What To Do When You Get a New Mac

macmost.com/e-2404 When you get a new Mac, you'll be walked through some steps in Setup Assisant. After that, there will be a few thing you want to check and set up before you start using your Mac.
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[@williamcloonan7124]

Gary, I really enjoy your videos. I switched from MS several years ago and continue to gain knowledge about the Mac universe. Your videos help me tremendously. Seventy Two years young tomorrow and I love computing. Thank you for imparting your knowledge.

[@oblivion2967]

Sweet note.

[@jimparker871]

Gary, I've been a Mac user for years, but I still learn something from almost every one of your videos. This week, it paid off as my old Mac Mini (2012 version) began dying a slow, painful death (disk controller intermittently failing). Rather than repair it, I decided to replace it with a new Mac Mini M2. Wow, what a difference! This video was extremely helpful, as were the videos on using Time Machine and iCloud. Your channel is one of only two to which I subscribe. Thank you for all you do!

[@loisskiathitis8926]

Very helpful and informative video! Thank you, Gary! ❤️

[@snackymcsnackycakes6556]

I just got a new MacBook Air a few days ago so this was perfect timing. Thank you!

[@richard1113]

These are all great suggestions and I agree 100%. The only thing I would add (and this is not just for a new Mac but ongoing) is to leave your Mac (i.e. your MacBook Pro) plugged in overnight (at least occasionally). I may be a special case but I take my MBP to bed almost every night to watch videos while I wind down. Unfortunately, updates will not automatically install unless your Mac is plugged in.

[@ASTMA193]

From a new Macbook user, thank you so much. Your videos are a great help.

[@TroyArn]

I'm new to the mac world and your expertise and advice is appreciated. Great channel. Thank you.

[@LimaGolf284th]

Very timely advice Gary. Thank you! I ordered a new MacBook Air yesterday, to replace my aging iMac, and will be putting your recommendations, into practice next week.

[@susanweber6861]

This is exactly what I’m going to do!

[@mikepawlikguitar]

You are a legend Gary! Thank you and happy holidays!

[@GPDF]

Dear Gary. I'm new to Apple ecosystem. I got an iPad pro (used) last November, and a basic model of Mac mini M1 on last December. Your chanel is one of the best I found so far on KZbin. Your tips and advices are spot on. You already helped me a lot twice with my new Mac mini M1. And last February I got a MacBook 12" (used). I got it for two major reasons: fanless and portability. I'll be using it on my trips. For someone that always used MS Windows, is interesting that in a short span of few months I got three Apple products; and so far no regrets at all. In face of your helpful videos I subscribed to your chanel. Thanks a lot for you good work in helping us, specially the new ones to Apple.

[@macmost]

Glad to help!

[@pmonty3779]

Outstanding info, Gary. Thanks so much!

[@onewheel9961]

Thanks Gary. This helped me set up my new macbook. I alway go to your channel first when I am looking for information concerning my Apple devices.

[@djsarumawashi]

Thank you for Sharing. Happy 2023!!!🥳🥳🥳 Greetings from Cabo Verde Islands. Cheers😃😃

[@garynagle3093]

Great video.filled with lots of common sense. Thanks

[@goliath9081]

Great video as usual. I knew most of the stuff but learned shine new things

[@sboy1955]

I have a new M3 coming to replace my 27” 2015 Intel i3 iMac and have been on the fence on how to set up the new one. I think I’m just going to start fresh and install the apps from the App Store - and use iCloud for repopulating my files. Thanks for the discussion 👍🏽

[@jordanlivesey4715]

reminds me of when I got my first mac which is the one I am writing this from back in june of 2020, I believe it was referbished as it came with mac OS catalina and according to the specs it was a 2017 model, 21 inch imac. first thing I did because I was coming from a windows pc as I never had a mac until then was get a feel for the operating system, as I am visually impaired I configured voiceover accordingly and explored what I could do first before installing some apps I wanted to use so my first option was to try and find apps on the app store that worked like those on IOS as I had been using twitter which was the first app I installed from there. even though the mac was referbished it felt new, fast, and ready to go, in fact it still feels this way now even on big sur which I freshly installed to avoid issues as I keep most of my stuff on microsoft one drive and dropbox

[@Aaron-fj1hl]

Thanks for the videos mate I'm new to Mac very happy but its a new world

[@prokofievchambers8603]

Thank you very much. Absolutely fantastic and helpful video.

