Migration assistant starts ok, but after short time it is stuck in “setting up”

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plaurits Author

Level 1

4 points

Migration assistant starts ok, but after short time it is stuck in “setting up”

Hi

I made a clean install of Monterey 12.6.7 on my macbook air.

Now I want to transfer relevant time machine backup apps, files and

folders from before clean install using migration assistant, ref. Restore your Mac from a backup - Apple Support.

Migration assistant starts ok, but after short time it is stuck for hours in “setting up”, ref. screenshot below.

Sequence:

Start migration assistant app on mac with new Monterey OSX. Time machine backup USB disk mounted.
Then migration assistant closes all other apps and comes up with two options, login as normal user or “Setup user”. I selected login as normal user. Wonder why “Setup user” is default.
Now after short time migration assistant is stuck in “Setting up”, cursor is working, but you cannot stop this app even with cmd+Q.

Any suggestions?

Ad 2:

Ad 3:

MacBook Air 13″, macOS 10.15

Posted on Jul 2, 2023 12:30 PM

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Answer 1

Jul 2, 2023 3:47 PM in response to plaurits

A few thoughts:

1) If you migrate everything (apps, settings, other files), and not just the users, you will effectively deny the point of the clean install - you will just put everything as it was before. It is recommended that you migrate ONLY the users; and that brings me to

2) If your plan was to restore the users (without or without the rest - see above), you could have done it as part of the installation - you were asked if you wanted to bring back your content, but for some reason chose not to at the time, and created the Niels account. If this account has the same name as the account you are trying to migrate, it will pose a problem.

3) Regarding the choice between Niels and Setup User - the latter I believe is meant to create a new account, if you choose to.

4) How long did you allow for this process? Migrating can take a long time. You should go have dinner or something. Remember the saying: "a watched pan never boils".

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Answer 2

plaurits Author

Level 1

4 points

Jul 2, 2023 11:48 PM in response to Luis Sequeira1

Hi Luis

Thanks for comments.

My purpose was not to migrate everything, but just a few of the apps to avoid setting them up again, esp. office for mac.

Reason to raise this concern was more to get some ideas of how to debug the issue.

Ad 1: Agreed

Ad 2: I installed new user with same name as the original one, I don’t think I was asked if I wanted to bring back my content before setting up new user.

Ad 4: So far more I have waited for more than 12 hours.

Br

Peter

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