Migration Assistant Created Duplicate Files (iMac added to each file)

On the newMac, restart in the Recovery Partition (Command + R on start up), open Disk Utility, format the internal drive. Next, exit ** and install Mac OS. Next restart the computer, then run MA.

That was not a correct application of Migration Assistant. Please do an erase of the drive, then reinstall Mac OS on the Mac. Next connect the old computers Time Machine External Hard Disk to the. New Mac with a USB cable and then launch MA.

I had a problem some years back after I used MA instead of the "only offered once during setup" SA. Since I had already created a user account on the new Mac during the setup, MA created a second one and duplicated everything - took me a week to sort it out. I don't know if it still does that since I haven't had to use either for quite some time. The best way out of that mess is to erase, start over, and use SA during the initial setup phase.

Exactly what I said earlier, start over by doing an erase and install of MacOS and then run MA. Hope the OP does this. I have a new iMac I will be setting up when I return from vacation and intend to run aSetup Assitant migration from my Time Machine External Hard Disk, I anticipate it will go smoothly.

MA will not create duplicates. Please describe EXACTLY how you executed MA including the connections used.

Out of curiosity, before you used MA, how did you "move" the OS over to the external? And, after you moved the OS, did you establish your admin account/set it up? Or did you use Setup Assistant during the initial install and setup phase? Or did you use MA later?

and then run MA

That is where I get confused - unless Apple has changed the names, the process during the initial set up has always been called SA (Setup Assistant). It is called MA (Migration Assistant) if you use it later.

My understanding (I think) is the same as yours. Setup Assistant is 1 time action when one turns on their Mac the first time. SA will not create an additional account when they migrate. However Migration Assistant will create an additional user account, for this reason I stress to users to use Setup Assistant to avoid the confusion of adding another user account.

It has been at least 7 years since I have used either.My assumption is Apple has not dramatically changed either SA or MA in that time.

If it hadn't been for Kappy many years ago, I'd probably still be trying to sort out the mess MA created - I'm sort of "allergic" to MA. SA works like a charm - the problem is you can't just run it again without reinstalling/starting over.

Thanks for clarifying - I was thinking about what could have caused the problem, but apparently, I was on the wrong path. Good luck!