How to I transfer my Pages Custom Templates to a new computer?
I want to transfer all my custom templates to a new Mac. How to do?
Pages '09-OTHER, OS X Yosemite (10.10.1)
You didn’t mention if you wanted to migrate Pages ’09 to the new Mac. Since it has substantially more features than Pages v5, I will assume you do. Either of the bolded user template paths can be copied/pasted into the Finder's Go to Folder… dialog — accessible from command+shift+G, or the Finder Go menu.
Migration of Pages ’09 and custom templates
If your Pages ’09 was purchased via the OS X App Store, it is a simpler migration as the application is self contained:
- Copy the Pages ’09 application to a USB stick
- Copy ~/Library/Application Support/iWork folder to the same USB stick
The '~' is short hand for /Users/yourname
If your Pages '09 was from the iWork '09 DVD, then these applications are not self-contained, and are dependent upon custom frameworks installed into System Library locations. Consequently, you will need to reinstall on the new Mac from the DVD, and then apply the Apple iWork 9.3 updater. This will bring Pages ’09 to its last (4.3) revision.
On the new Mac, and before (or if) you install Pages v5, make a new iWork '09 (no smart quote) folder in /Applications. Put Pages '09 from the USB stick into this folder. The iWork DVD will create this folder for you.
In Finder, click through your local Library folder into Applications Support. Drag and drop the iWork folder hierarchy from the USB stick into this location. Your custom templates are now preserved.
In either case, I would run Disk Utility and verify/repair permissions. Test Pages ’09.
Should you now install Pages v5.5.1 on your new Mac, it will be aware of the Pages ’09 custom user templates, and will migrate these into a different format and location. Templates that contain content unsupported by Pages v5 will not be migrated. Custom Pages ’09 templates added after the Pages v5.5.1 installation will not be automatically migrated. You can copy these to the Desktop, and Pages v5.5.1 will offer to add these to its template chooser library — providing missing features in Pages v5 do not prevent a migration.
The Pages v5.5.1 template location is hidden behind a package folder (in orange below), so if it already exists on the current Mac, you want to put this package folder on the USB stick and move to the same location on the new Mac.
~/Library/Containers/com.apple.iWork.Pages/Data/Library/Application Support/User Templates
A migration assistant that works is a blessing. Otherwise, it will leave you in a seething rage.
