oops - how to fix a failed migration with new Macbook Pro?

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Level 1

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oops - how to fix a failed migration with new Macbook Pro?

I wanted to transfer all 320GB of settings + data from my 2016 (500GB) MBP to my brand new 2018 model MBP using Migration Assistant during the out-of-the-box set up procedure.

The complication is that I run this MBP from an external SSD (this makes it my own machine - starting up from the internal, it's a corporate MBP).

All did not go to plan. I tried doing it on battery power, having read that a fully-charged battery was good for 8 - 10 hrs use. After 6 hrs, the battery ran out of power - 37 mins before the migration was complete. I know, it was not a sensible strategy.

But now I need to fix it. I imagine that most of the 320GB was transferred to the new MBP.

So what next? Can you tell me:

1) how do I get back to making the new MBP "as new" - i.e. clean, empty with hello/welcome and set up screens?

2) then, after running a basic install, can I simply clone the external SSD to the new MBP, to do what I was attempting to do in the first place?

Fingers crossed there is a simple solution...

Posted on Aug 30, 2019 3:08 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

y_p_w

Level 6

17,684 points

Aug 31, 2019 9:02 AM in response to citroenDS

What I would suggest would be to do a complete reformat (erase) of the drive using any Recovery version with Disk Utility, then a clean installation of MacOS. Once you have that and it boots up, you have one chance to use Setup Assistant.

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Answer 2

HWTech

Level 9

60,254 points

Aug 30, 2019 4:34 PM in response to citroenDS

If your 2018 laptop is using the T2 chip, then it won't boot from an external drive unless the IT department has allowed you to disable the security setting to allow the computer to boot an external drive.

Assuming you are able to boot an external drive on this laptop, then the easiest way is to start over. Boot into Recovery Mode (Command + R) and erase the external drive and reinstall macOS. Then proceed with the migration with Setup Assistant.

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Answer 3

citroenDS Author

Level 1

46 points

Aug 31, 2019 8:49 AM in response to y_p_w

Unfortunately, it's got a lot worse since my last post.

I decided to try running the Setup Assistant again, since it was showing on the screen of the new Macbook at page 1. That went fine.

Then I decided to use a Time Machine backup with Migration Assistant. That too appeared to go fine, and was complete in 2-3 hrs.

But when the set up was done, and I signed in, many errors immediately started appearing in dialogue boxes - incl:

macOS needs to repair your Library to run applications
several keychains can't be found
icloud drive may not work properly - couldn't communicate with a helper app

I can't repair the Library to run applications because macOS won't accept the (correct) user password or allow me to cancel the error.

I've reinstalled the macOS via Recovery Mode, and while the install appeared to go smoothly, the outcome was the same - all the same error boxes.

Is it possible - it must be - to get this new Macbook back to its original 'out of the box' condition and start all over again?

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Answer 4

y_p_w

Level 6

17,684 points

Aug 30, 2019 4:31 PM in response to citroenDS

Was it Migration Assistant or Setup Assistant? You've got one shot for Setup Assistant from a fresh install. I haven't tried Migration Assistant, but there seem to be a lot of complaints over the years that it's kind of a pain to clean up multiple user accounts when there should only be one.

You can certainly clone your 2016 drive to and external drive and then use it for Setup Assistant. If you clone and then try to clone back to your new machine, that might not boot. And if it boots it might have tons of problems with hardware drivers. The MacOS installation installs the drivers needed for the machine, and you probably don't want to mess with the possibility that you'll have missing drivers.

You can reinstall MacOS using regular Recovery (hold down command-R at power on) or Internet Recovery (option-command-R or shift-option-command-R at power on). It's pretty easy. For the latter you'll need an internet connection that doesn't require an approval screen (like at a hotel or many stores/restaurants).

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Answer 5

citroenDS Author

Level 1

46 points

Aug 31, 2019 3:12 AM in response to y_p_w

Thanks for your feedback.

Just to clarify the difference between these 2 Macbooks - I've bought the new (2018) Macbook entirely for personal use, it's nothing to do with work at all.

The 2016 Macbook is a corporate machine when it's started up from the internal drive. However, starting up from my own external SSD means I can use it as my own laptop, without restrictions from IT.

At the moment, after the failed migration, the new 2018 Macbook appears to be still in Setup Assistant mode - it's showing the stage to set 'Languages' on the screen. (That's right at the very start of setting up, isn't it?)

Does that mean that no settings or data were copied across due to the power running out before migration assistant finished? I could try going through the basic set up process again, without using migration assistant this time. But I don't know what state it will be in at the end.

Ideally, I simply want to get the new MBP back to as new, out of the box, ready to set up. I'd like to copy the settings + data without migration assistant next time - i.e. using Superduper to clone the external SSD (which has got everything I need on it) after the basic set up is complete.

Hope this gives you a clearer picture of the situation. Can you advise on the best course of action now to achieve this?

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Answer 6

y_p_w

Level 6

17,684 points

Aug 31, 2019 8:16 AM in response to citroenDS

Again, you can't clone a drive that was meant to boot on a different machine an expect it to work. People have tried and it either fails to work or maybe it boots and the audio drivers aren't there or maybe some that would create even more instability.

You should be able to do a complete fresh install of MacOS using one of the Recovery options I mentioned. Once that's done you can then use the single shot to run Setup Assistant using that external drive as the source. Setup Assistant of course copies over applications (other than Apple ones that may require specific versions considered part of the operating system), settings, and data. But the operating system has to be configured specifically for the machine you're running it on, and just booting from a clone meant to boot on a different type of machine usually doesn't work properly and many times won't boot at all.

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Answer 7

y_p_w

Level 6

17,684 points

Aug 31, 2019 10:40 AM in response to citroenDS

citroenDS wrote:

new macOS installed - quick, simple and straightforward. Now i've just got to steel myself to the moment when i try to transfer all the settings and data again.

thank you y_p_w!

Sorry - I got confused by all the moving parts with your environment. But yeah - once you mentioned "repair" of the libraries I was thinking the drive just needed a complete obliteration where the only choice is to do a factory-style installation of MacOS on a freshly formatted drive. Reinstalling MacOS on a previous installation might not clean everything up.

Good luck with the setup.

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Answer 8

citroenDS Author

Level 1

46 points

Aug 31, 2019 10:22 AM in response to y_p_w

new macOS installed - quick, simple and straightforward. Now i've just got to steel myself to the moment when i try to transfer all the settings and data again.

thank you y_p_w!

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oops - how to fix a failed migration with new Macbook Pro?

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