Hi I have a question about my MacBook Pro. I am planning to switch from devises with someone that has a iMac, but we want to transfer the data from both ways. So my data from de MacBook is on the iMac, and the data from the iMac is on the MacBook. Is this possible? Do i need an external drive for this? Should I come to an Apple shop to do this?
thank you in advance
trees
MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 15.7
You should absolutely use an external drive for this.
In fact, to do this the right way, use an external drive to backup your Mac with Time Machine.
Back up your Mac with Time Machine - Apple Support. You will use this backup to move your files to the new-to-you Mac.
After you have backed up your stuff to your external drive, then you must prepare your Mac to be transferred to its new owner. This is what you must do: What to do before you sell, give away, trade in or recycle your Mac - Apple Support
Both Macs must be properly prepared in this manner before they change owners, otherwise the Mac cannot be properly personalized by its new owner.
Finally, use your Time Machine backup drive with Migration Assistant when you set up your new-to-you Mac for yourself and your own use. Transfer to a new Mac with Migration Assistant - Apple Support
Each of you must do this.
You should absolutely use an external drive for this.
In fact, to do this the right way, use an external drive to backup your Mac with Time Machine.
Back up your Mac with Time Machine - Apple Support. You will use this backup to move your files to the new-to-you Mac.
After you have backed up your stuff to your external drive, then you must prepare your Mac to be transferred to its new owner. This is what you must do: What to do before you sell, give away, trade in or recycle your Mac - Apple Support
Both Macs must be properly prepared in this manner before they change owners, otherwise the Mac cannot be properly personalized by its new owner.
Finally, use your Time Machine backup drive with Migration Assistant when you set up your new-to-you Mac for yourself and your own use. Transfer to a new Mac with Migration Assistant - Apple Support
Each of you must do this.
D.I. Johnson wrote:
You should absolutely use an external drive for this.
In fact, to do this the right way, use an external drive to backup your Mac with Time Machine.
Back up your Mac with Time Machine - Apple Support. You will use this backup to move your files to the new-to-you Mac.
After you have backed up your stuff to your external drive, then you must prepare your Mac to be transferred to its new owner. This is what you must do: What to do before you sell, give away, trade in or recycle your Mac - Apple Support
Both Macs must be properly prepared in this manner before they change owners, otherwise the Mac cannot be properly personalized by its new owner.
Finally, use your Time Machine backup drive with Migration Assistant when you set up your new-to-you Mac for yourself and your own use. Transfer to a new Mac with Migration Assistant - Apple Support
Each of you must do this.
Alternatively, you could use external drives. I suggest that each of you get your own an external drive and copy your data to it. Then swap the drives with each other and copy the data to the destination Mac(s). Then swap the drives back to each other. That way you will accomplish two things: 1 - copying your data to the other Mac and 2 - have a backup of your own data on an external drive.
Note there will probably still be file permissions issues but you can set the external drive to "Ignore Ownership on this Volume."
You could enable File Sharing on both Macs, then use the Finder to copy files from one Mac to the other. Of course, this is only user data, not applications.
Note that you may have permissions issues with the data files when you copy them to the other Mac. If you have bulk files to copy, I suggest putting them in a new folder, then select the folder, do GetInfo. In the Sharing & Permissions pane change the folder permissions to Read & Write for Everyone, then apply to enclosed items. This will change the permissions for all the files inside the folder. Then copy the folder to the other Mac.
Here is a screenshot:
Swapping data between a MacBook Pro and an iMac
