dcvirginia
Level 1 (5 points)

Q: Data Transfer on a New Mac

Hi everyone,

 

If I purchase a new Macbook Air, I would like to do a data transfer from my old Macbook. I have a number of questions about this.

 

My currrent Macbook is 4 GB. I would like to transfer everything on it to the new Macbook Air which will have 8 GB. Is that enough GB to last me at least 5 years? I will be doing some data sharing and skyping in the near term.

If I do the data transfer myself, I've been told I can do so using my backup. As my new Air will not have Office pre-loaded, but my current MacBook does have Office, all I will need (I've been told) is the pin from the Office I purchased with the original). Does anyone think there may be problems in data transfer regarding my office documents? These are very important documents? Or, should I just have the Apple Store do the data transfer for me?

I'm surprised there’s no CD drive, that I will need to buy it. $79, “USB Super Drive." Should I buy it at the Apple store or should I be able to get it much cheaper elsewhere?

I've also been told that if the Apple Store did my data transfer, they can wipe my old laptop back to zero. Is that true? Is there any way I can wipe my old laptop?

 

Thank you!

macbook, Mac OS X (10.5.2)

Posted on Dec 29, 2015 11:23 AM

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dcvirginia

Q: Data Transfer on a New Mac

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  • Helpful answers

  • by Mike Sombrio,Helpful

    Mike Sombrio Mike Sombrio Dec 29, 2015 5:28 PM in response to dcvirginia
    Level 6 (17,283 points)
    Apple Watch
    Dec 29, 2015 5:28 PM in response to dcvirginia

    That's a lot of questions! All very basic though so here goes.

    1. 8GB is sufficient now, in 5 years it's hard to tell as we have no ideas what Apple has planned for newer operating syatems. It seems like every version or two requires more ram to run well.

    2. You can definately transfer the data yourself Move your content to a new Mac - Apple Support

    3. Office will probably need to be reinstalled, as long as you have your product key you should be fine. Your documents should transfer fine with the rest of your user files.

    4. The Apple Store people will do your data transfer but I believe they're going to want to charge you for the service. I would do it myself.

    5. Once you're sure that everything you need has transferred to the new MBA and is working as it should you can wipe the old computer yourself. MAKE SURE that all pf your documents are safe before wiping the hard drive What to do before selling or giving away your Mac - Apple Support

  • by dcvirginia,

    dcvirginia dcvirginia Dec 29, 2015 5:29 PM in response to Mike Sombrio
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Dec 29, 2015 5:29 PM in response to Mike Sombrio

    Ok, that is great, and thank you so much for the clear instructions. My next question is, I'm thinking I will need a newer version of Office, after all. 2008 just might not cut it. So I'm guessing I would download the new Office first before transfer right? Yes, I think so.

     

    My final question is, there once was a time when my backup said it was full. So I stopped doing it. Then I told an Apple store employee about that, and they gave me a quizzical look. So I tried it again, and I think it's working. I mean, it says "last back up on such and such a date" at least. Is there a way to verify that I have indeed backed everything up?

     

    I am very grateful to you.

  • by Mike Sombrio,

    Mike Sombrio Mike Sombrio Dec 29, 2015 5:47 PM in response to dcvirginia
    Level 6 (17,283 points)
    Apple Watch
    Dec 29, 2015 5:47 PM in response to dcvirginia

    If you're planning on upgrading Office before getting the new computer make sure that your system meets the minimum requirements

     

    https://products.office.com/en-us/office-system-requirements
    Office Home & Student 2016 for Mac and Office Home & Business 2016 for Mac

     

     

    COMPONENT

     

    REQUIREMENT

     

    Computer and processor

     

    A Mac computer with an Intel processor

     

    Memory

     

    4 GB of RAM

     

    Hard disk

     

     

    6 GB of available hard disk space

     

    HFS+ hard disk format (also known as Mac OS Extended or HFS Plus)

     

    Display

     

    1280 x 800 or higher resolution monitor

     

    Operating system

     

     

    Mac OS X version 10.10

     

    For the best experience, use the latest version of any operating system.

     

    Browser

     

    The current or immediately previous version of Internet Explorer; the current version of Microsoft Edge, Safari, Chrome, or Firefox. Get more details.

     

    To see what TM has backed up read here http://pondini.org/TM/15A.html

  • by Mike Sombrio,

    Mike Sombrio Mike Sombrio Dec 29, 2015 5:47 PM in response to dcvirginia
    Level 6 (17,283 points)
    Apple Watch
    Dec 29, 2015 5:47 PM in response to dcvirginia

    If you're planning on upgrading Office before getting the new computer make sure that your system meets the minimum requirements

     

    https://products.office.com/en-us/office-system-requirements
    Office Home & Student 2016 for Mac and Office Home & Business 2016 for Mac

     

     

    COMPONENT

     

    REQUIREMENT

     

    Computer and processor

     

    A Mac computer with an Intel processor

     

    Memory

     

    4 GB of RAM

     

    Hard disk

     

     

    6 GB of available hard disk space

     

    HFS+ hard disk format (also known as Mac OS Extended or HFS Plus)

     

    Display

     

    1280 x 800 or higher resolution monitor

     

    Operating system

     

     

    Mac OS X version 10.10

     

    For the best experience, use the latest version of any operating system.

     

    Browser

     

    The current or immediately previous version of Internet Explorer; the current version of Microsoft Edge, Safari, Chrome, or Firefox. Get more details.

