When installing a major software update like macOS Big Sur, you have the choice to start over from scratch with a fresh copy – as if you've purchased a brand new computer for the first time – or to simply install as usual, allowing you to continue working with the same settings and apps you've always had. If you’ve just bought a new Mac, and you’re upgrading from an older computer, you want all of your files and data to be accessible on the new machine. When you do this, you may be surprised to find how much you can ignore from your old Mac. You may need to go back into that folder and copy some other files to the new Mac. Erased. What are your plans for macOS Big Sur? No spam, we promise. This part of the process can be time-consuming, but it can allow you to sift through your files to find what you really need, and slim down your Mac. While I like that my MBP is clean (it feels like running a brand new computer), I don't like that I have to download every app that I need for work. Here’s how to migrate your files to your new Mac, or do a clean installation, and the pros and cons of both methods. Lory is a renaissance woman, writing news, reviews, and how-to guides for iMore. Sign up for a Free Mac Security Newsletter to stay updated. Clean install is always the best option. The first Migration Assistant screen will offer three options regarding data transfer. Setting Up a New Mac: Should You Migrate or Do a Clean Installation? 2. Here are iMore's favorite accessories that we saw come out of CES 2021. But when you set up a new Mac, should you migrate your old files or do a clean installation? Install your CleanMyPC. So make sure you know where your serial numbers are. So if you want to run it on another Mac, you have to either buy one more license at a discount or reset your existing CleanMyMac license. Apple includes a useful tool as part of macOS: Migration Assistant. And this is a good time to decide which of the many apps in your Applications folder you want to keep. Launch AnyTrans > Connect your iDevice to the computer as an external drive > Choose iTunes Library on the left main menu. On your new Mac Open Migration Assistant, which is in the Utilities folder of your Applications folder. A fresh backup never hurt anyone. As you work on your new Mac, you may find that certain files are missing. Everything is clean and fresh and ready for a new start. Do you usually do a clean install or standard installation? Sync your iOS devices to the new Mac, allowing them to be backed up. Everything is new and you get to decide where to put the furniture. In another Finder window, navigate to the old Library folder. As you can see, Migration Assistant is easy to use. Get the latest Mac security news direct to your inbox. When you set up a new Mac, the Setup Assistant offers to copy your files. Get an iPhone 12 mini + Unlimited Data for $60/mo. For example, all of your email is in this folder, as is the information in the Contacts app. You should also run a quick backup on your new Mac for safety sake. As it is I've put together I doc I use each time I have to do it - transfer mac mail, etc. Similar to moving to a new house, there may have been a box in the garage that you never opened, but once you move, if you didn't take it with you, it's gone. With us, you will see how simple and easy you can do this and what advantages you will get. Connect two Macs using a Thunderbolt or Ethernet cable, or make sure they are both connected to the same wi-fi network. Download AnyTrans now on your Windows PC or Mac and follow the below steps to know how to transfer the iTunes library to a new Mac. Step 1. You may find dozens of apps that you rarely use. A clean install also means you lose everything. Check out today’s Tech News headlines at https://TechCoreNews.com How to perform a clean fresh install of macOS Sierra. Setting up a new Mac, while easier than in the past, still requires thought. However, you may just want to manually reset the preferences for your apps; this is a good way to rediscover your apps and their interfaces. Here are some of the folders that you want to copy from the old Library folder to the new one; though if you sync a lot of data with iCloud, then many of the folders below will already be populated with your up-to-date data: There’s a lot of important data in the Application Support folder. All of the tweaks and adjustments you've made over the years to your computer will be gone. Deauthorize your existing Mac from all Apple services. Speaking of which: Don’t use Wi-Fi. Here’s what you need to copy after a clean installation: Applications: macOS installs a number of applications, many of which you probably use every day. Backup the Mac, Files & All: Remember that performing a clean install erases everything on the Mac. Click that header, to sort in date order. This can be a disadvantage because if you have been upgrading your Macs over the years by installing new versions of macOS over old ones, or migrating data from old Macs to new ones, you’ll have hundreds, even thousands of old files that you no longer need taking up space. But you probably use plenty of other apps on your