Old Mac, new Mac. It’s nice to get a brand new laptop, nevertheless it’s not so nice to understand that each one your stuff is on the outdated one.There are a number of methods to switch your outdated laptop’s information, apps, and settings to your new Mac. The greatest and easiest method is to make use of a cloud storage service because the waystation. Cloud storage works whether or not you’re shifting from one Mac to a different or from a Windows PC to a Mac. Our article “The best way to transfer files to a new Windows PC or Mac” explains the ins and outs of migrating to a brand new laptop through the cloud.However, it’s possible you’ll not be capable of use the cloud to switch your information — for example, if the data-usage prices can be too excessive or you aren’t related to the web, or in case your IT division gained’t allow you to set up the cloud account on each the outdated laptop and the brand new Mac.And you may wish to switch extra than simply information out of your outdated laptop to your new one. This story contains strategies for migrating information and apps; two strategies can switch system settings as effectively.Transferring information regionally to a brand new MacThere are a number of strategies to switch information regionally from an outdated laptop to a brand new Mac, and most work whether or not you’re shifting from a Mac to a Mac or from a Windows PC to a Mac.Direct file switch through an exterior drive or file sharingYou can join an exterior laborious drive, SD card, or thumb drive to your outdated laptop, copy your information to it, then eject that machine from the outdated laptop, plug it into the brand new Mac, and replica the information to that new Mac. The trick right here (moreover having sufficient storage capability in your switch drive) is to have your information and folders organized effectively sufficient so that you get all of them.Tip: If you’re transferring information from a PC to a Mac, the exterior laborious drive should be formatted as MS-DOS or NTFS, not APFS. SD playing cards and thumb drives use the identical FAT32 format on each macOS and Windows, so in case your information match on these storage gadgets, that’s typically simpler than utilizing a tough drive.If you’re notably savvy, you may switch information from one Mac to a different on the identical community utilizing file sharing as an alternative of an exterior drive. First, allow file sharing on the supply Mac: click on the Apple menu on the prime left of the display screen, select System Preferences > Sharing and verify the File Sharing field. Next, join the brand new Mac to the supply Mac over the community: with a Finder window energetic on the brand new Mac, go to the Finder menu on the prime of your display screen and select Go > Network, then choose the supply Mac to mount it as a community drive so you may work with it. You can then open that community drive in Finder and replica folders and information from it as you’d from any drive, though it’s possible you’ll must enter a username and password to entry the shared Mac’s drives.You may even switch from Windows PCs this manner, since macOS helps the Windows SMB file-sharing protocol, however the setup generally is a bit tough on the Windows finish. Apple has supplied primary info for Windows-to-Mac networked file sharing.Whether you’re transferring information through an exterior drive or over a community, I like to recommend that you simply use the identical folder group in your new Mac as in your outdated laptop, at the least to start out. Once your migration is full, you must think about storing your information on the cloud for simpler entry, because the article “The best way to transfer files to a new Windows PC or Mac” explains.Note: Digitally rights-managed information like bought music normally gained’t work as soon as copied. The greatest method to switch these is to re-download them from the service the place to procure them. Such re-downloads are sometimes free.Direct file switch won’t transfer your regionally saved e mail information to the brand new Mac. MacOS shops these information in pretty arcane locations, and copying them to a brand new Mac typically doesn’t work due to how they’re tied to the e-mail software’s OS settings. I like to recommend you ensure all of your emails are saved in your e mail server (that’s in, in your e mail shopper ensure all of your emails reside in folders saved on the server), to allow them to simply sync to the e-mail shopper in your new Mac. The Apple Mail and Microsoft Outlook shoppers help a number of servers, not simply Microsoft’s Exchange and Microsoft 365/Office 365 sometimes utilized in enterprise.Note: IT retention insurance policies might restrict how far again emails are saved on the server, so you might have native emails you may’t switch that manner. In that case, Microsoft Outlook does allow you to import the native PST information to a Mac from the Outlook app on one other Mac or Windows PC; Microsoft has supplied the export directions for Windows, and listed below are the separate Mac export and import directions.Local contacts and calendar entries likewise are very tough to immediately switch from one laptop to a different, and it’s best to ensure they’re saved on a server, comparable to Exchange, Microsoft 365/Office 365, G Suite/Google Workspace/Gmail/Google Calendar, or iCloud, so they may sync to your contacts and calendar apps in your new Mac. Your contacts and calendar apps might have an export function you can attempt. (You can typically export particular person contacts as a VCF file, for instance.) These days, few contacts and calendar apps aren’t server-based, so likelihood is very excessive your contacts and calendar entries are saved someplace they are often synced from into Outlook or into Apple Contacts and Calendar.Transfer through Migration AssistantMacOS has lengthy had the Migration Assistant file-transfer utility, which helps you to switch chosen folders (and their