     

    To see what TM has backed up read here http://pondini.org/TM/15A.html

  • by dcvirginia,

    dcvirginia dcvirginia Dec 30, 2015 4:57 AM in response to Mike Sombrio
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Dec 30, 2015 4:57 AM in response to Mike Sombrio

    Sorry - what I meant was, I think I'm going to load new Office on to the new computer.

  • by Mike Sombrio,

    Mike Sombrio Mike Sombrio Dec 30, 2015 11:23 AM in response to dcvirginia
    Level 6 (17,283 points)
    Apple Watch
    Dec 30, 2015 11:23 AM in response to dcvirginia

    To avoid Migration Assistant from creating two users it's probably better to do the data transfer while you're setting up the new Mac.

  • by dcvirginia,

    dcvirginia dcvirginia Dec 30, 2015 1:25 PM in response to Mike Sombrio
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Dec 30, 2015 1:25 PM in response to Mike Sombrio

    Ok. I see - sort of: it would create two Offices.

     

    The question that remains for me is, what will be there on the new computer to receive it? In other words, if there's no framework, no Office? If I don't already have Office on the new, and if I start sending tons of documents of Word, Excel and Power Point over from the old to the new, and there's no Office (no Word, no Excel and so on), what does it do with those documents ? I don't know if I'm expressing myself well here, or not.

  • by Mike Sombrio,

    Mike Sombrio Mike Sombrio Dec 30, 2015 4:09 PM in response to dcvirginia
    Level 6 (17,283 points)
    Apple Watch
    Dec 30, 2015 4:09 PM in response to dcvirginia

    If you set up your compu

    If you're

     

    Computer and processor

     

    A Mac computer with an Intel processor

     

     

     

    Memory

     

    4 GB of RAM

     

     

     

    Hard disk

     

     

    6 GB of available hard disk space

     

    HFS+ hard disk format (also known as Mac OS Extended or HFS Plus)

     

     

     

    Display

     

    1280 x 800 or higher resolution monitor

     

     

     

    Operating system

     

     

    Mac OS X version 10.10

     

    For the best experience, use the latest version of any operating system.

     

     

     

    Browser

     

    The current or immediately previous version of Internet Explorer; the current version of Microsoft Edge, Safari, Chrome, or Firefox. Get more details.

     

    To see what TM has backed up read here http://pondini.org/TM/15A.htmlter

     

  • by Mike Sombrio,

    Mike Sombrio Mike Sombrio Dec 30, 2015 4:29 PM in response to dcvirginia
    Level 6 (17,283 points)
    Apple Watch
    Dec 30, 2015 4:29 PM in response to dcvirginia

    Ignore the previous post, I'm trying to respond one my iPad and having some "issues"!

    If you use Migration Assistant after setting ups your new Mac you could end up with your files, not applications, in two different user accounts. I always try to use Setup Assistant that runs when your first start a new Mac instead of Migration Assistant that you have to open after setup is complete. I know it sounds confusing but it really isn't and if you follow the directions you'll be fine.

  • by dcvirginia,

    dcvirginia dcvirginia Jan 1, 2016 9:27 AM in response to Mike Sombrio
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Jan 1, 2016 9:27 AM in response to Mike Sombrio

    I used migration assistant.

     

    What I see when I restart the new computer is my new hard drive and then, after the migration, the old one, now transferred. So it seems the next step is to merge them.

     

    I used this to do the migration:

    Move your content to a new Mac - Apple Support

  • by dcvirginia,

    dcvirginia dcvirginia Jan 1, 2016 12:22 PM in response to dcvirginia
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Jan 1, 2016 12:22 PM in response to dcvirginia

    I know I'm supposed to use share files, but I'm having a lot of trouble. Do I retrieve from the new hard drive, or import from the time capsule thing-hard drive? So confused.

  • by dcvirginia,

    dcvirginia dcvirginia Jan 2, 2016 7:04 PM in response to dcvirginia
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Jan 2, 2016 7:04 PM in response to dcvirginia

    The mistake I made - and it was a big one and apparently a common one - was creating a user on my new MacBook Air before migrating data with my Time Machine. So if you have just bought or are thinking of buying a new Mac or maybe even a new Apple computer, do yourself a favor and migrate your data before creating a user. The reason is, you will create two users if you create a user first then migrate the data.

     

    So today, what the Apple Cares support told me to do was wipe it all off -everything - and reinstall the OS, which I did. That took 2-3 hours. Then I migrated the data then I set up a new username. The problem happened at the store. The person who sold me the computer asked if I wanted to set up my computer then and there. Not knowing any better, I said yes, sure. That was the mistake. I spent a half day trying to fix it then I just gave up and decided to wait till Apple Cares re-opens.

     

    Thanks for your help!

  • by Lanny,

    Lanny Lanny Jan 2, 2016 11:53 PM in response to dcvirginia
    Level 6 (8,041 points)
    Desktops
    Jan 2, 2016 11:53 PM in response to dcvirginia

    The easiest fix for this, if you do it again, is to just create a new admin user on the new Mac, using a name that like "Temp," just not the username that you want to use. Then signout of your user account and sign into the new Temp user account, from there you can delete the previous duplicated user name account. Then just re-run Migration Assistant to bring your user account over. When completed, signout of the Temp user account, then sign in to user account and delete the Temp account.

     

    It is much easier than erasing the partition and starting all over again.