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Should I use Migration Assistant or Target Disk Mode to transfer files and apps from my late-2013 27" iMac (running Catalina) to a new Mac Mini? I have not yet purchased the new 27" display.
iMac 27″, macOS 10.15
You are most welcome. The instructions for Migration Assistant are clear and easy to follow. One thing you may want to think about is whether you want to transfer your apps or to reinstall them in the new computer. Some people advise one way and others do the other, so it depends on what you feel is best.
You are most welcome. The instructions for Migration Assistant are clear and easy to follow. One thing you may want to think about is whether you want to transfer your apps or to reinstall them in the new computer. Some people advise one way and others do the other, so it depends on what you feel is best.
I would use Migration Assistant. It was developed specifically for this purpose and it is easy to use. Just be sure to follow the instructions and be sure to connect the two computers with a USB cable. Do not use wireless. Enjoy your new Mac.
You must have a display, mouse, and a keyboard to set up the Mini before doing anything.
You cannot just take a new Mini out of the box and and set it in target disk mode and transfer files. It just doesn't work like that.
You can however, once the Mini is set up, put the iMac in Target disk mode, connect a clone of the iMac to the Mini or connect your Time Machine backup of the iMac to the Mini and use Migration assistant.
Also, be aware that some of your apps may not be compatible with the M1 or Big Sur.
What I did when transitioning from my late 2013 27" iMac was to start fresh. I installed all my necessary apps fresh and copied all my data files that were on my iMac to my new Mac and in the process cleaned up and reorganized things and kept ancient files that I will access rarely on an external drive and rid myself of junk that I had on the computer that was just using space and no longer served a purpose. It was a bit more work but ended up with a "clean machine" to start off with. BTW, all your AppleID/iCloud stuff will automatically be loaded on the new Mac.
Thank you, woodmeister50.
I was getting all kinds of direction from different sources on this, a lot of it conflicting. Glad you mentioned having the mouse, keyboard & display on board before proceeding. Some are saying to connect the two computers using USB, while others are saying use Wi-Fi or Thunderbolt. Even some Mac sites have info that conflicts with other Mac sites.
Should I connect the iMac and the Mini with Thunderbolt? According to one Mac site, if both the iMac and Mini are beyond MacOS Sierra, use Thunderbolt...? The late-2013 iMac has Catalina while I'm sure the Mini has Big Sur.
What operating systems the Macs have should not make any difference as only preferences are transferred, if you so select, not the operating system. I know that the instructions say you can use Wi-Fi, but it almost never works and it takes forever. It's too slow and the data can get corrupted. Only use a wired connection. Pick whatever one you want. If you take the time to read the cases on this forum, you will see problems day after day for people who tried to use a wireless transfer. That says a lot. If you prefer to follow what people on the internet say, that's up to you. Enjoy your new Mac.
Thanks, Ronasara.
I appreciate your answer. You are right in that you can get several different answers on the internet, most of which can be wrong. I've always been more of a wired person than even Bluetooth. So thanks, and I'll definitely use a wired connection, either USB or Thunderbolt.
Ronasara—
Years ago I did a clean install of all my apps and I couldn't believe how fast and smooth everything operated. That was way back in System 9.5.3. I think. I may do that again here, but I have acquired a lot of third party apps in the last eight years of owning this iMac, and those I use pretty frequently. I'll think about it. Right now I'm anticipating how fast and smooth things will operate on an M1 Mac.
I'm also getting an Asus 4K monitor, which apparently will need a firmware update when I get it. Anyway, thanks for your input. Whenever I have critical decisions concerning Macs, I will continue to consult the Apple Support Community.
Should I use Migration Assistant or Target Disk Mode to transfer files and apps from my iMac (running Catalina) to a new Mac Mini?
