Switching Mac to Mac (MB->MBP)

Hi

I've just bought a new MBP and plan to transfer all data, programs etc from the current Time Machine backup of my MB. I've also just purchased a Time Capsule (1TB).

My question is this: would be it better to make a brand new back-up on the Time Capsule and use that to transfer everything to the MBP, or is it more sensible to transfer from my old external HD and only then start using the Time Capsule to back up?

Hope that makes sense, thanks in advance

I would use the current Time Machine backup to transfer the old backup to your new MBP, then set up Time Machine to use the new Time Capsule as its backup location.

Is there some particular reason you're not just using the included, automatic Migration Assistant?

As chas_m suggests, use the Migration Assistant application. Also, when you first turn on your new MBP it will offer you a choice of using the Migration Assistant or a Time Machine backup.

chas_m said:

Is there some particular reason you're not just using the included, automatic Migration Assistant?

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chscag said:

As chas_m suggests, use the Migration Assistant application. Also, when you first turn on your new MBP it will offer you a choice of using the Migration Assistant or a Time Machine backup.

Click to expand...

Yep, what these guys said. Took ~2 hours to have my new mac exactly like my old.. all while I went and actually got some work done. You cna also use your time machine backup as a source through the same tool.


Mac OS X 10.6 Help: Transferring information using Migration Assistant

Dysfunction said:

Yep, what these guys said. Took ~2 hours to have my new mac exactly like my old.. all while I went and actually got some work done. You cna also use your time machine backup as a source through the same tool.


Mac OS X 10.6 Help: Transferring information using Migration Assistant

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Thank you all very much! It was my first time switching Mac->Mac so I didn't realise there was a standard option to migrate from TM. All sorted now and didn't even take as long as I expected.

Thanks again

I've done it both ways (Migration Assistant and Time Machine restore) and to me, they're a horse apiece. You can use either one and it will work fine and you'll get the exact same results. In fact, I just bought a brand new iMac today and restored it with a Time Machine backup. It worked perfectly. In case you're wondering, I decided not to use Migration Assistant because I'm in the process of wiping the Mac mini it is replacing.

EDIT: It might be time to update that signature of mine.

Here's a reason you might want to transfer your data from a Time Machine backup instead of just using Migration Assistant. After I had transferred all my data to the new iMac (I love this thing, by the way), I turned on Time Machine and selected the disc I wanted to backup to. When I did, the system remembered that I had used the backup from my Mac mini to restore the files on the new computer. So, instead of having to backup the entire system again, it just picked up where I left off. Pretty dang slick, if you ask me.