[@suyong3suyin960]

TQSM! I am a first time Mac user. Sorry if my questions sound silly: 1) Must I fully charge my Mac before I do all the settings above and start using it? 2) Must I stop charging my Mac when it is fully charged or can I continue leaving it connected to the power source (charging) eg. overnight? (PS: love your videos - they are so clear and easy to understand)

[@HawkMillFarm]

Really useful as always.

[@LetsTravelThisYear]

Great information as always. Thanks

[@michelefisher5171]

Thanks. Straight to the point.

[@DrStrangeMEX]

I got a new MacBook Air today, this was so awesome! Greetings from Mexico 🇲🇽

[@mdsoulsounds]

Gary, you’re very informative! However, one issue with my new used mac laptop was my iCloud files taking over the storage on my now smaller hard disk space( 128gb flash). I finally figured out how to “ remove from download” these files so that they may stay in iCloud and not on my device. Would be a good video to talk about this and how to do the same for an iPad and iPhone. Thanks

[@llajeunesse4668]

Could you share with us how you did get just a fewer number of files from iCloud to install on your new Mac?

[@johndriggers6876]

This is all solid advice. Thanks.

[@sundukchi]

Your videos are the best ever.. Many thanks!

[@kyclay58]

Really have learned allot from your channel. Thanks.

[@gruv2nz]

Good video, thank you.

[@MartinHannett_]

I heard you talk about the not shutting down your Mac tip in another video a couple of years ago and it changed my entire outlook on shutting down computers. I now never shut down my Mac! Thanks for explaining why Sleep is the better option.

[@javtimestwo]

same here. I used to shutdown daily and thought it was the right thing to do. can't tell you the last time I actually shut down my Mac. great teaching moment for me

[@jorgeet3049]

Can you explain pls?

[@ny6901]

@@jorgeet3049 it gives the ssd time to index ... and maintenance. SSD are quite different from spinning hard drives. I learned a bit about them when I bought and ssd for an external storage drive. Used to have lots of trouble before I learned this great trick!

[@TriMarkC]

I didn’t know this about SSDs, and glad I found it now! I just bought a new MacBook Pro w SSDs. Thanks!

[@megapangolin1093]

Great, helpful video, Gary. Really useful tips and information. Thank you.

[@javtimestwo]

Hi Gary, so TimeMachine is my kryptonite. I do not have any backup but I recall in an earlier video you suggested purchasing one. Do you have a video regarding into to Time Machine or into to what backup to purchase for MacBook Air and how to install, etc...? My MacBook Air is from 2017 and once again I am thinking about trading this in for the new M1 but I have decided to wait until after the upcoming Apple event.

[@yukikotakemoto1158]

Hi, Thank you for this video. Very very helpful. I’m buying refurbished iPad and iMac from amazon. Do I still have to do the “Wiping “?

[@JaniceLadyJStyleKrako]

Great points

[@MsMst12]

Used migration from old macbook to new macbook pro worked great

[@surendrabisht2523]

Thanks for the informative video . i am new to macbook world.

[@got2b981]

Thanks man!!!!

[@toddcampbell8084]

Todd Campbell Thanks Gary. I am new Apple user and found your video very helpful.

[@supermati]

Really liking your latest videos! They are still very macmost but feel much more fresh in terms of content. Did you consider making one about deep settings that most people don't know about?

[@macmost]

Anything in particular?

[@supermati]

@@macmost For example the Finder setting to make searches "On current folder" by default. Or the Finder option to sort all files by name except folders. Those are two examples off the top of my head! I'm sure there are plenty of interesting settings

[@dealman3312]

Also when you migrate, if you have a large amount of data on the old mac, the peer to peer wifi doesnt work very well, it may stall or crap out. Better to backup to timemachine, then migrate from time machine.

[@MiroslawRogala_Art]

Excellent!

[@johnmurphy2655]

Great video, just a quick one i have a mid 2012 MacBook pro with SSD that I need to clone to a mac pro 2013 trash can would the best way to do this be using a enclosure for the SSD in the mac pro 2013?

[@aurora571000]

Thanks

[@desertpatient]

Thank you

[@alohakeithb]

Hi Gary. Quick question, What is the difference between file vault on the Mac and "advanced data protection" on my iPhone? I have file vault on and Advanced Data Protection off currently...

[@ny6901]

Thanks for the clarification about using file vault on mac books! (& time machine BU) I stopped using it after genius advice. this sounds smarter!

