How to set up new Mac from Old Startup Disk

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Level 1

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How to set up new Mac from Old Startup Disk

My 27” iMac (late 2013) was completely unresponsive following a series of power cuts at my home. Because of the age, Apple support would not try and diagnose the problem which I suspected was a failed PSU.

I’ve now purchased a new Mac Studio (which should arrive today) and have removed the original HDD from the iMac and have installed it in an external disk enclosure.

How should I set up the new Mac Studio using the old HDD as the recovery source? I’m hoping that the set up process on the new device can use it to set up with all users, content, applications etc.

Note: I have checked that the original HDD at least spins in the external enclosure and, hopefully, can be read OK.

I appreciate that, ideally, I’d have a Time Machine backup to use but I had problems with my Time Machine backup disk when it became full and didn’t delete old backups to make way for new ones (not the first time I’ve had this problem). Unfortunately, I reformatted the Time Machine backup disk but hadn’t managed to set it up to take backups again - so of no help here!

TIA for any advice/help. 🙏

Mac Studio

Posted on Dec 5, 2022 12:54 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Tony T1

Level 6

10,232 points

Dec 5, 2022 5:16 AM in response to graeme2507

Did you try Migration Assistant? Move content to a new Mac - Apple Support

You should have the option to select the drive from your old Mac

"Select a Mac, Time Machine backup, or other startup disk to transfer its information to this Mac."

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Answer 2

graeme2507 Author

Level 1

8 points

Dec 5, 2022 5:30 AM in response to Tony T1

Hi Tony. I haven't tried Migration Assistant yet but it's next on my list of things to try.

At the moment I can't get the new Mac to recognise the External Enclosure containing the original Startup Disk - doesn't show up on Disk Utility either. I don't know if this is going to be a problem or not - maybe it'll show up using Migration Assistant.

I can mount all of my other External HDDs but these are all just data.

Thanks.

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Answer 3

graeme2507 Author

Level 1

8 points

Dec 5, 2022 7:54 AM in response to Tony T1

Hi Tony. Migration Assistant seems to be working.

I think a loose/poor connection was stopping the external drive showing up. I’ve now got it showing and, after a few aborted attempts, I’ve actually got some files being transferred using MA. It’s going to take a while though with a transfer rate of about 24MB/s - and an estimated 6 hours to transfer files for just one user! This’ll be fine if there are no problems. Wish me luck!

Best wishes

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Answer 4

graeme2507 Author

Level 1

8 points

Dec 6, 2022 4:48 AM in response to Tony T1

Hi Tony.

Thanks for your advice. I’ve managed to recover all of my data from my old Startup Disk.

God knows what Migration Assistant actually copies. Files copied under my user amounted to over 700,000! No way in the world were there that many actual documents!

Regards.

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Answer 5

graeme2507 Author

Level 1

8 points

Dec 6, 2022 5:44 AM in response to Tony T1

Ha, ha! I’ve just done that and had my first TM Backup complete successfully. It wasn’t as straightforward as I thought it would be - several disk formattings to get it to run and finish (kept hanging at the finalisation of the backup). Fingers crossed it’ll work as it should from now on.

Cheers

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Answer 6

Tony T1

Level 6

10,232 points

Dec 6, 2022 8:13 AM in response to graeme2507

I also need to erase and re-start time machine at times.

As you have a new mac with the new apple file system (APFS), did you format Time Machine as APFS? (Apple may have automatically done that when you selected the TM disk)

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