Restoring to a new M2 MacBook using external SSD running Catalina

Ive had a mid 2012 MacBook pro for 10 years and it finally gave up so Im about to buy the new MacBook pro with the M2 chip. I have a time machine backup of my 2012 MB which was running Catalina. My question is - will the new M2 MB Pro restore from time machine and run Catalina so that I can get all my files (photos, videos, music etc)?

Alternatively, will the new M2 MB pro boot from my old SSD if I remove it from the old MB, put it into an enclosure and connect it to the new MB via usb-c?

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

MacBook Pro 15″, macOS 10.15

Posted on Apr 8, 2023 01:35 AM

Top-ranking reply

Lissy_12

Community Specialist

Posted on Apr 10, 2023 12:24 PM

Hi scubawor,

Thank you for using the Apple Support Communities! That's a great question. A Time Machine back up doesn’t include system files or apps installed during macOS installation, so the macOS would not be included. Your new Mac would being using the current macOS. Here is a great resource on how you would use your Time Machine back up to restore your data:

Restore your Mac from a backup

Hope this helps!

Have a great day.

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Restoring to a new M2 MacBook using external SSD running Catalina

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