Stickies Database file location on Sonoma - Migration Assistant failed (High Sierra to Sonoma)

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Level 1

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Stickies Database file location on Sonoma - Migration Assistant failed (High Sierra to Sonoma)

The end-of-live on an old MBP 9,2 with High Sierra (HS 10.13.6) came, wanted to move over to Sonoma directly, using Migration Assistant.

Well - now my Stickies are gone. I had plenty ...

As to older discussions, in HS the data were at ~/Library/StickiesDatabase

Indeed, I fetched that file from backup and placed it into that directory, reopened the Stickies.app but to no good effect. Then I saw some discussions when people moved from/to Mojave, Catalina, ... .

[Stickies Database file location on Catali… - Apple Community]

[https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/how-to-migrate-stickies-database-from-mojave-to-catalina.2209792/]

So, unfortunately, I fooled a bit around in moving / deleting folders, in essence with no success.

Anyone can tell me which folders/files, that contain in their name 'stickies', shall be normal for Sonoma? I am left only with this:

The two entries for the HS derived "StickiesDatabase" are one that I placed on the desktop when fetching it from the backup, and one placed into the ~/Library folder, since that's where I found it for HS.

What is needed to get the Sonoma-Stickies.app to take that file?

Alternatively, is it possible to do some "Export" from within the Stickies.app on HS, and import the result back or place it into a 'good' location so they are taken by the Sonoma-Stickies.app ?

Many thanks for any help!

One new location in Sonoma seems to be ~/Library/Application Scripts/com.apple.Stickies

MacBook Pro 16″

Posted on Aug 11, 2024 11:51 AM

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Answer 1

Barney-15E

Level 10

122,558 points

Aug 12, 2024 8:44 AM in response to jorgfromFra

I don't think the database exists anymore. Older OS versions would convert the database to the new storage format. There is a point at which Apple stops converting the old data. It appears that Sonoma doesn't convert the Stickies database.

The stickies appears to be in ~/Library/Containers/com.apple.Stickies/Data/Library/Stickies as .rtfd packages.

I don't know for sure Sonoma doesn't convert the database, and I don't know how you would do it manually.

I see a "stickiesMigration" container, but not sure if that was something that came along with a previous macOS version.

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Answer 2

jorgfromFra Author

Level 1

12 points

Aug 12, 2024 1:44 PM in response to Barney-15E

Hi Barney-15E,

thanks for giving your thoughts. Appreciated.

Yes, the fault must be that Sonoma did not convert the old database that Migration Assistant should have copied over (but I cannot even say for sure that this happened). So, when opening Stickies, I was just presented with it's 'standard' 2 Notes, one yellow, one blue with some informative text regarding the app.

You think High Sierra (from where I came) had kept using the 'old' ~Library/StickiesDatabase and worked with it? Or will it have made an updated form, but maybe in a different location as to where Sonoma would expect it?

In any case, would it be possible to make a search for "stickies" in Finder, allow System-files to be seen, and tell me the location of the files/folders. In that way I could clean my mess ...

If High Sierra would be presented with the ~Library/StickiesDatabase and not having it's own storage of Stickies yet, would Stickies of High Sierra attempt to make the conversion? I can probably locate a Laptop running on High Sierra and (carefully) 'steal' it's Stickies entrys, then hope it would convert my ~Library/StickiesDatabase upon opening the Stickies app.

What do you think?

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Answer 3

Barney-15E

Level 10

122,558 points

Aug 12, 2024 3:10 PM in response to jorgfromFra

I can't remember when the change happened.

Even if it had a different storage format Migration should have brought it over if it could still be converted.

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