Migration Assistant

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Level 1

9 points

Migration Assistant

I posted this in the Time Capsule forum and received a suggestion that I post here, too.

My 15” mid 2009 MBP died so I’m trying to restore my last Time Capsule backup to a 13” mid 2012 MBP (Mojave) using Migration Assistant. When I first tried, all seemed fine until I got a black screen and nothing. Starting over I now can only get as far as being asked for a Volume Password, which was not requested the first time. None of the passwords I used for the MBPs or the TC works. Nothing on my machines is encrypted and my fire vault is off.

Migration Assistant accept my back up password, though it is possible that I used a forgotten Base Station password when I set up the Time Capsule.

Any suggestions? Any work arounds? Thanks.

Posted on Apr 7, 2019 4:23 PM

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Answer 1

Bob Timmons

Level 10

185,282 points

Apr 7, 2019 5:20 PM in response to MattQuest

You would reset the Base Station password before you open Migration Assistant to begin the transfer process.

Resetting the Base Station password will not have any effect at all on the data on the Time Capsule hard drive. The only way that you could lose data on the Time Capsule hard drive would be to perform a completely separate Erase Disk operation.

Once you reset the Base Station password, power off the entire network, wait a minute, then start devices one at a time starting with the modem first.

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Answer 2

Bob Timmons

Level 10

185,282 points

Apr 7, 2019 4:56 PM in response to leroydouglas

Review above to see that the OP is saying that the MBP failed.....not the Time Capsule.

The backups of the MBP are on the Time Capsule. The OP is trying to use Migration Assistant on a MacBook Air to move data from the MBP backup on the Time Capsule back over to the MacBook Air.

We already suggested a Soft Reset on the Time Capsule to reset the Base Station admin password on the Time Capsule on another post over in the Time Capsule forum.

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Answer 3

Bob Timmons

Level 10

185,282 points

Apr 7, 2019 6:46 PM in response to MattQuest

At this point......unless another user can help here.......my suggestion would be to get with Apple Support so one of the product specialists can walk you through the process step by step over the phone.

Alternately, take the Time Capsule and MacBook Air into an Apple Store to let a genius work through the process in real time.

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Answer 4

Bob Timmons

Level 10

185,282 points

Apr 7, 2019 4:44 PM in response to leroydouglas

Does not really matter "how" the MBP died. It had been backing up to the Time Capsule using Time Machine, so the backups of the MBP are on the Time Capsule.

The OP is trying to use a MacBook Air / Migration Assistant to find the backups of the MBP and transfer data from the backup over to the MacBook Air.

I think that he probably meant to say that Migration Assistant did not accept (or ignored) the password that was used to try to move data over.

This should be a straightforward process if the OP remembers the correct administrator password for the Time Capsule. Most users remember the wireless network password, but tend to forget that the Time Capsule also has a base station admin password (and a separate disk password as well if it was set up originally).

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Answer 5

MattQuest Author

Level 1

9 points

Apr 7, 2019 5:14 PM in response to Bob Timmons

Would I do the Soft Rest just before I reach the Volume Password request during migration? Or do it prior to migration? I assume the latter but I fear that when I enter the TC with a new device, I might mess up the back ups. Not sure if it matters, but I don't use the TC for wifi; just back up with an ethernet cable. Thanks.

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Answer 6

MattQuest Author

Level 1

9 points

Apr 7, 2019 5:25 PM in response to leroydouglas

Bob is correct about my question, but to answer yours, I closed the clamshell (logout) like thousands of other times. Picked it up 2 hrs later and it was extremely hot--way hotter than it ever had been. Makes a click on and then turns off a few seconds later without any booting, screen, or keyboard illumination activity. I tried everything suggested by the Apple site and various forums, replaced the upgraded memory with original memory, and even tried the original battery which still holds a charge. Nothing. Then brought it to the Genius Bar, which suggested the likelihood that the logic board is fried. (No visible damage or burned odor though.)

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Answer 7

MattQuest Author

Level 1

9 points

Apr 7, 2019 6:32 PM in response to MattQuest

I successfully changed the Base Station password, but Migration Assistant doesn’t accept it as the Volume Password. Here’s a pic of the screen, which immediately follows a screen that requires me to change my account names b/c the account names are the same on both the destination computer and the backed up computer.

What’s really strange is the Volume Password was not required the first time I tried to migrate, which stopped sometime after it created the new account names alongside the old names in the destination computer. (I have since deleted the “new” administrator account it created, but it wouldn’t allow me to delete a new standard account name even though I have the correct password for it.)

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Answer 8

MattQuest Author

Level 1

9 points

Apr 7, 2019 7:14 PM in response to Bob Timmons

I'll keep trying--maybe wipe the hard drive and start fresh.

I decided to hedge my bets and get a hard drive enclosure in case I have to transfer directly, so I opened up my mid 2009 in case I need hard drive info to purchase the right enclosure. While it was open, I tried the "on" button--and it booted right up!

So now my focus is getting as many files as possible onto an external drive. Sheesh.

Thanks again for you help--and for your patience.

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