Mac OS Extended or through an AFP network share.
(72915)

I'm thinking of buying one of the new Imacs and am presently a PC user - how hard is it or how can I transfer files from my PC to a new IMac

I am thinking about purchasing a new IMac and presently use a PC. I would like to find out how difficult it is to transfer files from the PC to the IMac or in more detail - just how is it done. Many thanks for any responses.

There are several ways by which it can be done. There is a special Migration Assistant for transferring an entire user account from a PC to the Mac. You would have to establish a network connection between the two machines.
Transfer the files you want to an external USB hard drive from the PC then transfer from the external drive to the Mac.
Ask the Apple retailer if they will transfer your data to the new Mac at the time of purchase. You will need to bring the PC with you.

How do i transfer my old Apple Mail to a new iMac

I have a new iMac running OS 10.10.1 and Apple Mail 8.1 and an old Mac Pro running OS 10.7.5 and Apple Mail 5.3. I have a LOT of unwanted apps and other material on my MacPro which I don't want to transfer so I can't use migration methods that just transfer everything. So, I am generally struggling to transfer applications and files but particularlyy Apple Mail. I have lots of saved mail in folders (stored, I believe, locally on my Mac) which I DO wish to keep.
So, the questions are:
1. what is the best way to transfer a large and complex Apple Mail set of files?
and
2. Is there a tool to there that enables me to selectively transfer files between Macs?
Grateful for any suggestions/advice.

Just sync or Back Up the iPhone, you do not need to Update Firmware or Restore Firmware. Just sync or Back Up.
Then sync or restore the Back Uo to the new iPhone. You do not have to Update Firmware or Restore Firmware. Just sync or restore from the Back Up. Do not Restore the Firmware.

How do I transfer my apps from an external drive to my new iMac?

I just purchased a new iMac and am currently in the process of getting everything set up. My previous Mac was a powerbook, so there are many changes that I will be getting used to in the near future.
My primary concern at the moment is getting my apps into my new iMac iTunes library. I have all my music, apps, podcasts, etc. saved on an external drive which I plugged into my new iMac. To import the music into iTunes. I selected File > Add to Library > then selected the external drive with my iTunes folder & imported the enitre folder (which was 163.57 GB). Everything, including my music, movies, podcasts, books, & TV shows transfered over just fine with the exception of my apps. After researching the issue, I discovered the iTunes was saving all the apps on my powerbook instead of the external drive in a folder titled Mobile Applications. I then transfered the folder from my powerbook to the external drive and followed the steps above to try and import my apps into my new iMac library. But have had no luck. Each app comes up with the following message when I try to add it to the iMac library:
The app "[adult swim]" could not be added to your library because an error occured. An unknown error occurred (-50).
This is as far as I have been able to get. I am ensured that my new iMac Itunes account is authorized for that computer & have synced my iPhone once, which updated iCal, but no apps.
Any guidance you can provide would be greatly appreciated. I tried to use the Mac Migrate program but did not seem to have any luck. It took almost 12 hours to run over wifi and hung up at the very end. Also, I do not see any evidance of any files being added.
Thanks.
Jeff / Texas

Migration didn't work for me on the music side of things either. What did work however was transferring the entire iTunes folder over to my new computer. Everything switched then, and it was just like iTunes on my old mac. Maybe if you can find the library files in there or something and transfer them over.

New iMac - seamless transfer

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