iMac Migration Assistant cable options

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Level 1

4 points

iMac Migration Assistant cable options

Folks:

I have a Late 2015 27” iMac with four USB 3 ports, two Thunderbolt 2 ports, and a 10/100/1000BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet RJ-45 connector.

I want to migrate 500 GB to a 2023 M3 iMac with two Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports, two USB 3 ports, and gigabit Ethernet.

If supported by Setup Assistant (which runs Migration Assistant), I think my cable connection options are Ethernet, USB 3, and Thunderbolt.

Research shows file transfer speeds as follows:

Gigabit Ethernet: 1 Gbps with a gigabit Ethernet cable (cross over cable not needed)

USB 3: 5 Gbps with a USB 3 file transfer cable

Thunderbolt: 10 Gbps with a Thunderbolt 2 (T2) cable and Apple T3 to T2 adaptor

Time to transfer 500 GBytes (4,000 Gbits) would be approximately:

Ethernet: 67 minutes

USB: 13 minutes

Thunderbolt: less than 7 minutes

Costs for the cable looks like:

Ethernet: less than $10

USB: $30-$50

Thunderbolt: $100

It looks like my best cost/time option is USB, if it will work.

Comments and advice?

iMac 27″, macOS 12.7

Posted on Nov 14, 2023 11:28 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

MacMikeInOK

Level 4

3,640 points

Nov 14, 2023 3:00 PM in response to donfromsandy

Up until this year, I'd always used an external Time Machine backup drive to migrate to a new Mac. This year, I did it with Thunderbolt connections, and was amazed how much faster it was.

I helped my brother a couple months ago migrate from his 2015 MacBook Pro to a new 2023 MacBook Pro. To do this, he needed to get a Thunderbolt 2 to Thunderbolt 3 adapter: Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter. He also needed a Thunderbolt 3 cable: Thunderbolt 3 Cable. Total cost of both was around $80.

The Time Machine method is rock solid as well. And, considering you really should have a Time Machine backup, an external drive is a good investment. Many of them are available with USB C connections, and may also include the cable. I'd recommend an external drive that's twice as big as your internal drive. As has been mentioned here, iCloud doesn't back up apps or settings, which can be painful, depending on the circumstances.

Hope this helps.

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Answer 2

rkaufmann87

Level 10

141,698 points

Nov 14, 2023 3:17 PM in response to donfromsandy

Please read the instructions below carefully and execute them for your migration to be simple and complete.

When you buy a new Mac the easiest, quickest and most reliable method to migrate from the old Mac to the new Mac is to simply connect the old Mac's Time Machine External Hard Disk to the new Mac using a USB cable before you turn on the new Mac. You will likely need a USB A to USB C adapter, you can find them on Amazon for $10 or less. When you start the new Mac for the first time it will startup Setup Assistant (SA), SA will get to a point where it asks if you are migrating from another computer, select Yes and follow the on-screen prompts and it's done! It is THAT simple.

If you have already done SA on the new computer then simply connect the Time Machine External Hard Disk using a USB cable and launch Migration Assistant (MA) which is located in Applications - Utilities - MA. Then follow the on-screen prompts.

The ONLY difference between MA and SA is MA will create a new user account that you need to log into.

Both SA and MA migrate applications (not 32 bit apps), data files & settings. They do not migrate Mac OS itself. Some professional apps such as Adobe and Microsoft apps may require re-installing their apps as they will not allow them to be migrated. As long as you kept the security keys for installing their apps, it is not an issue.

Finally, never EVER use Wi-Fi when doing Setup Assistant or Migration Assistant. Why, it simply fails in most cases. Please read and follow the directions in Setup Assistant and Migration Assistant. If you do not have a Time Machine backup of the older Mac then create one! If you are not aware of Time Machine, please read Back up your Mac with Time Machine and finally if you need an External Hard Disk to use as a Time Machine External Hard Disk then many experience users on these forums prefer the OWC Mercury Elite Pro due to it's reasonable price, high level of quality and ease of use.

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Answer 3

den.thed

Level 9

78,814 points

Nov 14, 2023 12:13 PM in response to donfromsandy

iCloud is a file syncing service, it is not a full backup service for your iMac.

For a complete backup, you should consider getting an external drive and using Time Machine or cloning software like CarbonCopyCloner or SuperDuper.

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Answer 4

donfromsandy Author

Level 1

4 points

Nov 14, 2023 1:51 PM in response to den.thed

Thank-you again. You are correct. I realized after my post that iCloud is data files only, but after having external backup hard drives fail year after year, I figured that if my data files (photos, videos, backups?, documents, messages, and mail) were saved in the cloud, I could rebuild/reinstall the rest in case of disaster.

At our local Apple Store, the representative advised bringing in both the old and new computers for migration assistance and using a Thunderbolt adapter setup that they have (and would cost me about $100 to duplicate for a one-time use). That led me to consider less expensive Ethernet or USB cable options, while not as fast, hopefully effective.

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