Apple Migration Assistant

One of the nice things of an Apple is the easy way to migrate from one computer to another. But this partly true.

Baseline

Take the following baseline:

• iMac 2010 with connectors:
  • Ethernet port (10/100/1000 Base-T)
  • Mini Display port
  • USB 2.0 ports (4)
  • Audio in/optical digital audio in port
  • Headphone out/optical digital audio out port
  • FireWire 800 port
• iMac 2013
  • Headphone out
  • SDXC Card slot
  • USB 3.0 ports (3)
  • Thunderbolt (2)
  • Gigabit Ethernet port

Backups:

• Time Machine Backup of the iMac 2010 on 500 Gb hard disk.

Network/Intranet

• Both computer are connected by WiFi to the same physical Network using Devolo WiFi.

Problem

How to migrate the data from the iMac 2010 to the iMac 2013.

WiFi

Use Apples Migration Assistant and follow the standard Apple procedure. This will work but may take some time. On the Fora (Forums) discussion can be found telling that this is true, but also painful slow.

In my case the Migration Assistant says it will take approx. 50 hours to finish.

Cables FireWire/Thunderbolt

In the article Migration Assistant + Thunderbolt/FireWire Adapter = huh!? is explained that the expected way the Apple Migration Assistant is not working at all, but you need to start your original mac in a special way (also explained in the Apple Support Manual).

Instead, after making the wired connection between the two Macs, you must throw the guest Mac into Target Disk Mode (restart that Mac and hold down the T key). Launch Migration Assistant on the host Mac and in the Select a Migration Method window I mentioned, select the From a Time Machine Backup or Other Disk option and click Continue. The guest Mac’s hard drive will appear, labeled as a FireWire drive. Select it, click Continue, and you can then choose the data you want and proceed with the migration.

Or course you could forego this adapter altogether as Migration Assistant works over Wi-Fi and, with a Thunderbolt-to-Ethernet adapter, Ethernet connections as well.

Time Machine

To connect a FireWire Time Machine Hard Disk is only possible using the USB 3.0 ports. In Finder the Time Machine Backup shows up nicely, but not using the Apple Migration Assistant.

The expected way:

Once your backup drive is connected, launch Migration Assistant (in your /Applications/Utilities folder). A Migration Assistant window will appear and ask how you want to transfer your information. Choose the From another Mac, PC, Time Machine backup, or other disk option and then click Continue. You may be prompted to enter your administrator’s password. Do so, if necessary, and click Continue. Next, you’ll be asked to quit other applications. Do so, and click Continue. In the next window, select the From a Time Machine backup or other disk option and click Continue.

does not work, since the iMac can not find the Time Machine backup at all in Migration Assistant.

Question

So the question still is, what is the best way to migrate from one iMac to another.

See also

• Mac Tuts+, How to migrate all of your important data to your new Mac.