I want to transfer (migrate) only my applications and the system to a new SSD in an external dock and then install it in my Mac Mini, putting the Mini's existing hard drive in an external enclosure for access to user files. Does anyone know the best way to do this?
Mac mini, OS X Yosemite (10.10.5), 16GB RAM
Use Migration Assistant and select just the components you want to move, the system is always moved, everything else is selectable.
Thank you, however the applications install files in many locations. How do you know which files to transfer?
Migration Assistant know what to move when you select Applications. It also knows how.
Thanks. Anyone else?
The answer you received is correct, use Migration Assistant. Simply choose migrate the applications and settings and it will do just that. What it will do is create a new user account when it migrates, if you already have a user account that you use then you need to combine the two together. Topher Kessler a well respected user wrote and excellent article on this, you can access it by clicking http://www.macissues.com/2014/05/21/how-to-combine-two-accounts-in-os-x/
If you don't want to use MA then create a bootable clone of the source material on a EHD and manually migrate from the source EHD to the destination HD.
What's the best way to migrate the system and applications ONLY to a new SSD?
