Keychain Access - Easiest way to move data to new machine?

Thanks, have to admit did not check the help section - bit obvious really, but on further reading still not clear on how it helps me without bringing over duplicates.

If when starting the new machine I complete all the requested sign ins (Apple ID etc) it should then create all the necessary keychains to operate Apple services (the Application Passwords and Certificates for example) - that leaves only my 59 Secure Notes and 55 Web Form Passwords to get across (forget any third party apps, will treat similar to Mail and do things manually).

Now if I go into Keychain Access and try to Export either of those categories I get the dimmed menu (as warned about under Help) - so that leaves only the option to copy over the Keychain folder and then with File menu select "Add Keychain". My concern is that it will bring over all the old keychain items and as said previously I would really like to be more specific - will the "Added Keychain" be kept separate (i.e. not merged and be given a unique name) so I can then select items from it and move them over to the existing Login or Local Items.

Not knowing how this process works in advance is making me a little cautious, has any one actually used this method of copying over the whole Keychain Folder then using the "Add Keychain" option, selected only a few specific keys, moved them to a new location and then deleted the rest of the previously added keychain to basically leave you with the new Keychain setup but containing the specific items required from the old.

Not normally - but my original question was to canvas ideas on what people consider is my best approach - before I actually jump in and do it.

I would like to control the process as much as possible avoiding the automated methods because of the wish to only move over specific keys - it's basically the user created ones I'm interested in getting onto the new mac.

I find it strange that those (Secure Notes and Web Form Password) seem to get the dimmed export option compared to system created ones like iMessage Encryption which are allowed.

The other reason for my wish to move just specific keys is to avoid any possibility of creating duplicates on the system side - I would not want any Apple/iCloud Authentication keys to be either replaced or duplicated on the new machine - but not fully understanding either the Keychain process or how Migration works is probably causing a lot of my uncertainty.

Yes, basically as you say - I've all my docs backed up to external disc and I don't mind installing third party apps from scratch (gives me the chance to only put the ones on that I really require now). With the Apple ID sign-in being part of the initial start up most of the work will be done, it's getting the last bit of info over - namely secure notes and web passwords that if done from scratch will be the time consuming bit (to visit every site and enter passwords each time), would just like method that moves them over but nothing else. I will then have as clean a setup as possible 😉

Thanks, but I think you are missing my point (I'm probably not making it clear) - I've never used the File - Add Keychain option before and was hoping someone that has could give a little more info and possibly talk through the process - especially the part regarding moving over just the keys required and then disregarding the rest to leave just the newly setup Keychain with only those chosen additional keys extra.

A clean install with the exception of getting the 120 secure notes and web form passwords carried over from my "old" setup! Secure notes are user created and should not conflict with anything else setup under the new system, likewise web form passwords if moved over should just mean that when visiting a secure web site the password info will already be available and there not require the user to re-enter.

It's the process of getting those 120 keys moved over that I'm now asking advice on - because in moving them over I would ideally like to avoid bringing anything else with them!

Thanks for spending time on this discussion though.

Thank you, was wondering if the "old keychain" could be renamed before adding to avoid getting it mixed up with the "new keychain" already in Keychain Access (Apple talk about renaming the keychain already inside Keychain Access first before adding the old - but was concerned that might not be able to be undone).

Secure Notes are contained in Login and the Web Form in Local Items, so if following the above procedure (and your suggestion) will have to copy both pairs, renaming them "old" prior to "adding" - only small issue, can't find Local Items (doesn't appear in Keychain folder - unless it's contained inside the 32 digit coded name folder?).

That leaves the option of moving the Web Form ones to Login first, copy the Login to the new Mac (then move Web Forms back to Local Items on old machine) - rename Local to old and add, then move the secure notes and web forms to the respective new keychains.

Unless anyone can tell on the location of Local Items Keychain within the Finder the above might be my best method - unless I create a completely new Keychain, copy both secure notes and web forms to that prior to moving onto new machine (but will the new Keychain appear inside the Keychain folder?).

I'm doing more reading on the subject but a way forward looks possible, just want to be sure prior to jumping in - thanks again for the input.