Migration assistant or 3rd party software?

gerardw wrote:
I just got a new Macbook Pro and wish to transfer all files and settings from my old one to the new. I know I can use migration assistant, but is this better than using something like Super Duper to copy from a backup clone to the new machine?

No.

The simplest, most reliable way to to use +Setup Assistant,+ either from your old Mac itself, or Time Machine backups of it, or a "clone" (which is the equivalent of the old Mac).

See #19 in the Frequently Asked Questions *User Tip,* also at the top of the +Time Machine+ forum.

Also, how painless will the transition be? For instance, will I have to re-enter serial numbers when I start up applications

Perhaps, depending on how and where various 3rd-party apps store them.

and will my iTunes and iPhoto libraries transfer (after authorizing the new machine for the former)?

Yes.

What about Bootcamp partitions?

No.

gerardw wrote:
I just got a new Macbook Pro and wish to transfer all files and settings from my old one to the new. I know I can use migration assistant, but is this better than using something like Super Duper to copy from a backup clone to the new machine?

A clone of what? An identical Macbook Pro? That should be fine. Anything else and you may need to reinstall the OS from scratch.

Also, how painless will the transition be? For instance, will I have to re-enter serial numbers when I start up applications,

The best thing to do is reinstall all your applications on the new machine. Make sure to get the latest updates and make sure they work with your new OS version. Every shortcut you take will give you a little bit less stability in the end.

and will my iTunes and iPhoto libraries transfer (after authorizing the new machine for the former)?

Most things in your home directory will be fine. If you don't touch any system files, any residual flakiness can then be resolved by just deleting user preference files.

What about Bootcamp partitions?

You might be able to back these up with Disk Utility or the command line version.

Great! And thanks for the star.

gerardw wrote:
That seems very wise, and is what I was afraid to hear. I probably no longer have serial #s for most of these programs...

In that case, make sure to save your /Library and ~/Library folders. As you re-install software, when it asks for a serial number, quit it, and copy over your old preference files that are associated with the application. Usually this will be pretty easy. Some applications may squirrel away files in hard-to-find locations. You will have to track those down manually.

In the future, use Disk Utility to make and archive of the installation disk. You can even include a little text file on your install image that has your license information.