Can you directly connect your old and new computers with a Thunderbolt 3 cable to transfer files and settings via Migration Assistant? I’ve seen some answers to other questions that hint at this, but I can’t find it documented anywhere. (I know you can use Target Disk Mode, but I’m wondering specifically about the case of using Migration Assistant on both sides of the transfer.)
MacBook Pro 15″
why yes, if you are using a genuine ThunderBolt (not just USB-C) cable.
You can pre-test the connectivity ahead of time by enabling file sharing, and looking at files on the other Mac. Then shut off Wi-Fi on one or the other and you should see that the connection persists.
Thank you! It worked perfectly. I see that while the transfer is going there’s a “connection details” that you can click on, which revealed that it actually tests the transfer options available to choose the best one. It showed that the Thunderbolt connection was giving something like 1400 Mb/sec, and peer-to-peer Wi-Fi gave 4 Mb/sec, and regular Wi-Fi was 2 Mb/sec. So obviously a big advantage to using Thunderbolt. Thanks again!
It was macOS 12.2.1. This showed up as a blue hyperlink in the bottom left of the UI, and clicking on that revealed the info. From the wording it sounded like it does some bandwidth testing before it starts the transfer, rather than showing the transfer rate as it goes, but it’s still interesting information.
Users have been Dying for a feature like that, because without it, the hours-long process is so completely opaque.
¿What version MacOS is showing that connection details pane?
Migration Assistant via Thunderbolt 3?
