Migration assistant failed to create user but has copied data
Brand new MacBook Pro 16". During the initial setup, I selected 'restore from time machine' to transfer my last backup from the old system across. Didn't work. So I carried on setting up the machine with my Apple ID and then thought I'll use Migration Assistant to transfer the account later.
Machine set up okay with a new admin ID (same name as the old machine).
I ran Migration Assistant and selected 'replace user ID with the backup', all the data has been transferred over, applications etc. but at the final step it said "unable to create user" (or similar)
I appear to have all my data and applications on the new MacBook, but no user ID. I can manually change the file permissions to get at my data, but the data is all in a "jason_home" directory within Users that's different from the home.
Apple support is pretty much saying "wipe the machine, start from scratch and try again" which seems rather nuclear. Anyone else encountered this and have a better fix? It seems I just need to create the new user ID and associate it with what's been copied somehow?
They've now backtracked to "restore it from Time Machine in OS Recovery mode.
The old system was OS High Sierra 10.13.1 and the new MacBook is the latest Catalina OS.
Before I spend another day trying to restore, I though I'd ask if anyone had any better options. It seems this problem with Migration Assistant has been kicking around since the mid 2000s, so I'd have thought there was a better fix than "nuke your machine and start again" (like we all have infinite time to spend ;) )