Transferring an account from my macbook, to another macbook as a separate account from the main user

Question

Transferring an account from my macbook, to another macbook as a separate account from the main user

I used Time Machine and Migration Assistant to try to transfer my old account as a separate new account on a second macbook with multiple users. Unfortunately it only copied the applications over. It also changed the Macbooks name to mine, keeping the original users account, but did not create another account for myself, the original user account is otherwise exactly the same (phew). I opened a new account and began to transfer things manually, since the applications are available to all users. However, it means everything will have to be done this way: Bookmarks, addresses, iTunes, docs, but everything is protected, I have to change the access settings for certain (many) folders and to do it and manually is taking forever, furthermore will never be exactly the same as before. How do I get this migration assistant to just copy my old account over as a new user account in its entirety?

MacBook Pro (17-inch Mid 2010), Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on Jan 19, 2012 9:37 PM

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Answer 1

Pondini

Level 8

38,863 points

Jan 20, 2012 9:42 AM in response to Dwight McCarthy

Dwight McCarthy wrote:

I used Time Machine and Migration Assistant to try to transfer my old account as a separate new account on a second macbook with multiple users. Unfortunately it only copied the applications over.

You must have de-selected the account, or the account was transferred but you're not seeing it for some reason. Check System Preferences > Accounts.

It also changed the Macbooks name to mine,

Yes, if you leave the Settings > Machine box checked, it will do that. But it's easy to change later, via System prefs > Network.

How do I get this migration assistant to just copy my old account over as a new user account in its entirety?

Delete the account you created and were trying to migrate manually. Re-run Migration Assistant, but select only the user account you want (ie, remove the checkmarks from all the other boxes). See Using Migration Assistant on Snow Leopard or Leopard, especially the pink Migrating User Accounts box.

If the user account name is identical to one already on the destination Mac, you'll have to change one of them, per the second sample in the pink Migrating User Accounts box.

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Answer 2

kurt188

Level 4

1,340 points

Jan 20, 2012 9:45 AM in response to Dwight McCarthy

I don't think what you're proposing to do is possible. Accounts have all sorts of permissions on files and folders, both visible and hidden, along with symbolic links. Doing a Finder copy does not preserve those, which means you have no way of knowing what they were, or restoring them to what they should be.

Migration Assistant isn't designed to transfer accounts; it's for transfering files.

What you could do if Restore from your backup to the MacBook, then delete the other accounts that you don't need. It would certainly take less time, and you'd know that everything is as it shold be in terms of permissions and links.

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Answer 3

Pondini

Level 8

38,863 points

Jan 20, 2012 10:01 AM in response to kurt188

kurt188 wrote:

. . .

Migration Assistant isn't designed to transfer accounts; it's for transfering files.

I think you mean, it's not designed to transfer files from user home folders without also transferring the user account.

It can transfer apps, settings, and files not in a user account (ie, at the top level of the HD), in addition to user accounts & their home folders.

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