Migration Assistant Question

We just got a new iMac and I want to use Migration Assistant to get all my MacBook settings over to it. However, when I begin the Migration process, it only allows me to back up from an Internal HD (the new iMac drive) and not External HD (which is my attached external hard drive's name. Includes a Time Machine backup of my MacBook).

What should I do?

What should I do?

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Not sure. What are you wanting to do? Migration Assistant is not a backup utility. All it does is transfer your account settings and details from one Mac to another. It won't transfer stuff from the external drive because all you need to do is connect that to your new Mac. Your TM backup is a backup of your MacBook, so AFAIK, your iMac won't/can't use it.

If the external drive is big enough, you can use it for TM backups of both computers.

If you simply want to pick up where you left off, you're better off restoring your new Mac with your Time Machine backup. Pop in your restore disc and when setup begins, simply select your Time Machine backup and it will wipe out the new Mac's drive and copy over the last backup your performed. When you boot back up, everything will be exactly like it was on your Macbook.

You run the migration assistant from the new iMac not the old MacBook.

Be sure you have a FireWire cable to connect your Macs for fastest transfer of data.

You cannot restore an account with the same name as an account you are logged in with. So if you already created your Joe Smith account create a second and log in with that to do the Migration of Joe Smith.

Joe Smith = you

Do not restore your new iMac from a Time Machine backup if the OS on the Macbook is not Snow Leopard. New Macs have OS specific capabilities and restoring TM to the new Mac might make it unbootable.

Migration Assistant: What next?

I followed these directions: How to use Migration Assistant to transfer files from another Mac

Now what? How do I get my new iMac to have my old MacBook's settings?

Note: Merged duplicate threads.

rsherid said:

I followed these directions: How to use Migration Assistant to transfer files from another Mac

Now what? How do I get my new iMac to have my old MacBook's settings?

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Did you read what member "MacsWork" wrote to you in his reply? If you used the migration assistant and transferred an account with the same account name it's not going work.

The easiest way is to use Time Machine. But again, as MacsWork stated, unless your MacBook is running Snow Leopard a TM restore may not work right. I just transferred an entire account from my MacBook running Snow Leopard to a new iMac without a hitch. I used Time Machine. All my settings and applications transferred correctly.

I think I'll have to do the install disc thing.

Is there anyway the primary owner of the iMac can keep her name as the primary account or will it be mine from my MB Pro?