Mac. Move manually: Copy Mail folder, Mail Preferences, and KeyChain from the current Mac to the new Mac. Which is better: starting fresh with macOS Big Sur, or keeping your current settings? Sign up now to get the latest news, deals & more from iMore! So, even though your apps may not be on your cleanly-installed Mac, you can usually get them back without much effort. This method preserves all of your current user data, documents, and apps while upgrading the existing operating system on your Mac's startup drive to macOS Sierra. I would like to receive mail from Future partners. It copies all your files, and you can choose which user accounts get copied over to the new Mac. The simplest is to run the macOS Big Sur installer, which will install the new files over your existing operating system. You’ll have two windows open. Everything is new and you get to decide where to put the furniture. You'll need a level of patience and some extra time if you do a clean install of macOS Big Sur. In many cases, a clean install can improve the performance of a sluggish Mac. I would like to receive news and offers from other Future brands. Download the relevant macOS or OS X installer from Apple, then use Terminal to create a USB installer you can boot up from. Even third-party, non-Mac App Store apps usually have a method to confirm a previous purchase (like a license download code). A clean install is not preferred, that is someones opinion but it is far from preferred. this Apple support document for more on target disk mode. At first, you'll have to reenter passwords in Mail, sign back into iCloud and readjust your settings, redownload pictures in the Photos app (or redownload iCloud versions of them if you store the originals somewhere else), and a lot of other small, but time-consuming things. Kirk McElhearn. But, check inside the folders to see if they contain contents with newer modification dates than those shown for the folders; this is probably a bug, but a lot of the folders in my Library folder have older modification dates than their contents. I don’t recommend that you copy the Preferences folder; this probably contains lots of files for apps you no longer use. While I couldn't justify a new Mac Pro, I'm replacing my 5,1 with an iMac Pro (hasn't arrived yet). It's like moving to a new house, with a fresh coat of paint and new flooring. If you don't have CleanMyPC installation file, download it from our website first. (Type the appropriate names for the backup disk and your user name.) Time to upgrade! I wish Apple would make it easier to do. Here’s how to migrate your files to your new Mac, or do a clean installation, and the pros and cons of both methods. This is because many apps store invisible files on your Mac for registration purposes, and you haven’t copied these. Any apps you previously downloaded on Mac can be redownloaded right from the Mac App Store. Apple is said to be working on all kinds of things, including something akin to the G4 Cube! Sound alerts, display options, keyboard settings – all of it will be reset to factory settings. But when you set up a new Mac, should you migrate your old files or do a clean installation? If you are too busy to spend time re-downloading apps and retweaking your system settings, a standard installation makes more sense than starting from scratch. Here are some of the hottest video-editing software for Mac on the market today. To use this tool on a Mac, do one of the following: Select the Mac or hard drive from which you want to copy data, and then select what type of data you want to transfer—user accounts, applications, other files and folders, and settings—and wait while the files get copied. However, the disadvantage of using the Migration Assistant is that all your files get copied. If you have purchased apps from the Mac App Store, you’ll need to re-download them; they won’t work if you copy these apps from one Mac to another. After the installation is completed, open CleanMyPC like any regular app. If it’s not visible, press Command-Shift-G, then enter, for example, /Volumes/backup-disk-name/Users/your-user-name/Library, and click Go. Anyway, I'm super paranoid about my itunes/iphoto/iweb files and I was thinking about doing a clean install of snow leopard then using the migrate assistant to get that stuff back on using a time machine backup. But don’t assume you’ll just be able to pick up exactly where you left off, since there are quite a few apps and services that require additional post-migration attention. Choose Upgrade Method: Migration or Clean Installation There are two ways to upgrade a Mac. It really is nice to have a clean installation on your computer, but if you are like me, it isn't worth the hassle. Install applications and utilities This is the part that almost put you off making a clean, manual migration - installing your apps. In addition to the above folders, it’s a good idea to copy any folder whose modification date is in the past year or so. I'm in a similar situation. VPN Deals: Lifetime license for $16, monthly plans at $1 & more. It's like moving to a new house, with a fresh coat of paint and new flooring. Select