My old Mac screen is unusable and I want to transfer info

Hai do I transfer my information from a damaged Mac air to a new one when the screen is unreadable

MacBook Air 13″, macOS 12.6

Posted on Nov 7, 2022 4:15 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Nov 8, 2022 6:27 PM

Hey CAM814,


If you don't have a Time Machine backup and looking to transfer the content directly from the old Mac to a new one, you could connect an external display to your old Mac and complete the following steps best equipped to assist:


"Use Migration Assistant

You're now ready to use Migration Assistant to move your files from the old Mac to the new one.


On your new Mac

  1. Open Migration Assistant, which is in the Utilities folder of your Applications folder. Then click Continue.
  2. When Migration Assistant asks you for permission to make changes, enter your administrator password, then click OK.
  3. When asked how you want to transfer your information, select the option to transfer from a Mac, Time Machine backup, or startup disk. Then click Continue.

Migration Assistant: How do you want to transfer your information?


On your old Mac

  1. Open Migration Assistant, which is in the Utilities folder of your Applications folder. Then click Continue.
  2. When asked how you want to transfer your information, select the option to transfer to another Mac. Then click Continue. 


On your new Mac

When asked to select a Mac, Time Machine backup, or other startup disk, select the other Mac. Then click Continue.

Migration Assistant: Select a transfer source


On your old Mac

If you see a security code, make sure that it's the same code shown on your new Mac. Then click Continue.


On your new Mac

  1. Select the information to transfer.

Migration Assistant: Choose the users and folders to transfer to the new Mac


2. Before clicking Continue, learn what it means to transfer a user account. In the example pictured here, Danny Rico is a user account. If an account on the new Mac has the same name, Migration Assistant asks whether to rename or replace:

    • Rename: The account on your old Mac will appear as an additional user on your new Mac, with a separate login and home folder. 
    • Replace: The account on your old Mac will replace the identically named account on your new Mac.

3. Large transfers might need hours to complete, and might seem to pause occasionally. You might want to start in the evening and allow migration to complete overnight. Click Continue to start the transfer. 

4. After Migration Assistant is done, quit Migration Assistant on both computers, then log in to the migrated account on your new Mac to see its files."


All this and more is available here: Move content to a new Mac


We hope this helps out.


Take care!

1 reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Nov 8, 2022 6:27 PM in response to CAM814

Hey CAM814,


If you don't have a Time Machine backup and looking to transfer the content directly from the old Mac to a new one, you could connect an external display to your old Mac and complete the following steps best equipped to assist:


"Use Migration Assistant

You're now ready to use Migration Assistant to move your files from the old Mac to the new one.


On your new Mac

  1. Open Migration Assistant, which is in the Utilities folder of your Applications folder. Then click Continue.
  2. When Migration Assistant asks you for permission to make changes, enter your administrator password, then click OK.
  3. When asked how you want to transfer your information, select the option to transfer from a Mac, Time Machine backup, or startup disk. Then click Continue.

Migration Assistant: How do you want to transfer your information?


On your old Mac

  1. Open Migration Assistant, which is in the Utilities folder of your Applications folder. Then click Continue.
  2. When asked how you want to transfer your information, select the option to transfer to another Mac. Then click Continue. 


On your new Mac

When asked to select a Mac, Time Machine backup, or other startup disk, select the other Mac. Then click Continue.

Migration Assistant: Select a transfer source


On your old Mac

If you see a security code, make sure that it's the same code shown on your new Mac. Then click Continue.


On your new Mac

  1. Select the information to transfer.

Migration Assistant: Choose the users and folders to transfer to the new Mac


2. Before clicking Continue, learn what it means to transfer a user account. In the example pictured here, Danny Rico is a user account. If an account on the new Mac has the same name, Migration Assistant asks whether to rename or replace:

    • Rename: The account on your old Mac will appear as an additional user on your new Mac, with a separate login and home folder. 
    • Replace: The account on your old Mac will replace the identically named account on your new Mac.

3. Large transfers might need hours to complete, and might seem to pause occasionally. You might want to start in the evening and allow migration to complete overnight. Click Continue to start the transfer. 

4. After Migration Assistant is done, quit Migration Assistant on both computers, then log in to the migrated account on your new Mac to see its files."


All this and more is available here: Move content to a new Mac


We hope this helps out.


Take care!

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My old Mac screen is unusable and I want to transfer info

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