Hi Neil Just to clarify points about system migration. My understanding from reading, not practical experience, is that direct target mode will not work. Macbook Air is mid 2012 model with Thunderbolt 1 ports and no ethernet. Mac Mini is 2018 model with Thunderbolt 3 ports plus ethernet. Time Capsule has ethernet ports. Apple sell a Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 adapter. Simple choice - use the Time Machine backup via ethernet.
The MBA OS is latest Mojave. Assumption is that the Mac Mini will have version 1 of Mojave OS. Given the urgency of getting the system migrated, the MBA has not been fully prepared with getting everything up to date and ancient apps deleted. It probably has legacy stuff and file structures from a series of Mac migrations over the years. A complete clean install would be very nice, but b.i.l. does not have the time for this. Your input has been very valuable. Not least to clarify the problems and options. I will be visiting brother in law later this morning when we can finalise plans and perhaps start the migration process. Cheers Alan > On 8 May 2019, at 9:58 pm, Neil Houghton <n...@possumology.com> wrote: > > Hi Alan, > > Hmmm - not really what I have found. Obviously you cannot just clone the HD > from one machine to a different computer model/vintage as many configuration > files/systems are different. However, migration assistant allows you to > select what you want to migrate anyway. > > At different times/scenarios I have sometimes migrated almost everything and > sometimes opted for a clean system install and then manual installation of > apps –among other factors, it tends to depend on how well the old system was > running and/or whether I wanted to re-organise my filing organisation. > > You do not say what OS you are running on the old and on the new computers – > certainly, for me, jumping from OSX 10.6 direct to OSX 10.11 meant that many > applications required updating and, for example, moving from Office 2004 to > Office 365 (Office 2016) had me glad that I still had a bootable SL disc and > could download and run Office 2011 which was a big help in the transition. > > Generally, I would say, the simplest/easiest migrations for me have been > booting the old machine into target disk mode and then running migration > assistant – but there have certainly been times when I chose another route. > > > Others may have their own opinions as to the best methods. > > > HTH > > > Cheers > > > > Neil > -- > Neil R. Houghton > Albany, Western Australia > Tel: +61 8 9841 6063 > Email: n...@possumology.com > > > From: <wamug.org.au-wamug-boun...@lists.wamug.org.au> on behalf of Alan Smith > <sma...@iinet.net.au> > Reply-To: WAMUG <wamug@wamug.org.au> > Date: Wednesday, 08 May 2019 at 16:46 > To: WAMUG <wamug@wamug.org.au> > Subject: Re: System migration to new computer > > Hi Neil > > Good to read about your setup and rationale for backups. And advice about > other actions. Most Apple KB and help files only explain the simple one > computer scenario. > > You questioned why a direct mac to mac migration was not first choice. My > favourite on-line Mac expert (Howard Oakley) looks at various parameters of > the two macs involved in migration. He points out the old mac may have a > newer macOS version than the new mac and will probably fail the initial > Migration attempt. A move from an old iMac to a new iMac is relatively simple > as there is little “distance" between them. But there is a big distance > between a MacBook Air and a Mac mini. He comments on five actual migration > methods. Here are the first three: Direct mac to mac is best if similar > models and hardware are on each. Time Machine is first choice with older > systems and more different models. An external disk with clone of old Mac is > a good source for manual migration. > > I would not be surprised if the first attempt using Migration Assistant > failed and that the Mac Mini will have to be updated to the current version > of Mojave before proceeding. Reminder: turn OFF automatic updates of the > MBA OS before the migration task begins! > > Cheers > Alan > > >> On 8 May 2019, at 2:23 pm, Neil Houghton <n...@possumology.com >> <mailto:n...