Old Mac's name persists during file transfer

Question

Level 1

84 points

Old Mac's name persists during file transfer

I'm using macOS Ventura 13.4.1.

Before migrating to my current Mac desktop, I changed the name of its predecessor from "MyMac" to "MyMacOLD" and then did the migration from TimeMachine.

The new Mac is named "MyMac".

Yet when I use file sharing from this new "MyMac" to a MacBook and transfer files from "MyMac" to the MacBook using a file comparison/transfer app (namely, VisualDiffer), each time I try a comparison of corresponding folders on the two machines, I get a pop-up error "There was a problem connecting to the server "MyMacOLD".

If I just dismiss that pop-up, it pops up again; dismissing it again now allows the comparison of folders, and subsequent syncing via the app, to proceed.

The Mac's SystemSettings > General > About shows the name as "MyMac"

The situation persists even after I used `scutil`, following all the steps shown at https://www.autodesk.com/support/technical/article/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/Setting-the-Mac-hostname-or-computer-name-from-the-terminal.html that use the terminal command scutil to set the name to "MyMac" (without the quotes, of course), including the restart.

Question: Where is that name "MyMacOLD" being picked up from, and how can I fix it to be what my Mac is supposed to be named, "MyMac"?

Mac Studio (2022)

Posted on Jul 18, 2023 12:38 PM

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Answer 1

satcomer

Level 4

1,545 points

Jul 18, 2023 12:59 PM in response to murrayE

What to do before you sell, give away, trade in, or recycle your Mac - Apple Support

Read that to delete that old user after you went into System Settings->what name is in the top? If it's you that is good, if it's not first create a new Admin Users account with your Name and then reboot! After the reboot boot into Intro to macOS Recovery - Apple Support! from there delete his old user account and keep your new account acticve then reboot back into that new account!

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Answer 2

murrayE Author

Level 1

84 points

Jul 19, 2023 7:16 AM in response to etresoft

What I wrote was actually quite clear, precise, and accurate as to what is happening as well as the steps that may have led to the issue.

In case it helps to clarify, three machines were involved although only two are involved now:

old iMac, now discarded, which I temporarily named MyMacOLD before migrating documents and settings to...
new Mac Studio (with internal drive named MacStudioSSD) named MyMac -- as shown in System Settings > General > About MyMac as well as in Terminal in response to command "hostname".
MacBook Air, on which I am running syn app VisualDiffer.

I am using the VisualDiffer app on the MacBook Air to sync files from MyMac to the Air (with File Transfer enabled on MyMac). Somehow, somwhere, VisualDiffer is picking up the name MyMacOLD from the Mac Studio.

The question is where that wrong name is stored, I presume on the MacBook Studio, and how to fix it.

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Answer 3

Old Toad

Level 10

208,463 points

Jul 18, 2023 3:51 PM in response to murrayE

This is where the name "MyMacOLD" came from:

Before migrating to my current Mac desktop, I changed the name of its predecessor from "MyMac" to "MyMacOLD" and then did the migration from TimeMachine.

Try renaming the drive on the new Mac as you would a file - like this:

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Answer 4

etresoft

Level 8

47,580 points

Jul 18, 2023 7:15 PM in response to murrayE

murrayE wrote:

Question: Where is that name "MyMacOLD" being picked up from, and how can I fix it to be what my Mac is supposed to be named, "MyMac"?

Can you clarify what you are asking. Some of this doesn't make any sense.

For example, you are asking where the name "MyMacOLD" is being picked up from. But you said,

I changed the name of its predecessor from "MyMac" to "MyMacOLD"

so that seems to be the answer.

Then you said,

The Mac's SystemSettings > General > About shows the name as "MyMac"

Which Mac are you talking about here? The old Mac or the new Mac?

From what you describe, it sounds like a bug in that app you are using. If you connect to the old Mac from the new one, then the files on the old Mac should be mounted somewhere on /Volumes. From there, you should be able to compare them as if they were local files.

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Answer 5

murrayE Author

Level 1

84 points

Jul 19, 2023 10:02 AM in response to Old Toad

Yes, I did try renaming the internal (SSD) drive, but to no avail. The internal drive is named "MacStudioSSD", which is nothing like "MyMacOLD", and it is the latter that is being picked up somehow by that app from some macOS internal setting that I cannot find.

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