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User profile for user: johnfromwake forest
johnfromwake forest Author
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question on Migration assistent

From instructions for using the migration assistant


"In the example above, John Appleseed is a macOS user account. If you transfer an account that has the same name as an account on your new Mac, you're asked to rename the old account or replace the one on your new Mac. If you rename, the old account appears as a separate user on your new Mac, with a separate home folder and login. If you replace, the old account overwrites the account on your new Mac, including everything in its home folder."


I don't understand what the above means. I'm the only user on my old MacBook Pro and just want to transfer every thing to a new MacBook Pro. Do I need to rename a user account?


Also I'm tranfering from Time Machine backup to new Mac. Will everything be transferred? I.E. modem and wifi setting etc.

Posted on Sep 8, 2020 6:58 AM

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User profile for user: MrHoffman
MrHoffman
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Posted on Sep 8, 2020 7:21 AM

Your macOS system is a multi-user system. Migration Assistant can move users among different systems. Which means you might have a John user present on both Mac systems, and a migration of John from one Mac to the other would collide. If this is a brand-new Mac or is a wiped-and-newly-installed copy of macOS and you’re migrating as part of the initial macOS install and setup, there won’t be a John user on the new Mac. So no collisions.

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User profile for user: MrHoffman
MrHoffman
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Sep 8, 2020 7:21 AM in response to johnfromwake forest

Your macOS system is a multi-user system. Migration Assistant can move users among different systems. Which means you might have a John user present on both Mac systems, and a migration of John from one Mac to the other would collide. If this is a brand-new Mac or is a wiped-and-newly-installed copy of macOS and you’re migrating as part of the initial macOS install and setup, there won’t be a John user on the new Mac. So no collisions.

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User profile for user: leroydouglas
leroydouglas
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Sep 8, 2020 7:29 AM in response to johnfromwake forest



The most trouble free way is using the Setup Assistant on the initial boot:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT205749

— you have one shot here.

When you start up your computer and select From another Mac on the "Do You Already Own a Mac?" screen, you will be asked to choose a migration




If that opportunity has past, the second best way is use the Migration Assistant.

How to move your content to a new Mac https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204350


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question on Migration assistent

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