Migration

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rkarakis Author

Level 1

9 points

Migration

What files should I transfer when migrating to a new iMac (Big Sur) from an older iMac (High Sierra)?

iMac 21.5″, macOS 11.3

Posted on May 9, 2021 11:02 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

den.thed

Level 10

82,060 points

May 9, 2021 12:50 PM in response to rkarakis

If you would have migrated from your TM backup during the setup, then your user docs, music, other media and preferences would have been properly transferred into the newer apps.

From this point you have three options.

Start over. Erase and reinstall macOS on the new Mac, then properly migrate from your Time Machine backup.
Migrate as is, which will give you a new and an old account, where you can painfully merge the old into the new.
Leave things as they are and then slowly move data from the old Mac to the new Mac using an external drive or over your local network.

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Answer 2

rkarakis Author

Level 1

9 points

May 9, 2021 12:25 PM in response to den.thed

I’ve already gone thru the initial setup and my concern now is that the Time Machine backup is from the old Mac running High Sierra while the new iMac is running Big Sur. Pages, Numbers (and other built-in apps, probably) are also running newer versions. How to otherwise clone the old Mac while keeping the new iOS and apps?

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Answer 3

den.thed

Level 10

82,060 points

May 9, 2021 11:21 AM in response to rkarakis

The easiest, fastest and most reliable way to migrate to your new iMac? Is to plug the Time Machine backup drive from your old Mac into the new Mac and migrate from it during the initial setup.

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