jboo!
Level 1 (4 points)

Q: My mid-2009 pro stopped booting. I got Mavericks onto an external drive and am transferring the data over. I don't have access to Migration Assistant, will this still work?

My mid 2009 MacBook Pro stopped booting. Using recovery mode, I downloaded Mavericks onto an external drive. Setup Assistant asked if I wanted to transfer data from my old drive to my new one and I said yes. I don't have access to migration assistant, which I would only be able to access if I could boot up my non-booting computer. The screen that is displaying now says it's transferring my information, but the progress bar is a candy cane, and I don't know if it's doing anything.

 

Is it working?

 

If not, how can I start this process again?

MacBook Pro (15-inch Mid 2009), OS X Mavericks (10.9.5)

Posted on Oct 11, 2014 9:46 AM

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jboo!

Q: My mid-2009 pro stopped booting. I got Mavericks onto an external drive and am transferring the data over. I don't have access to ... more

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  • by Kappy,Helpful

    Kappy Kappy Oct 11, 2014 10:00 AM in response to jboo!
    Level 10 (271,811 points)
    Desktops
    Oct 11, 2014 10:00 AM in response to jboo!

    Depends on what you are transferring and how. My suggestion is to use a proper backup/restore utility in order to avoid possible privilege problems. However, using Setup Assistant is also OK. Migration Assistant should be used from the Destination system/volume, not from the Source. However, you would need to be able to connect the two in a manner that MA can use: Target Disk Mode.

     

    Suggested Backup Software

     

      1. Carbon Copy Cloner

      2. Get Backup

      3. SuperDuper!

      4. Synk Pro

      5. Tri-Backup

     

    Others may be found at MacUpdate.

     

    Visit The XLab FAQs and read the FAQ on backup and restore.  Also read How to Back Up and Restore Your Files.

  • by jboo!,

    jboo! jboo! Oct 11, 2014 2:59 PM in response to jboo!
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Oct 11, 2014 2:59 PM in response to jboo!

    The verdict is still out on what my candy cane bar was doing, but it was taking awhile to get there. So, I cmd + q that screen, restarted my computer and use the option key to select my external drive as my boot drive. From the desktop, I was able to copy all the folders I wanted off my internal onto my external, and when it finishes I'll wipe and reset my internal, reinstall mavericks and IMMEDIATELY begin using time machine.