Any thoughts on transferring all data from an old to a new MacBook Pro?

chuckdemin wrote:

The trackpad on my late 2013 MacBook Pro 15" retina is failing - I don't dare shut the computer down for fear of not being able to log back in. So, it's about time for a new one. I have articles on how to do this, and have regressed to an earlier date a couple of times from my WD MyBook backup through the Time Machine app, but I'm a bit nervous about transferring the entire contents of my present drive to a new MacBook. I have an Intel i7 processor, 16GB memory, 500GB SSD storage, Intel Iris Pro 1536 MB graphics, which is all that I need. I'm running Big Sur 11.6.2. Any words of wisdom? Any recommendation for a replacement? The only things I don't like about my present unit is that it heats up rather quickly when scrolling through Internet content, and the screen black level is not good.

The most trouble free way to move to a new machine, is using the Setup Assistant on the initial boot of a brand new machine— you have one shot here. Set up your MacBook Pro - Apple Support

The second best way is use the Migration Assistant.

How to move your content to a new Mac Move your content to a new Mac - Apple Support

If it were me I would get an external drive and copy all my data from the old computer to the external drive. I would then copy all the data from the external drive to the new computer. I would install all my needed apps onto the new computer rather than trying to copy over the apps.

You could also use migration assistant.

Or you could restore your backup to the new computer.