information), purposes, and settings from one Mac to a different, in addition to from a Windows PC to a Mac. It’s the best choice for shifting content material from an outdated Mac to a brand new IT-managed one, because it gained’t have an effect on IT’s setup of macOS, administrator accounts, and company purposes.Migration Assistant could be run at any time; it resides within the Mac’s Utilities folder contained in the Applications folder. When you first arrange a brand new Mac, you additionally get the choice to run Migration Assistant throughout that preliminary setup.Migration Assistant wants one thing to switch from; that one thing generally is a Mac, a PC working Windows 7 or later, or a Time Machine backup drive. The supply laptop could be related to the identical community (through wired Ethernet or Wi-Fi) as the brand new Mac, or through a direct Ethernet connection between the outdated and new computer systems. A Time Machine backup drive should be immediately related to your new Mac or over the community if an Apple AirPort Time Capsule machine is used for the backup.If you wish to switch information from a Windows PC to a brand new Mac, you additionally want to put in and run the Migration Assistant for Windows software program on the PC; the required model of that software program depends upon which model of macOS you could have. Note: Be certain to uninstall OneDrive in your Windows PC earlier than migrating the PC to a Mac; you may reinstall OneDrive on that PC when performed.Once all the pieces is correctly related or networked, run Migration Assistant and observe the prompts to pick out the supply for the restore/clone and what to revive/clone. You also can provoke a Migration Assistant switch to a different Mac, which requires Migration Assistant to be working on that Mac. It’ll take some time to repeat the chosen folders and information, relying on what number of there are. IDG
Migration Assistant allows you to select the supply to your restore/clone (left) and the content material from that supply to revive/clone (proper). (Click picture to enlarge it.)
Note: If you plan to switch purposes out of your outdated Mac, first signal out of or deactivate any apps in your outdated Mac. Most software program lately is tied to a web-based account that limits the variety of energetic installations or has digital rights administration to stop piracy through copying.Note: You will need to have administrator entry in your Mac to run Migration Assistant.Transfer through a Time Machine backupMacOS has additionally lengthy had the built-in Time Machine backup utility that permits you to restore a whole Mac — purposes, information, settings, and so forth. (It resides within the Applications folder.) You can use Time Machine to primarily restore a Mac onto one other Mac — it clones the Mac, principally. (Time Machine doesn’t work for migrating a Windows PC to a Mac, after all.)This is probably the most thorough method to duplicate an current Mac into one other, and it’s greatest to make use of it for migrating a private Mac to a brand new private Mac or an IT-managed Mac to an IT-managed Mac. Migrating a private Mac to an IT-managed one, or vice versa, dangers violating safety insurance policies, software program licenses, and IT administration requirements. A private-to-work Mac clone means IT’s administration and different settings aren’t in place on the work Mac, and a work-to-personal Mac clone possible means IT has management over your private Mac is methods it’s possible you’ll not notice or need.Tip: You also can restore particular information from a Time Machine backup drive onto a brand new Mac. Use the Migration Assistant utility, coated within the earlier part, to take action.Time Machine is the gold customary for laptop backup. To arrange backup, join an exterior drive to your unique Mac. Connecting the backup drive through USB or different wired port is the quickest methodology, however you may also use a wired or wi-fi community in case your backup drive is related to a Time-Machine-compatible router, as many latest routers are. Next, go to System Preferences > Time Machine, choose the backup drive utilizing the Select Backup Disk button, optionally activate disk encryption to your backup drive, and verify the Back Up Automatically possibility.Note: Before you restore/clone a Mac to a brand new Mac, I strongly counsel you first signal out of or deactivate any apps in your outdated Mac. Most software program lately is tied to a web-based account that limits the variety of energetic installations or has digital rights administration to stop piracy through copying. Even although you’re cloning an current setup, it’s potential that the piracy prevention might detect that the software program is working om a brand new Mac and thus assume it was copied illegally.Restoring or cloning a Mac from Time Machine is a little more difficult. You have to make use of macOS’s Recovery mode. First, shut down your new Mac, then join your Time Machine backup drive to it. Next, flip your new Mac again on, urgent and holding ⌘-R instantly. Be a bit affected person till the macOS Utilities window opens. Click Restore from Time Machine Backup, then click on Continue. In the following window, choose the Time Machine backup drive to revive/clone from, then click on Continue.You might get a listing of accessible backups, since Time Machine maintains a historical past that permits you to select an earlier backup if desired, comparable to to revive a Mac from earlier than it grew to become contaminated with a virus or received corrupted. Select the specified backup model (if there’s just one out there, it’s pre-selected) and click on Continue. In the following window you’ll be requested what drive to revive the backup to. In this case you need the startup drive to your new Mac; choose it after which click on Restore.Now wait patiently for the restore, which might take an hour or longer relying on how a lot was saved in your