@possumology.com>> wrote: >> >> Hi Alan, Hi Peter, >> >> I can sympathise with your predicaments – I recently upgraded two iMacs and >> a laptop from Snow Leopard 10.6 to El Capitan 10.11 and, just to complicate >> things, the main iMac was running from an external drive since the internal >> hard drive had previously died (the external drive was initially a clone of >> the dead HD pre-failure). I decided to rebuild the iMac with an internal SSD >> and an internal 3TB HD (setup with 3 partitions) along with bumping the RAM >> up. The main iMac is just used by myself. The laptop is used by myself and >> Georgie. The second iMac is to be Georgie’s main desktop but also has my >> account so I can use it as a backup machine in the event of a failure of the >> main iMac. >> >> I realise that my situation does not reflect yours ;o) However, the fact >> that each machine had TM backups and Superduper clones and the new main iMac >> now has 4 logical internal drives (SSD & 3 HD partitions) and I need TM and >> Superduper clones of everything going forward means I have had to think >> about migrations, backups and clones a fair bit! For the main iMac, for >> example, Time machine backs up all 4 drives in one backup but the SuperDuper >> clones have to be done on a disk-by-disk basis (though one partition is >> still empty – earmarked for a media libray disk). >> >> For what it is worth, a few of my thoughts are: >> >> Have a clear strategy of what you intend to use each machine and disk for >> and what is the main/secondary/tertiary backup methods: >> · For example all three of our computers will continue to be used >> albeit with different primary uses (mine, Georgie’s and joint travel >> computer) – your approach may be different if you intend to just migrate to >> the new computer and retire the old one than if you intend to keep using the >> laptop as well as the new mac mini (since you say the laptop is unreliable >> you are possibly just going to retire it?) >> · We use both DropBox and OneDrive to keep most of our user data in >> synch between machines – so the cloud accounts become the de-facto main >> off-site backup for this but, since I would not rely on these alone, the >> clones and TM backups are there “to be sure, to be sure”. >> · The clones are a “snapshot” of the drives as at the last clone >> time. To me the main purpose is to have an immediate recovery in the event >> of a drive failure. To recover anything that has changed since the last >> clone I have the TM backup, although for the cloud accounts they will update >> automatically – so I just use the TM backups for file by file (or folder by >> folder) recovery. >> · I limit my SSD to the System and application files and a bare >> admin user folder – so the clone is really all I need to re-instate this. I >> have my main user folder on an internal partition and rely mainly on the >> cloud accounts but with clone & TM backups. You need to have your own >> strategy for what is on the internal SSD and the external HD and the methods >> for backup, recovery and migration of the two drives would probably be >> different. >> · Time Machine seems to creates separate backups for different >> computers and recognises the actual computer rather than the HD – so for >> various computers my TM back-ups have continued across disk re-partitions >> and HD replacements – so your new computer will automatically get a new TM >> backup file. Personally, I would start with a new clean HD for this (fairly >> large drives are really very cheap nowadays). >> · Although you could use your old TM file when migrating to the new >> computer, post migration TM will just use the new TM backup corresponding to >> the new computer – I’m pretty that the old TM backups back through time, >> that are stored in the old TM backup file, will only be shown by TM on the >> old machine. However, when plugged into the new machine, the old TM backups >> can be accessed through the finder - and individual archived versions of >> files or folders can be accessed and copied to retrieve them. >> · Different people tend to have different methods & preferences as >> to how to use Time machine. Personally, I tend to find its main value for me >> is to access older versions of files/documents/ preference settings – >> particularly when something stuffs up and I need to revert to the pre >> stuff-up version! For complete restoration or migration I would tend to go >> to my clones – but that’s just me ;o) >> >> Hmmm, not sure how much of the above is relevant/helpful to your situation – >> so, maybe, my take away would be: >> 1. I presume the reason you are not migrating directly from the laptop >> is that the machine is now unreliable and can’t be trusted as the migration >> source? >> 2. Depending on how recent it is, you might consider your SuperDuper >> backup as the migration source. >> 3. Once migrated, I would recommend using a new, clean, HD as TM >> backup drive for the new machine. >> 4. The old TM backup drive could continue to be used for TM backup for >> the old laptop if you still use it, if not it can still be used as an >> archive source (via Finder, not TM) of old files from the laptop until you >> are happy the contents are no longer useful at which point it can be >> erased/reformatted as a new disk. >> 5. For the new computer, make sure you have a clear plan for what will >> be on the SSD and what will be on an external drive. Formulate your >> comprehensive back-up strategy (TM, clone, cloud/other off-site) to suit >> this plan. >> >> >> HTH >> >> Cheers >> >> >> Neil >> -- >> Neil R. Houghton >> Albany, Western Australia >> Tel: +61 8 9841 6063 >> Email: n...