[@jdosantamonica]

I’m getting a new iMac to replace an ancient one (2009 vintage). My iTunes configuration is totally messed up. (I have all of the sort fields set up, but the indexing is messed up, so records don’t get properly sorted). And, yes, the version is still iTunes. I have Apple Music and the like, but I also have a large CD collection, so many tracks are downloaded from CDs rather than bought from Apple. The current Library is stored on an external drive. How do I transfer all of the tracks without having to do a second sweep to catch tracks Apple may consider flotsam & jetsam?

[@Jimgoodwin846]

I watched your video on the new MacBook Air with the 15” screen. The only complaint I have with my 13” is that it’s hard to see. Well today I purchased the MacBook Air 15” with “trade-in” and I can pick it up at the Apple Store on the 29th. Thanks for this video it is very timely for me.

[@marketingscarborough]

Thanks for the video - just working on my new iMac now. I want to start afresh with not using migration as you mentioned but then you mentioned that we should create a time machine backup for the new one straight away. My external drive already has the backup of the old iMac so I am not sure what to do now? Do we delete this one, write over it with the new one, wait till the new Imac has all the files I need from the time machine? surely this is very important in the beginning to save the data in a time machine or am I looking at this all wrong?

[@macmost]

How about getting a new Time Machine drive? Your old one is probably a few years old right? And maybe undersized for the new Mac.

[@s.shippy9349]

Ok, so I literally NEVER subscribe to a KZbin channel as with most I only find one or two vids interesting. Your channel is a treasure trove though. So much fund knowledge put into really helpful videos. I am one of those late PC to Mac switchers and would have never guessed there's so much you should know about. THANKS!!

[@Entertainment-us6gt]

Another thing, regarding time machine. Whenever I buy a new Mac, I can no longer keep using the time machine on this new computer. Or is there a way I can still check my old documents in the new Mac using Time Machine with its features?

[@BikerDave5]

Thanks for your videos they are superb with bitesize chunks and comprehensive coverage. When following 'What to do when you get a new Mac' on the FileVault section, my Mac has the FileVault on, yet I do not recall noting down a recovery key on setup. Should I have one or is it stored automatically in iCloud please? I have the latest 24-inch M1 iMac operating macOS Ventura v13.2

[@macmost]

It is probably "stored in iCloud" meaning that you don't need a key as if you get locked out you can use your Apple ID + password to get back in.

[@BikerDave5]

@@macmost Thanks Gary. Much appreciated.

[@mine1685]

You are such a life saver. I was planning to buy a new mac because my old mac has been acting out for quite a while. But my big concern was "How to set up the new mac" and and I had no idea how to do that. Paying for it would cost me a lot too. So I had been worrying. Then I saw this video. I started thinking maybe I can do it by myself with the help of this video. God bless you!!

[@zufriedenheit9113]

Hi Gary, thank you for your videos. I get alot of useful tips out of them. I would love you to make a video about the macs file version history like in pages, numbers etc. I have experimented with it a bit but am still confused. When I just use it locally it seems to store the versions in a central database, but when I move a file to iCloud drive it does not move the version history with it. If i make changes on a file already stored in iCloud it remembers these changes on the iCloud and they are available on all devices. I would like to start a new mac fresh but want to move my files including there version history. Hope you can make it more clear how the version history should be used and how it can be synced.

[@CraftyOldGit]

Thanks you -- this appeared in my suggested videos at just the right time -- I'm about to replace my old Intel MacBook with a new M1 MacBook. Or maybe an M2 if I can scrape together the extra £250.

[@MedicalKnowledge0001]

Keep going on Gary

[@davidsuper5881]

Hi Gary - love the channel for years now! I have a mid-2012 MacBook Air and I'm upgrading to a new 2024 Air. I've watched all sorts of videos with regards to Migration Assistant. Wifi seems like the way to go although everyone says running a USB-C between the 2 computers will make the transfer faster. Do I not have that option with such an old machine?... it has 2 USB ports and a thunderbolt port that I don't recall ever using! I'm in no hurry, but with my luck, there will be a hiccup in the Wifi deep in the transfer process. Any advice would be appreciated... thanks Gary!

[@macmost]

Not sure of the speeds for those USB ports for such an old Mac. But also maybe consider using the Time Machine option for the migration?

[@davemaloof9530]

In another video you did, you said it was better to use a Time Machine backup to migrate everything to the new Mac. Which is better?

[@macmost]

I don't think there is a one-size-fits-all solution. For some people using iCloud for everything, there is almost no need for "migration" at all. Just add a new computer, for instance. If you are comparing using TM to a direct connection, it really comes down to which cables you have. Otherwise, it should be the same thing.

