In my late 2014 Mac Mini I replaced my HD with an SSD. The external drive used as a Time Machine failed. I am trying to use my original HD as a drive to start the Mac Mini, then use Migration Assistant to transfer data. However, I do not know how to start up the Mac Mini so it recognizes the old HD first.
Mac mini, macOS 10.15
You can connect the original HDD via USB (SATA - USB adapter) first.
At boot, by holding "option key" (Mac keyboard) or "alt key" (PC keyboard) - then the Mac Mini will give you the option of which boot device to be utilized.
You can connect the original HDD via USB (SATA - USB adapter) first.
At boot, by holding "option key" (Mac keyboard) or "alt key" (PC keyboard) - then the Mac Mini will give you the option of which boot device to be utilized.
Yes - your response was helpful. I now have my original HD booting up the mini. Both the old mini HD and the new mini SSD show on the desktop. However, Migration Assistant isn't working yet.
I have two choices. "From a Mac, Time Machine, or startup disk", or "To another Mac". Neither choice works. The wheel just spins on the first choice as it says "Looking for source"/"Looking for other sources", the second choice says to make sure the other Mac also has its Migration Assistant on. But, the 'other Mac' is the blank internal SSD.
What do I do?
If you can't get the Time Machine working. Use Carbon Copy Cloner to clone the original HD you are now booted from to the empty internal blank (APFS formatted with GUID partition?) disk. Then use set the Startup disk to the internal (and use the external as a CCC backup disk).
Transferring data from external HD to SSD
