New Mac don't want to use migration assistant

Ravindra Mohabeer · Apr 30th, 2009, 08:05 PM

So I've got a new Macbook and a current Macbook (owned by my employer).

The one I currently have was set up by the 'IT' department and I don't like the set up, or at least I don't want to risk transferring the bits and pieces I don't like - so no migration assistant for me.

I want/need to know where to get the files I want to copy that aren't quite so obvious (for me) to find. Mostly I just want to move my Mail stuff.

Can you tell me where I can find my mail.app stuff (folders, accounts, etc.)
- is this just Library>Mail folder?

There's probably stuff I'd also like to move but I'm happy to re-install most software but are there other things I might want to move other than mail that I can't simply reinstall?

chas_m · Apr 30th, 2009, 09:45 PM

Migration Assistant gives you a few options on what (and what not) to copy over.

Just use that, and if by chance something you don't want comes over, just delete it/change it. Seems like a much easier way to go IMO.

eMacMan · Apr 30th, 2009, 10:01 PM

Besides Mail, Address Book for sure. Possibly iTunes and iPhoto. Personally I have never let iPhoto organize my images, however once you do, trying to do a complete extraction sorted by original and modified images can be extremely challenging. I have also learned to keep itunes clean deleting dupes as soon as the need for them is gone. Again a proper clean-up can be challenging but transferring to a new computer is the perfect time for this sort of clean-up.

As chas_m suggested; letting migration assistant do its thing with these critical files is certainly the easiest and most trouble free way to go.

Ravindra Mohabeer · Apr 30th, 2009, 10:19 PM

thanks. it's been a while since last I used migration assistant and I didn't realize you could pick and choose what to copy.

here's hoping it works this time (not good experiences in the past).

chas_m · May 1st, 2009, 07:13 PM

	Quote:			Originally Posted by Ravindra Mohabeer
	thanks. it's been a while since last I used migration assistant and I didn't realize you could pick and choose what to copy. here's hoping it works this time (not good experiences in the past).

You don't get to "pick and choose" what comes over.

As I said last time, you get a few options on what comes over. This is quite different than individual file selection.

For the most part, it having been a while since I looked at the migration assistant screens, the options were along the lines of "Applications (yes/no), User files (yes/no), files from the root directory (yes/no)" and so on.