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View Full Version : Using Migration Assistant and A Cloned External Drive...Possible?


Mojo
08-13-2007, 10:27 PM
I am considering upgrading my 20" G5 iMac to a 24" Intel iMac. Normally I would use the Apple Migration Assistant to move stuff from the old to new Mac. Unfortunately, the G5 iMac Firewire ports aren't functioning at the moment; I will be getting a motherboard replacement via AppleCare before I sell it.

My understanding is that the Firewire ports must be used with Migration Assistant. Can I use Migration Assistant with the new iMac connected to an external drive containing a clone of the G5 iMac and move the data from the external drive?

timlance
08-13-2007, 10:43 PM
I did just this a few days ago to set up a MacBook. I can't now remember why I didn't just use the MacBook Pro I use everyday. And so here's the point: Not only can you do it from a clone on an external drive, that drive doesn't have to be Firewire. My clone is a USB2 and Miggration Assistant saw it as Firewire in Target mode.

I'm not sure if the same is true is your clone is an image.

dnanian
08-13-2007, 11:43 PM
You can definitely do this from a drive (written directly), but not from an image, as far as I know.

timlance
08-14-2007, 09:02 AM
It'd be interesting to know. I bet it would. When I did it I already had the drive plugged into the MacBook. When it came to the "connect the drive" step nothing happened except a error telling me to boot a machine I wanted to migrate from. I thought "A-ha" and started everything but didn't plug the machine in until told to connect drive. Powering on the drive must appear as booting. I wonder if mounting would appear likewise.

dnanian
08-14-2007, 09:04 AM
The problem is -- how do you mount the image? You don't have control at that point...

timlance
08-14-2007, 12:34 PM
Well, ya know ...

D'oh!

Scott3647
08-29-2007, 01:08 PM
You can definitely do this from a drive (written directly), but not from an image, as far as I know.

So what are the exact steps to do this?

I'm new to Macs. I purchased a 20" Intel iMac and spent over a WEEK sorting files and installing software. I now need to return the iMac to AppleCare due to a defective iSight and await a new one. As I type this on another computer, I'm making an exact copy backup onto an external drive using Superduper.

Trouble is, I don't know what to do with the external drive when the new iMac arrives. Since it's just a hard drive, I don't know how to put it into "firewire target mode" that you would put an actual computer into by holding down the T key while starting up (to use the Migration Assistant).

Can anyone provide a step-by-step tutorial?

timlance
08-29-2007, 01:31 PM
In my post abovve I said I just plugged it in when told to start the computer in Target mode. Worked for me.

Scott3647
08-29-2007, 02:12 PM
I thought "A-ha" and started everything but didn't plug the machine in until told to connect drive. Powering on the drive must appear as booting.

What you said here confuses me. it looks like you were migrating from an external drive to a MacBook. Plugging in a MacBook should make no difference since it runs on battery power when not plugged in. What "machine" do you refer to? Did you mean you didn't plug the DRIVE into a power outlet? or plug the drive into the MacBook? I'm sorry, but I'm still unsure.

I'm not computer saavy. I need step-by-step instructions.

From what you wrote, I'm guessing I need to:


Turn off my external drive making sure it's not attached to new iMac by any cable
Start my new iMac for the first time
When I get to the Migration Assistant, I should connect the firewire cable
Then I should power on the drive
The new iMac should recognize the external drive as if it were in an old Mac in Firewire Target Mode
Migration Assistant should clone the external drive onto the Macintosh HD drive of the new iMac
When I disconnect the external drive and reboot the new iMac, it should boot from its internal drive and have the same contents and settings as the old iMac that was backed up on the external drive

Is this correct?

dnanian
08-29-2007, 03:46 PM
That sounds right to me, Scott.

James
08-31-2007, 11:41 AM
From what you wrote, I'm guessing I need to:


Turn off my external drive making sure it's not attached to new iMac by any cable
Start my new iMac for the first time
When I get to the Migration Assistant, I should connect the firewire cable
Then I should power on the drive
The new iMac should recognize the external drive as if it were in an old Mac in Firewire Target Mode
Migration Assistant should clone the external drive onto the Macintosh HD drive of the new iMac
When I disconnect the external drive and reboot the new iMac, it should boot from its internal drive and have the same contents and settings as the old iMac that was backed up on the external drive

Is this correct?

This is the way I did it although I did a few things different, For number 3/5 I used a USB2 HDD which had a partition with a Bootable Backup. And for number 7, well I never disconnected my drive as I never saw a way to eject it, when I eventually got booted into OS X the external drive was still connected and mounted on the desktop.