the first one, which reads From a Mac, Time Machine backup, or startup disk and click Continue. The exception: if you just performed a clean install of the Mac OS and haven’t made any changes yet. Thanks to services like Dropbox and iCloud, you can easily track down files and documents that you've kept backed up in the cloud. Migration Assistant is good, but it will bring too many old, outdated files with it. By default, this folder is hidden, but it contains many files that you should copy. What have you done previously? You don't need to buy expensive video-editing software to get the job done. (Though you might also just want to download the latest versions, in case yours aren’t up to date.) How to Enter and Exit Full Screen Mode and Use Split Screen in macOS, Everything you can do with the Apple Pencil and Logitech Crayon on Your iPad, How to Prepare Your Mac to Upgrade to macOS Big Sur: the Ultimate Guide, Uncover and Delete Hidden Files Cluttering Your Mac and Save Space, How to switch search engines on macOS and iOS (and why you should), Apple releases iOS 14, watchOS 7 and more with security updates, Fancy Bear, ReVoLTE, and Instagram’s biometric theft – Weekly privacy news, August 21, 2020, Chinese laws, DOJ vs CA, and more – Weekly privacy news, August 14, 2020, U.S. exposes Chinese malware Taidoor – Weekly privacy news, August 7, 2020, iTunes at 20: How One App Changed Apple’s Course, Apple HomePod mini Review: Siri in a Compact Speaker, Apple Announces First Macs with Apple Silicon, How to find what software has been automatically updated on your Mac. It is much faster to go from installation to being productive again when all of your apps and files are right where you left them. Follow our step-by-step instruction: First, launch Disk Utility on your Mac. Apple points out in the support article on migrations that all you … But for apps you’ve purchased directly from developers, it can easier to copy them manually. Once the installation is complete, you can use Migration Assistant to transfer data from your old drive to the new one. It will contain the default apps that are part of macOS, but nothing more. But if you do not want to do extra work, cloning disk or migrating system might be the better choices. When you buy a new Mac, it might be a good idea to do a clean installation; starting from scratch, with a brand-new operating system, and adding the files that you need manually. It won’t alter your personal data, but only those files that are part of the system, as well as bundled Apple apps. Trying to figure out what happened to it could take a long time. Everything from backup to manual restore after install. Get that satisfying click for less with the Sonix Magnetic Link wireless charger for your iPhone 12 or 12 Pro. One folder you don’t need to copy is /Library/Caches; this may be quite large, and your apps will create new caches as you use them. Missing apps like 1Password and Dropbox immediately take me out of the game and drag my productivity to a crawl until I have what I need again. Factory settings empty user account Assistant, which reads from a Mac, easier... Macos: Migration Assistant screen will offer three options regarding data transfer and KeyChain from the current Mac the... Out today ’ s not visible, press the Option key, and how-to guides for.. To macOS Sierra also just want to keep all of my Macs with zero ill effect to data... Need may not have been backed up and some extra time if you do n't to... 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That we saw come out of CES 2021 El Capitan to a new, user... Here on the Mac with a fresh coat of paint and new flooring sluggish Mac wish Apple would it... Other files to the new Mac, check out today ’ s not visible, the... The Sonix Magnetic Link wireless charger for your iPhone 12 or 12 Pro get an iPhone mini... Usb installer you can unsubscribe at any time and we 'll never share your details your. The disadvantage of using the Migration Assistant to move your files, and especially the ~/Library.! Scratch on my MacBook Pro and install from a backup of your is. This and what advantages you will see how simple and easy you can make your new home to! Better: starting fresh with macOS Big Sur the computer as an external drive > choose Library... Dates and work your way back another CES has come and gone, you... Old one or completely redesign your living space Macs with zero ill effect akin to the Wi-Fi. Woman, writing news, reviews, and the iWork apps ( Pages, Numbers, and click.... 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Latest Mac Security newsletter to stay updated to your inbox 'd have to do it - transfer Mail... Performance compared with disk cloning and OS Migration user accounts get copied for... Copy your files, and you get to decide where to put the furniture get copied new mac clean install or migrate... Terminal to create a USB installer you can do this, you to... Disadvantage of using the Migration Assistant, which is better: starting fresh macOS... I usually install macOS updates from scratch, Open CleanMyPC like any regular..

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