[@showboat4869]

Gary is their a way to FileVault both AppleTv and Time machine because otherwise they are not protected which makes the Mac encryption pointless. ?

[@hape3862]

Time Machine warns you if you try to set it up unencrypted, but you are about to save a backup from an encrypted Mac. So, that is not a problem. I don't have a  TV and can't say anything about it, but are there even any files stored?

[@CherzArts]

I did a slow wipe of a new iMac then made two partitions. The first has everything on my older Mac mini with the older OS so I can use photoshop. Now I need to open the other partition and put the latest OS that it will bear. How do I get into it? Thanks Cheryl

[@macmost]

Why do you need an older macOS to use Photoshop? Photoshop works fine on the latest macOS. Adobe updates it constantly. You'll need to boot into recovery mode to install macOS on the other partition. Then you'll be rebooting constantly to use Photoshop. If you are behind on Photoshop versions and don't want to pay for an upgrade, wouldn't it be easier to just use something else like Pixelmator Pro, Affinity Photo, or even GIMP?

[@geekmeee]

[6:15] How do you remove accounts (globally) from the App Store you no longer use? I am moving from an Intel Mac to M1.

[@danielgartin-oh9ik]

I just got a new MacBook Air last month, it’s my first Mac ever

[@apeel2008]

Could you clarify what you mean by restoring from Migration Assistant?. There are options to restore documents settings and applications, although you later say to reinstall or redownload some apps. Why would these apps not have been restored already with Migration Assistant? When restoring, is it recommended to NOT restore the Apps. If you do not do that, will we have to re-enter licenses and registration codes? Perhaps you would consider doing a tutorial on the best way to use Migration Assistant ?

[@macmost]

I don't think I ever stay "restore from Migration Assistant." Migration Assistant is something you would use when you set up your new Mac to bring everything over to it. I am suggesting that you can use MA to migrate everything, or you can just use it to migrate your documents and settings. It is up to you. There are no "licenses and registration codes" for App Store apps. As to whether you'd need to do that with other apps, it would depend on the app and how the developer has implemented things. See support.apple.com/en-us/HT204350 for more on MA.

[@joebishop7909]

Gary, should the new M1 macs be left plugged in at night ? Will they do their updates and maintainence while unplugged and sleeping ?

[@jimparker871]

Not Gary, but he recommends that ALL Macs be left plugged in AND turned on. Just let it "sleep." Background stuff keeps happening if it is needed (reindexing, etc.).

[@andrewe.7907]

Do you want to use Migration Assistant if the new mac has less storage than the previous mac? I used my ssd drive. Thanks!

[@macmost]

Don’t worry about the drive size, worry about what you have on the drive. If you have more than will fit on the new Mac (big mistake) then I guess you need to do something about that before moving.

[@peteallennh]

Gary, I am moving from one company to another and have to turn in my current MacBook. Is there some way to inventory all of the apps on the current one? They’re not all from the App Store.

[@jimparker871]

Go to your Applications folder, switch to the "icon" view, resize the window so you can see all the icons, and take a screen shot of that window (Command + Shift + 4), then print that screenshot to a PDF file to refer to after your new Mac is up and running. By comparing the "old" versus "new" Applications folder views, you'll be able to easily see which apps need to be installed.

[@AlfredHelmerich]

Hi Gary, wiping the disk is ok, but when and how do I do that? Do I first have to login with my AppleID or can I do that even before I install the new system?

[@macmost]

Do it before doing anything else. Don't even log in. Just boot right into recovery mode.

[@dougkoontz1752]

Minor point, but I surprisingly can not find the answer after looking for way to long. On my older Mac Book Pro, mid 2000 vintage you could change a folder's icon on the desktop to have the entire file name highlight in a color. My new M1 out of the box only places a colored dot in front of the file name. Is it possible to change it to the full colored name displayed folder?

[@macmost]

A long time ago, the Finder has something called Labels. There were just a few color labels you could apply to files. The color of the name would change to that color. That was replaced a while back with tags. You can make as many tags as you want and apply more than one tag to a file. Far more modern and useful. But since a file can have more than one tag, they are shown as dots so you can see multiple ones.

[@ratcharinkongkasuwan3405]

Dear Gary, thank you very much for your comprehensive explanation. Can I ask you for some question? If I store all of my flies in the iCloud and I did not start a migration assistant . The new MacBook will recover all of my files? What about the application I still need to download?

