new intel iMac, old iMac G5 HD cloned, now I need to transfer

mactrombone · Nov 1st, 2006, 08:15 PM

Title pretty much says it all...

My iMac G5 passed away a couple of weeks ago and just got my new intel iMac. Set up is easy but I had in my head that I could transfer settings over from my ext HD but you can only do that transfer from another partition or from another mac in target disk mode. What is the best way for me to do this to maintain all my files and settings? In and ideal world I would like to be back where I left off with my G5 but I'm getting the impression that I won't be able to do that.

Any help is appreciated.

Vexel · Nov 1st, 2006, 08:36 PM

Boot your Firewire HD in Migration Assistant via Target Disk mode.. should work fine.

edit: God, can you tell I'm tired?

Should Read:

Boot your Firewire HD in Migration Assistant, I'm pretty sure that you can copy your settings and such that way.

mactrombone · Nov 1st, 2006, 09:25 PM

Ok, not getting it... Sorry, Vex!

I tried that before in Migration assistant but it doesn't "see" my ext HD as another mac. My ext HD is fine, I have transferred some files from it, it is mounted on my desktop, it seems to be working fine but I don't think I can do anything with it in Migration Assistant. Is there something I'm missing (besides a few brain cells)?

MacDoc · Nov 1st, 2006, 09:28 PM

Hook up the Firewire drive and open Migration Assistant on the new iMac.
It will migrate from the FW drive as long as it was a clone from your G5.

BTW what happened to the G5 iMAc??

mactrombone · Nov 1st, 2006, 09:49 PM

Yeah, that's the thing... I cloned my G5 HD right before the computer went to the shop. It should be right where I left it. It seems all the files are there and everything, it is mounted on my new desktop etc. It IS hooked up. I open MA on the new computer, select "from another mac", press continue, press continue again at the screen that tells me to connect the FW, then I get the "restart your other mac" screen and the continue button is greyed out. This is where I get stuck.

MacDoc, my other G5 was the "flakey" one that you saw a couple of weeks ago. Apple very kindly replaced it and I just got the intel iMac today.

Vexel · Nov 1st, 2006, 09:56 PM

It shouldn't be "From another Mac." It should be "From another volume on this Mac." Or something like that.

MacDoc · Nov 1st, 2006, 09:56 PM

Thought this sounded familiar.

I had this problem - I think what you did is set up the same account info.

Start over - do a fresh install on the Intel - and when it comes to the transfer screen say Yes transfer my files.

mactrombone · Nov 1st, 2006, 10:04 PM

Vex, neither works. When I get to the screen for navigating to the "other volume" there is nothing in the window.

MacDoc, I probably did set up the same account info, it's the same person setting up the account! So, when I do the fresh install which information is key to detecting a different account? I know that sounds like a silly question...

MacDoc · Nov 1st, 2006, 10:19 PM

You must erase the whole install and do it fresh before you enter anything

An Old Soul · Nov 1st, 2006, 11:16 PM

DO NOT use Migration Assistant- I found in doing so from my PPC iBook to my new MacBook, some programs did not arry over properly. I just re-installed all my programs, made sure to get updated Universal binary versions, and then followed a few Apple articles to transfer my settings, address book, calendar, iTunes, iPhoto Docs etc.

Here's some links:

Intel-based Mac: Some migrated applications may need to be updated
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=304302

How to back up and restore your important Mac OS X 10.4 files
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=301239