unique Mac. Restart your Mac when the restore is full.Transferring and establishing apps in your new MacIt doesn’t matter what switch methodology you utilize, you might have apps to reinstall, relying on what IT did for you in making ready your new laptop. For instance, software program that makes use of digital rights administration might should be reinstalled even after it’s migrated utilizing Time Machine or Migration Assistant, as a result of the digital rights administration might acknowledge that the underlying laptop has modified. It is greatest to deactivate any software program that makes use of digital licensing earlier than transferring it, then activate the software program on the brand new machine after it’s migrated or reinstalled.On your new Mac, re-download the apps you want and sign up as required. You’ll discover some apps on the Apple Mac App Store, whereas others you’ll must obtain from the producer’s web site. If you’re shifting from Windows to macOS, some apps gained’t be out there for set up in macOS, however many extensively used Windows enterprise apps are available each variations, and most software program producers (however not all!) allow you to use the identical license on both platform.In most circumstances, you’ll must arrange your purposes’ preferences on the brand new laptop, so put aside the time to do this.Transferring browser bookmarks to your new MacYou additionally will wish to switch your bookmarks out of your outdated laptop’s browser to your new laptop’s browser. There are three strategies: direct syncing between the identical browser, syncing between macOS’s Safari and sure Windows browsers, and exporting a browser’s bookmark information to import into a special browser. The first two strategies maintain the browsers in sync, whereas the third methodology is a guide strategy for if you end up shifting to a brand new laptop (or browser) and gained’t use the outdated laptop (or browser) anymore.Chrome, Firefox, and Edge all sync bookmarks throughout all of your gadgets if they’re all signed into the identical account. Just allow syncing in every browser on every machine you utilize. To be clear, you may sync solely to the identical browser, comparable to from Chrome to Chrome.Apple’s Safari will not be out there for Windows (or Android), however you may sync between Safari and a supported Windows browser (Internet Explorer, Chrome, and Firefox) if iCloud is put in in Windows and signed in to the identical account because the Mac or iOS machine working Safari. Note: iCloud syncing will not be out there for training customers with managed Apple IDs.For conditions the place your browser will not be signed into the identical account as your outdated laptop, the foremost browsers all have a facility to export and import bookmarks through information:Google Chrome: To export bookmarks, click on the vertical three-dot icon on the prime proper of your browser window, then choose Bookmarks > Bookmark Manager from the menu that seems. Click the three-dot icon to the correct of the search bar and choose Export bookmarks. To import bookmarks, observe the identical process however select Import bookmarks as an alternative of Export Bookmarks.
Mozilla Firefox: To export bookmarks, use the keyboard shortcut ⌘-Shift-B in macOS or Ctrl-Shift-B in Windows to open the Library window, which exhibits all of your bookmarks. Select the specified bookmark folder (or All Bookmarks), then select the Import and Backup button (in macOS, it’s the icon of two arrows) > Export Bookmarks to HTML. To import bookmarks, observe the identical process however select Import Bookmarks from HTML as an alternative of Export Bookmarks to HTML.
Apple Safari: To export bookmarks from this macOS browser, select File > Export Bookmarks. To import bookmarks, select File > Import From > Bookmarks HTML File.
Microsoft Edge (legacy model): To export bookmarks from this Windows 10-only browser that’s pre-installed in Windows 10 variations previous to 20H2, click on the three-dot icon to open the General window, click on Import or Export to open the Import export window, scroll down till you see Export your favorites and studying record to an HTML file, choose Favorites to export your bookmarks, then click on Export to file.
Microsoft Edge (Chromium model): In each Windows and macOS, to export bookmarks from this optionally put in Chromium-based browser that may grow to be the Windows 10 default beginning with model 20H2, click on the Favorites button (the star icon), then select Manage favorites to open the Favorites window, choose the specified bookmarks folder to export, click on the horizontal three-dot icon on the prime proper of the browser window, and select Export favorites. To import bookmarks, observe the identical process however select Import favorites as an alternative of Export favorites.
Internet Explorer: To export bookmarks from this discontinued Windows browser, click on the Favorites button (star icon), select Import and Export from its menu, choose the Export to a file possibility, click on Next >, choose Favorites to export bookmarks (and optionally Feed and Cookies to export them), click on Next >, select the bookmarks folder to export, click on Next >, set the export location, and click on Export.
When all the pieces is transferred, be sure you signal out of all of your accounts, comparable to Microsoft, Google, iCloud, iTunes, browser sync, procuring, and cloud storage accounts, on the outdated laptop. You don’t wish to exceed any maximums on computer systems that may be signed in, and also you don’t need the following proprietor to have the ability to use your accounts, particularly any that will connect with credit score and debit playing cards. You may even think about wiping/reformatting the outdated laptop, however verify with IT first, in case they should maintain it as is for some time frame for regulatory or HR coverage causes.Further studying:
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