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I am migrating to a new iMac, with Big Sur, from a 2013 iMac using Mojave. Has the advice in the 2018 answer to this topic changed? I don't want to do a complete transfer of files, rather be selective which includes my mail accounts and retained emails.
iMac 21.5″, macOS 10.14
When you buy a new Mac the easiest, quickest and most reliable method is to simply connect the old Mac's Time Machine External Hard Disk to the new Mac using a USB cable before you turn on the new Mac. When you start the new Mac for the first time it will startup Setup Assistant (SA), SA will get to a point where it asks if you are migrating from another computer, select Yes and follow the on-screen prompts and it's done! It is THAT simple.
If you have already done SA on the new computer then simply connect the Time Machine External Hard Disk using a USB cable and launch Migration Assistant (MA) which is located in Applications - Utilities - MA. Then follow the on-screen prompts.
The ONLY difference between MA and SA is MA will create a new user account that you need to log into.
Both SA and MA migrate applications (not 32 bit apps) , data files, settings, it does not migrate Mac OS itself. Some professional apps such as Adobe and Microsoft apps may require re-installing their apps as they will not allow them to be migrated. As long as you kept the security keys for installing their apps, it is not a big deal.
When you buy a new Mac the easiest, quickest and most reliable method is to simply connect the old Mac's Time Machine External Hard Disk to the new Mac using a USB cable before you turn on the new Mac. When you start the new Mac for the first time it will startup Setup Assistant (SA), SA will get to a point where it asks if you are migrating from another computer, select Yes and follow the on-screen prompts and it's done! It is THAT simple.
If you have already done SA on the new computer then simply connect the Time Machine External Hard Disk using a USB cable and launch Migration Assistant (MA) which is located in Applications - Utilities - MA. Then follow the on-screen prompts.
The ONLY difference between MA and SA is MA will create a new user account that you need to log into.
Both SA and MA migrate applications (not 32 bit apps) , data files, settings, it does not migrate Mac OS itself. Some professional apps such as Adobe and Microsoft apps may require re-installing their apps as they will not allow them to be migrated. As long as you kept the security keys for installing their apps, it is not a big deal.
Personally I would not have ordered a base storage model, I would have ordered one with at least the capacity of the current computer. If your current Mac happens to have a 3TB (or larger) internal capacity and and is nearing it's capacity then I would offload large libraries such as:
libraries to an EHD that you can connect to the new machine. This frees up space and makes a migration much easier and more simple. Remember that iCloud storage is NOT substitute for a backup that is what Time Machine is for!!
By not using a Migration Assistant model you will not have any of your third party or Apple premier apps migrated which creates a whole other problem.
As a general piece of advice, don't be cheap when configuring your new machine. Carefully assess your needs and make decisions based on those needs. Prior to pulling the trigger on any new computer you should should know your current needs and then asses your future needs based on the knowledge you currently have.
Thanks for your comments. I was trying to avoid using MA to minimise the transfer of loads of unneeded files that have probably accumulated over the years coupled with fact that my new iMac will only have a 256GB SSD while my existing iMac with 1TB uses about 200GB. So I plan use iCloud and an external HDD for my documents, photos, etc. What do you think? Is MA worth using?
I appear not to have explained my system clear enough. I have a 1TB HDD in my current iMac, but only use about 200GB. I use a 500MB EHD for Time Machine at present and am planning to use another EHD for data storage (documents, photos, etc) with my new iMac with the 256GB SSD. Together I am confident my new iMac and the associated components should more than suffice - can't wait for it to arrive!
When you start your new Mac it will ask if you want to transfer from TM or other drive using Migration assistant. You can still select what you want to transfer. It works well.
If you use Migration Assistant, connect the new Mac and the old Mac directly with an Ethernet Cable. Don't use Wi-Fi for the Migration. It often fails.
Cheers,
Jack
Thanks jack for your helpful reply. See also my reply to Mr Kaufmann.
Migrating Mail to a new Mac