[@macmost]

If you store all of your files in iCloud Drive, then you really don't need Migration Assistant for much. Just logging on to iCloud will allow you to access all of your files. Download the apps you need from the App Store and other sources.

[@ratcharinkongkasuwan3405]

@@macmost Many thanks. 👍😀

[@jcinaz]

I recommend setting up a second account regardless. The second account is useful to use as a test bed. If something doesn't work in the user account, login to the second account and test. If it works in the second account and not in the user account, then a preference has probably corrupted. If it doesn't work in the second account, then it's a system issue or the app itself is defective. So this is just to determine where the problem is before you call Apple (or your local tech guru) for support.

[@RamMohammadJosephKaur]

I agree!

[@ny6901]

Thank you! I am preparing for a new mbp. Gary answered another burning question - should I set up a second user - and this is great additional reason.

[@rappere11]

Hi Gary, not sure if I do a migration from my old mac to the new is there a place not to move the apps so I can instal new ones?

[@macmost]

Sure. See support.apple.com/en-us/102613

[@aphovasse]

Gary, your videos are fantastic. I have a question. How do I turn off the new environment that puts all your open documents on the side? It's driving me crazy.

[@macmost]

I'm not sure what you mean by "the new environment that puts all your open documents on the side." Do you mean Stage Manager, maybe? You turn that on or off in Control Center.

[@aphovasse]

@@macmost Guess who just discovered the control center!! Thanks Gary.

[@Nutwigg1]

Gary - I have a MacBook Pro (purchased in 2020). I have the “Find My” activated within the Mac system. However, my iPhone indicates ‘no location found’ for it. My Mac and iPhone are signed into iCloud (my phone can find my iPod). My iPhone does display the icon for my Mac, but it can’t find it. The Mac is connected to the internet (it is directly plugged into my router, I have WiFi off because it’s not needed). Can you help?

[@Kevin6t8]

I know I'm not Gary, but try turning WiFi on. Hope this helps.✌🏼🧔🏻👍🏼

[@lorde66ex]

Whats the advice for docked MacBooks? Should you not shut those down where possible ?

[@macmost]

Don't shut down. See kzbin.info/www/bejne/fKTVhaN7qr14qsU

[@bikeman5]

never did fire vault as to being afraid of forgetting password which i just won't unless i get amnesia and forgetting the recovery key, not sure what that consist of but dont won't to loss my data. how does that affect backing up, restoring computer or recovering stuff from time machine?

[@macmost]

It doesn't affect it at all. As for forgetting your password and recovery key, just put those on a piece of paper in a secure place.

[@PeteGoode]

TouchID: Set up the same finger multiple times increases accuracy / speed of touchID read.

[@BrigitteCoffman]

5:33 What is time machine? I just got my 27" iMac 3.1GHz 6-core Intel Core i5 with Retina 5K display, today. Came with no touch pad, *Track Pad* ,,, do I have to buy one? Or was it supposed to come with it? Do I need it?

[@macmost]

Time Machine is the built-in backup solution on your Mac that you should definitely be using. See kzbin.info/www/bejne/pJbPY2SsZquFo9k

[@BrigitteCoffman]

@@macmost Thank you Gary.

[@dixienormus9701]

yahhooooooo lets go gary greeting from evening SINGAPORE

[@ikicaq]

I’ve always used my time machine backup drive to migrate to new Mac. Is this still ok. I just ordered the studio to replace my iMac.

[@macmost]

You can. Or a direct connection. Migration Assistant works with both.

[@stephenheacock5855]

Enjoy your channel…Mac user since 2004. I have an old desktop Mac still running 10.9.5. I plan to get a new desktop within the next year. When I’ve previously purchased a new Mac, I've copied files from a back-up disk (not Time Machine) and it worked very easily - copy each folder, Documents, Music, Pictures etc. Since my last Mac, iTunes has been replaced by Music, iPhoto has been replaced by Photos and the directory / file names for the old apps and the new apps are considerably different. Will migration assistant work for me? is migration assistant smart enough to adjust directory /file names as necessary or will it just copy from my backup and put on the new machine with the OLD directory/filenames? It’s unclear to me what is the best way to transfer my data.

[@macmost]

Not sure if it will do those things you mention, but I'd use migration assistant instead of copying from a clone or something like that.

[@hape3862]

Use the migration assistent, it even works from Windows to Mac, so most probably it will work from an old to a new Mac, too.

[@stephenheacock5855]

@@hape3862 Thanks to both you and Gary. It sounds encouraging.

