Transfer Software To New Mac

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Welcome to the fold. You're anxious to use your Mac, but you've amassed years of data on that PC. Switching platforms doesn't mean starting over: You can still use those old files. Apple makes it easy with a free utility called Migration Assistant. Here's how it works.

What is Migration Assistant and how do I get it?

Migration Assistant is a utility Apple includes in the Utilities folder of every Mac. You'll see it when you first start up your Mac, when your Mac asks you if you want to transfer data over from another Mac, a Time Machine backup, or a PC. Apple makes the app freely available for download for transferring to your Mac. You'll need specific software, depending on what macOS or OS X operating system you're transferring to. You'll need to download the Migration Assistant software to your PC before you begin. Below are the following software links, depending on which Mac operating system you're migrating too.

Migration Assistant will help you transfer files from a PC running Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 10 operating systems. The Mac and the PC both have to be running Migration Assistant.

Both should be on the same network in order to find each other. The data migration may take several hours depending on what's being transferred and what means are used: Wi-Fi is slower, a wired Ethernet connection is faster. But one way or the other, your patience will be rewarded.

What actual data gets transferred will depend on which version of Windows you're using, and what programs created your data. Bookmarks from Internet Explorer and Firefox will be brought into Safari, for example. iTunes content and image files should make it over as well. System settings will get pulled over. You'll be able to specify what other files you'd like to bring over, too.

Email, contacts, and calendar information are where it gets a bit tricky. The bottom line is that Migration Assistant will pull over your email account information, and if you're using Microsoft Outlook, it should pull over your email messages, your contacts, and your calendars. Other programs may vary. Apple has posted a detailed chart of what gets migrated over to help you understand.

Mac

What you need before you start

Before you get too excited and try to start transferring your PC's data to your new Mac, you'll need to have a couple of things at the ready.

Oct 11, 2010  Sorry answer to your first question: If you use the Migration Assistant most (maybe all) licenses will be transfered to your new Mac. Personally I only migrate the Users and 'other files' (the last point whatever it is called).

  • You must have the administrative username and password associated with the PC.
  • Both computers must be on the same network, either through Wi-Fi or Ethernet.
  • You should perform a drive performance check before running Migration Assistant or you may not be able to properly use the software.
  1. Click on Start on your PC.
  2. Click on Run.
  3. type cmd into the Run window.
  4. Press Enter.
  5. type chkdsk into the Command window.
  6. Press Enter.

If your drive performance check uncovers issues, you'll need to run a drive repair process.

  1. Type chkdsk drive: /F (Change the name 'drive' to whatever the name of your Windows startup disk is) into the Command window.
  2. Press Enter.
  3. Press Y when prompted.
  4. Restart your PC.

You will need to repeat the steps above until the drive performance check returns without any issues. You can then use Migration Assistant to move your data to your Mac.

How to migrate your data from your PC to your Mac

First, connect your Mac to your PC either through Ethernet or by making sure both computers are on the same local Wi-Fi network.

On your new Mac:

  1. Launch a Finder window.
  2. Click on Applications in the sidebar.
  3. Double-click or control-click on the Utilities folder.
  4. Click on Migration Assistant.
  5. Click Continue.
  6. Click From a PC. when prompted to select how you want to transfer your information.

  7. Click Continue.

On your PC:

  1. Make sure you've downloaded and installed Migration Assistant on your PC.

  2. Launch Migration Assistant on your PC.

    • Launching Migration Assistant on the PC is a one-way trip: It's only designed to transfer data from your PC to a new Mac. After launching it, Migration Assistant for Windows will try to connect to its Mac counterpart. A security code will display on the screen.

  3. Confirm that the code on your PC is the same on your Mac.

  4. Select the files, folders, and settings you want to transfer from your PC to your Mac.

  5. Click continue.

There are other ways to move files between Macs and PCs. Thumb drives will work on both machines, so you can manually transfer whatever files you want to use, for example. But Migration Assistant provides an elegant, convenient and absolutely free way of managing the transition to becoming a Mac user, as long as you have the time to use it.

Have any questions?

Put them in the comments and I'll help you out.

Updated September 2019: Updaated for macOS Catalina.

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Migration Assistant copies all of your files to your new Mac so that you don't have to copy your files manually.

  • If your files are currently on a Windows PC, follow the PC migration steps instead.
  • If your new Mac is using OS X Mountain Lion v10.8 or earlier, follow the Mountain Lion migration steps instead.

Check software, settings, and power

  • Install all available Apple software updates on both Mac computers. Install any updates for your third-party apps as well.
  • Make sure that your old Mac is using OS X Lion or later.
  • Make sure that your old Mac has a computer name: Choose Apple menu  > System Preferences, then click Sharing and check the Computer Name field.
  • Connect both computers to AC power.

Connect the computers to each other

  • If both computers are using macOS Sierra or later, just make sure that they're near each other and have Wi-Fi turned on. If either is using OS X El Capitan or earlier, connect them to the same network using Wi-Fi or Ethernet.
  • Or connect them using target disk mode and the appropriate cable or adapter. Then start up your old computer in target disk mode.
  • Or connect your new Mac to a Time Machine backup of your old Mac.

Use Migration Assistant

On your new Mac:

  1. Open Migration Assistant, which is in the Utilities folder of your Applications folder.
  2. Click Continue.
  3. When asked how you want to transfer your information, select the option to transfer from a Mac, Time Machine backup, or startup disk.
  4. Click Continue.

Transfer Software To New Pc

On your old Mac:
If you started your old Mac in target disk mode or are migrating from a Time Machine backup, skip these four steps.

  1. Open Migration Assistant.
  2. Click Continue.
  3. When asked how you want to transfer your information, select the option to transfer to another Mac.
  4. Click Continue.

On your new Mac:

  1. When asked to select a Mac, Time Machine backup, or other startup disk, click the appropriate icon.
  2. Click Continue. You might see a security code.

On your old Mac:
If you started your old Mac in target disk mode or are migrating from a Time Machine backup, skip these two steps.

  1. If you see a security code, make sure that it's the same code as on your new Mac.
  2. Click Continue.

On your new Mac:

  1. Choose the backup to transfer information from.
  2. Click Continue.

Transfer Software To New Hard Drive

Continuing on your new Mac:

Transfer Software To New Mac Software

  1. Select the information to transfer from the backup.
  2. Click Continue to start the transfer. If you have a lot of content, the transfer might take several hours to finish.


In the example above, John Appleseed is a macOS user account. If you transfer an account that has the same name as an account on your new Mac, you're asked to rename the old account or replace the one on your new Mac. If you rename, the old account appears as a separate user on your new Mac, with a separate home folder and login. If you replace, the old account overwrites the account on your new Mac, including everything in its home folder.

After Migration Assistant is done, log in to the migrated account on your new Mac to see its files. If you're not keeping your old Mac, learn what to do before you sell, give away, or trade in your old Mac.