Connecting Time Machine backup drive to new iMac with Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports

You can use the Apple or an after-market USB-C to USB adapter.

USB-C to USB Adapter - Apple

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PDLQ555/ref=sspa_dk_detail_0?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08Z768LCW/ref=sspa_dk_detail_1?

https://www.target.com/p/philips-usb-c-to-3-0-usb-a-female-adapter/-/A-79804275

FWIW I have 4 of those $10 Philips adapters that I bought from Target.

No need to pay extra for the Apple branded adapter, just get one from Amazon. They are inexpensive and work, I have lots of them that I use for a variety of applications.

Also, when the new machine arrives please follow the steps in Setup Assistant and Migration Assistant and your migration to the new Mac will go just fine. This assumes the old Time Machine External Hard Disk is in good shape and is working well and that the new Mac has adequate (meaning equal to or more than the old Mac's) storage.

The USB-C ports on your new iMac are multi-purpose ports that support

• Traditional USB (up to 10 Gbps – USB 3.1 Gen 2 speed)
• USB4 (up to 40 Gbps)
• DisplayPort
• Thunderbolt

They adapt to whatever is plugged into them.

As long as you're talking about traditional USB at speeds of 10 Gbps or less, there are many ways of going between USB-C and USB-A in either direction.

These include:

• Adapters
• USB-A hubs that plug into a USB-C port and give you four or more USB-A ports
• Higher-end USB-C and Thunderbolt docks and hubs that usually give you several things (e.g., a dedicated video port, a card reader, an Ethernet port, and some USB-A ports)

By the way, USB-A and USB-C aren't the only USB connectors. There are many others, most (but not all) of which are described here: Anker – How to Identify Different USB Types: A Brief Guide .

Yes, that's the adapter you need.

(261712)

The Apple adaptor will be considerable more expensive. I also have several of Syntech adaptors from Amazon and have not had a problem with them.

sallyfrominverness wrote:

Following on from this….. I have my new Mac and all the transition went fine. Thank you for advice.

That is good news.

Now, I want to clear my old Mac for possible sell or pass on.

For the same reason that you upgraded to a new Mac, the old Mac is too old to sell or donate to someone else. The best thing to do after erasing the old Mac, is to Recycle it.

I have followed the instructions for erasing everything. I’m wondering if I have done something wrong…… the Mac now has OS X 10.8.5.

It sound like you have successfully erased and reinstalled the original OS X.

I made the mistake of having an external drive attached while doing this and the external drive (Seagate) now has Apps, Library, System and Users on it.

Those are the old backups for that iMac. Disconnect the Seagate external drive from the old iMac and set it aside. Then re-erase the old Mac to be on the safe side.

How easy, and advisable is it for me to move this onto the Mac?

I have an internet connection but it seems a bit strange and cannot establish internet connection to Apps Store. not sure why?

There is no Photos App…. And as I can’t get to Apps Store I can’t get one!

You do not want to move or restore any personal data or app's from the backups, if you are selling, donating or recycling.

If you want to keep and reuse the Seagate external drive with your new Mac? You can connect the Seagate external drive to your new Mac using one of the for-mentioned USB-C to USB adapters.

Any help or advice would be much appreciated.

Again the best corse of action is to make sure that the old iMac is erased, then responsible recycle it.

Apple Reuse and Recycling Program - Apple

e-waste recycling