Is there a way to access Migration Assistant on iMac without booting up?

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Level 1

18 points

Is there a way to access Migration Assistant on iMac without booting up?

My 2017 iMac using the latest Ventura Version stopped booting up. It comes up but when I put in the password and hit enter, I get an error message indicating there is a problem. Then after a few minutes it reboots (sometimes) but then the screen goes black and there is nothing more to do. I have booted into Recovery mode and ran First Aid a number of times, reloaded the MacOS a number of times. When trying to reload the OS through the internet (option + Command + R) it tells me to reload the OS then us Migration Assistant to load a Time Machine backup. I can't get in far enough to reach Migration Assistant. Is there a way to use Migration Assistant through boot up keyboard combination?

[Re-Titled By Moderator]

iMac 27″ 5K, macOS 13.6

Posted on Jun 3, 2024 10:53 AM

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Answer 1

Barney-15E

Level 10

116,272 points

Jun 4, 2024 8:58 AM in response to tim01

If you can’t install the OS, then Migration Assistant would be of no value. You need to resolve the problem that is preventing it from starting up.

Will it start up in Safe Mode?

Use safe mode on your Mac - Apple Support

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Answer 2

Old Toad

Level 10

210,443 points

Jun 3, 2024 11:38 AM in response to tim01

Migration Assistant is used to copy user data to a new system installation - not to boot into.

Try the following:

1 - boot into the Recovery volume (boot with the Command + R keys held down - Intel Macs) or (How to Boot an M1 Mac into Recovery Mode). If you can.

2 - select Disk Utility and run First Aid on all available volumes/containers.

3 - if the First Aid doesn't help reboot into the Recovery volume and reinstall the system. This will not affect your user data as long as you don't opt to erase the drive before installing.

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Answer 3

KiltedTim

Level 10

203,014 points

Jun 3, 2024 11:01 AM in response to tim01

At this point, I’d say make an appointment at the Genius Bar. It’s entirely possible you’re dealing with a hardware failure that is preventing macOS from successfully reinstalling.

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