Easiest way to transfer all data from 17"-15" Mac Pro?

[wesearsjr108]

Hi everybody,

I am new to Mac.(and hopefully not going back)....Would someone please be so kind as to help me understand the Easiest way to transfer all my data (recently and painfully loaded and filed) from my new 17" Mac Pro to a new and smaller -15" Mac Pro? I would really appreciate your help.

Murali

 

[6string]

Welcome to Mac forums.
Are the both running the same OS's (10.6.x)?
If so migration assistant from a time machine backup!
Make a time machine backup of the 17", and then plug it into the 15", open up migration assistant which you will find in applications>utilities, and the rest is self explanatory once you open it.
Post back if you have any more questions.

 

[wesearsjr108]

If the os is the same , will this also transfer all of my installed applications (VMware, vuze, etc.) and all of their data?

Can I save the image to a hard drive to install it at a later time? I want to give the 17" to a friend now and have to buy the 15" next week.

Thank you for trying to help me.

 

[6string]

Everything will be on there!
What you can also do since you'll have the same OS's is to download and install CCC and clone your system.
This will make a bootable duplicate of your system, which you will be able to boot the new Mac with, and clone back.
The only problem that I can foresee, is that if your new Mac is the i5 or i7 processor (which it may be), then there may be a conflict with the clone, which is where Migration assistant may be the only option.
Hopefully someone with knowledge on this can tune in, and shed some light on this!

What I would do, is partition the external HD using disk utility to have 2 separate partitions formatted in Mac OS extended (journaled), and use 1 partition for time machine backups, and 1 partition as a CCC clone.
That way, you have both bases covered.

 

[wesearsjr108]

Thank you very much. I will try to follow what you have told. All the best!

 

[6string]

Pleasure.... also, the new 15" MBPs with the i5 and i7 processors just came out
MacBook Pro - Apple Store (U.S.)