@possumology.com <mailto:n...@possumology.com> >> >> >> From: <wamug.org.au-wamug-boun...@lists.wamug.org.au >> <mailto:wamug.org.au-wamug-boun...@lists.wamug.org.au>> on behalf of Alan >> Smith <sma...@iinet.net.au <mailto:sma...@iinet.net.au>> >> Reply-To: WAMUG <wamug@wamug.org.au <mailto:wamug@wamug.org.au>> >> Date: Wednesday, 08 May 2019 at 12:25 >> To: WAMUG <wamug@wamug.org.au <mailto:wamug@wamug.org.au>> >> Subject: Re: System migration to new computer >> >> Thanks for your thoughts Peter (C) >> >> Current idea is now to remove the data drive via Time Machine preferences >> and run a few days of plain MBA SSD backups. The HOPE is that Migration >> Assistant would allow a TM backup from a specified date and therefore copy >> just the latest 150GB or whatever. May even try adding a third TM backup >> drive to create a “pure” SSD source for initial migration with a short date >> range, while the other TM drives are temporarily removed. Then, as Peter (H) >> said, try it! >> >> Cheers >> Alan >> >> >> >>> On 8 May 2019, at 9:34 am, petercr...@westnet.com.au >>> <mailto:petercr...@westnet.com.au> wrote: >>> >>> Hi Peter and Alan. This is a conundrum I have yet to encounter but I had >>> wondered how I would do it if I ever had to. I have a similar environment >>> where I have an MBP (256GB SSD) and a 2TB external drive holding Photos >>> library, iTunes library and an assortment of other foldered items. My >>> external drive is INCLUDED in the back up to Time Capsule. I also >>> periodically do a CCC backup of both the MBP and External drive too for >>> some added protection. >>> >>> What I have observed, during a trial I did a few months back, is when using >>> the recovery process from the TM backup, if I was to try and recover a file >>> that was resident on the external drive, then I must have the external >>> drive attached to the MBP for it to be reinstated back to. Conversely, if I >>> were to not have the external drive attached to my MBP, when I try to do a >>> recovery of a file that was on the external drive, then the ability to see >>> the image of the backed up external drive to select a file to recover is >>> not made available. It follows therefore (I think) that if I was to try and >>> recover the entire external drive using TM, then I would need to have that >>> drive attached in the destination of where I was trying to recover it to. >>> >>> A suggestion to think about before implementing anything. If you were to >>> use Migration Assistant to restore the backup of the on-board SSD content >>> ONLY from the TM backup to the Mac Mini (with the external drive NOT >>> attached to the Mac Mini), then it would follow that only the on-board SSD >>> backed up content from the MBA would be recovered onto the Mac Mini 256GB >>> SSD. If you then were to attach the external drive to the Mac Mini, then >>> you are back in the same place you were previously - the Mac Mini is a >>> clone of the Macbook Air and the external drive is now moved over to the >>> Mac Mini. Another of my observations is that the first time that Time >>> Machine does a backup of this new configuration, it will create a new >>> backup of the ENTIRE SSD + the ENTIRE external drive, even though the >>> content is the very same content. This has the undesirable effect of >>> bloating the backup file and you may run out of space on it. Maybe there is >>> a clever way to make it recognise it's backing up stuff it has already >>> backed up, so only does an incremental backup, ie only a back up of what >>> has changed. >>> >>> I think TM is pretty clever but without knowing exactly how it will behave >>> in these circumstances, it's difficult to know what you'll end up with. But >>> as Peter indicates, the worst that can happen is you have to clear it off >>> the Mac Mini and start again. >>> >>> Another thing with TM is to be extremely patient. Extremely patient. >>> Extremely patient. >>> >>> Regards >>> >>> Pete. >>> >>> >>> >>>> >>>> ----- Original Message ----- >>>> From: >>>> wamug@wamug.org.au <mailto:wamug@wamug.org.au> >>>> >>>> To: >>>> <wamug@wamug.org.au <mailto:wamug@wamug.org.au>> >>>> Cc: >>>> >>>> Sent: >>>> Wed, 8 May 2019 08:03:17 +0800 >>>> Subject: >>>> Re: System migration to new computer >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> > On 8 May 2019, at 6:34 am, Alan Smith <sma...@iinet.net.au >>>> > <mailto:sma...