How to migrate Applications - not 32 bit

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Level 1

28 points

How to migrate Applications - not 32 bit

I'm setting up a MB Air 2020. My old machine is a MB Pro 2009. The MBP has a mix of old 32 bit and new 64 bit compatible apps. The MB Air has 64 bit apps. The MBP is backed up via Time Machine.

What happens if I use Migration Assistant to move apps from the MBP to the MB Air? Are the existing apps on the MB Air overwritten, or are MBP and MB Air apps both preserved?

If so, how would I move only the compatible apps from the MBP to the MB Air? I can imagine using a Time Machine restore/copy but I would then need to search for all the files related to that app and copy those too.

MacBook Air

Posted on Sep 2, 2020 2:40 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Eau Rouge

Level 8

42,602 points

Sep 2, 2020 8:49 PM in response to Bruce L.

I did not suggest you delete apps from your MBP.

You are better off just listing the apps you want to use in your new mac and then download

the correct versions for Catalina.

As Catalina is so buttoned down the apps that ship with the mac will be on the Catalina Volume

this is a read only Volume so if you were to try to overwrite them by copying over the apps from

El Capitan you will be refused. The built in apps on your MBP will never work in Catalina so don't

even try to copy them over to the Catalina - Data Volume.

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Answer 2

Eau Rouge

Level 8

42,602 points

Sep 2, 2020 3:02 PM in response to Bruce L.

The apps on your MBP were written years ago for use in El Capitan, so the they may well not work in Catalina.

First of all run this app on the MBP, https://www.stclairsoft.com/Go64/ this will show you which apps

on your older mac are 32bit or have 32bit elements, so you can forget about them.

Now make a list of all the 64bit apps you want to move to your new mac, take a note of their version numbers.

Now go here, https://roaringapps.com/apps enter the apps name and version number in the search field.

Use the Options button to select which OS's you want to see info for, so in your case, El Capitan and Catalina.

This will give you an indication if that app and its version will work in Catalina, if they don't then you will have

to get/ buy a Catalina friendly version.

I wouldn't use Migration Assistant to migrate apps that probably won't work on your new mac,

same goes for Time Machine.

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Answer 3

Bruce L. Author

Level 1

28 points

Sep 2, 2020 3:54 PM in response to Eau Rouge

Thank you.

I neglected to mention that I want to keep my MBP running, so I wouldn't delete the incompatible apps from it. My idea was to copy all apps (then clean up the MB Air) or copy compatible apps to the MB Air. I don't see an easy way to do this without stepping on the native apps that came with the MB Air. It appears that I'll have to deal with the wanted apps one at a time like you suggest.

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How to migrate Applications - not 32 bit

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