@iinet.net.au>> wrote: >>>> > >>>> > What is the best way to migrate complete data and settings from an >>>> > unreliable 2012 MacBook Air to a still-in-the-box 2018 Mac mini? Both >>>> > macs have internal 256 GB SSD. There are Time Machine and Super Duper >>>> > backups. I will be the technical assistant for my brother in law who >>>> > owns the macs. >>>> > >>>> > I proposed to use Migration Assistant from Time Machine but this has a >>>> > complication. The MBA has a 1TB external data drive using symbolic >>>> > links. Time Machine includes the data drive in its backups to two disks, >>>> > internal and external on Time Capsule. >>>> > >>>> > Can Migration Assistant use Time Machine in this case? If expedient the >>>> > external TM backup disk can be removed and a new backup made of just the >>>> > MBA SSD on the TC internal disk. >>>> > >>>> > The MBA has bad days when it fails then restarts several times. This has >>>> > been happening for some months. A direct migration from MBA to Mini >>>> > would not seem to be feasible. >>>> > >>>> > Your help would be appreciated. >>>> > >>>> > Regards >>>> > Alan >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> >>>> Logic tells me that all the files archived by Time Machine end up in the >>>> same Time Machine folder on the TM drive, regardless of origin, but I >>>> agree the restoration process through Migration assistant could well be >>>> unpredictable. >>>> >>>> My first insticnt would be just to try it. The worst that could happen is >>>> that the files base on the MBA’s internal drive will be restored to their >>>> correct locations, but those originating from the external drive might be >>>> ignored (worst case scenario). It’s also possible that MA, not finding a >>>> matching location on the new 2018 Mac, might just create one and proceed >>>> regardless (best case scnario). >>>> >>>> I think that if you wind up with the worst case scenario, you’d just have >>>> to spend some time manually dragging over the folders and/or files which >>>> were ignored. In the best case scenario, there’d be nothing else to do. >>>> >>>> Dunno. I haven’t been faced with this situation before so I can’t report >>>> from experience unfortunately. Hopefully, there might be others on the >>>> list who are more enlightened. >>>> >>>> Kind regards, >>>> >>>> Peter Hinchliffe Apwin Computer Services >>>> FileMaker Pro Solutions Developer >>>> Perth, Western Australia >>>> Phone (618) 9332 6482 Mob 0403 046 948 >>>> -------------------------------------------------------------------- >>>> Mac because I prefer it -- Windows because I have to. >>>> >>>> -- The WA Macintosh User Group Mailing List -- >>>> Archives - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/archives.shtml >>>> <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/archives.shtml>> >>>> Guidelines - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/guidelines.shtml >>>> <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/guidelines.shtml>> >>>> Settings & Unsubscribe - >>>> <http://lists.wamug.org.au/listinfo/wamug.org.au-wamug >>>> <http://lists.wamug.org.au/listinfo/wamug.org.au-wamug>> >>> >>> -- The WA Macintosh User Group Mailing List -- >>> Archives - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/archives.shtml >>> <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/archives.shtml>> >>> Guidelines - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/guidelines.shtml >>> <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/guidelines.shtml>> >>> Settings & Unsubscribe - >>> <http://lists.wamug.org.au/listinfo/wamug.org.au-wamug >>> <http://lists.wamug.org.au/listinfo/wamug.org.au-wamug>> >> >> >> -- The WA Macintosh User Group Mailing List -- Archives - Guidelines - >> Settings & Unsubscribe - >> -- The WA Macintosh User Group Mailing List -- >> Archives - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/archives.shtml >> <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/archives.shtml>> >> Guidelines - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/guidelines.shtml >> <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/guidelines.shtml>> >> Settings & Unsubscribe - >> <http://lists.wamug.org.au/listinfo/wamug.org.au-wamug >> <http://lists.wamug.org.au/listinfo/wamug.org.au-wamug>> > > > -- The WA Macintosh User Group Mailing List -- Archives - Guidelines - > Settings & Unsubscribe - > -- The WA Macintosh User Group Mailing List -- > Archives - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/archives.shtml> > Guidelines - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/guidelines.shtml> > Settings & Unsubscribe - > <http://lists.wamug.org.au/listinfo/wamug.org.au-wamug>
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