[@kdcarver]

Gary. Thanks for the video. I've had a lot of Macs and I set them all up at the beginning with an Admin account that I don't use day to day, skipping all the requests to sign in to iCloud, etc during the Setup process. I then add user accounts with appropriate iCloud and other internet accounts. The one thing I do add to the Admin is my Apple ID to allow it to install programs, turn on "find my Mac", etc. It's a bit cumbersome to set this up because Apple seems to default to the assumption that the account you are adding is your normal day-to-day account. I therefore have to "inactivate" things on the Admin when I add the Apple ID (e.g. Calendar for iCloud account, etc). Do you have a setup process that could be followed to ensure a consistent starting setup for the approach I'm describing?

[@macmost]

I'm not sure I follow what you are doing. Why are they set up differently at all? Just create the Mac account, add the iCloud account, and that's it. If you want to deactivate something like Calendar, then fine, though you never share why.

[@kdcarver]

@@macmost Security. I've been using Mac's (and Unix) for decades and always work from a non-admin account, authenticating as administrator when I need to load software, change settings, etc. Doing this I've never had a malware issue.

[@macmost]

@@kdcarver You don't need to do that on modern macOS. Just use an admin account. Non-admin accounts are useful for parental controls or untrusted people using your Mac (house guests, etc). But otherwise, there is no malware-fighting benefit.

[@ny6901]

@@macmost There it is! It still is a learning curve after years worrying about security. I am used to doing everything on a standard user account and authenticating as well! After watching your tutorial on built in security of macs, I wondered if this was redundant! Your videos are wonderful as is all the information in the comments.

[@paigeme886]

So sorry, I’ve had my Mac for years and only just about to start using time machine ( used different method before). Is that ok? You said to set up time machine when you first get your Mac. Is it ok to do it now with so much on my Mac already ?

[@macmost]

You should set it up when you first start using your Mac. But if you want to start now that is fine too. You can start at any time, but I want new users to know they shouldn't wait.

[@eclecticaro]

Can I migrate data from an old Macbook with Maverick os to new Macbook M1? Thanks

[@macmost]

It should work, yes.

[@PhillProbst]

Even more basic ... how do you get the new mac to recognize the trackpad and keyboard inputs so you can actually respond to the queries in the setup assistant? I have (1) new Mac Mini, (2) new magic keyboard w/numeric keypad, (3) new Apple track pad. I connected keyboard & trackpad with supplied usb cables (as recommended for new devices) and turned them on. I then turned on the Mac but could not get past the language selection screen. The up & down arrow keys on the keyboard seem to work but no response from the return key, no way to confirm choice and move on. No mouse cursor on screen either and no response from track pad. What am I doing wrong?

[@macmost]

If the arrow keys work, then the keyboard is connected. Not sure why nothing else is working. Contact Apple Support.

[@PhillProbst]

Ok, I figured it out. So, for future reference ... the issue was apparently caused by my having turned on the keyboard and trackpad before turning on the computer. On a hunch, I tried turning on the computer first and waiting for the screens to pop up asking for a mouse or trackpad before turning the trackpad on. That did the trick. As you noted, the keyboard was working on the first attempt but only in that klunky voice-over setup assistant, but no trackpad control. Everything's working fine now.

[@aneet1980]

Hi, I really like your channel, very informative and too the point. My question might sound silly but the fix will satisfy my OCD. My user account name is showing all letters in lower cases. At the time of creating account I remember putting it as all caps. There is no way I could find to change it and through your videos I came to know that changing it might break few files. Is there any way to fix it?

[@macmost]

User account names are supposed to be all lower case.

[@aneet1980]

@@macmost Thanks for your prompt reply. Appreciate that

[@generic_official]

What if your old computer has an older version of MacOS because it wasn’t upgradable? Will Migration Assistant still work with two different versions of MacOS?

[@macmost]

Yes. It mostly brings over your files.

[@llajeunesse4668]

Hi Gary! I havea question for you…or I need an advise. I have a 2010 iMac, there I setup four user account, but they all are “User” and I setup une account as “admin” with the “Administrator” privilege. I rarely go there, but when I need to make a change in the system, the system ask me the administrator name and password. Do you think it’s a good idea like that on a new Macbookair ? What would be the “Con’t” of doing this way on a new M1 Macbook?

[@macmost]

Hard to say without knowing why you have 4 accounts in the first place. Is each for a different person? If not, why are there 4 and not 1?

[@llajeunesse4668]

@@macmost yes, each one is a person, except the administrator. Comming back then from the PC, each person gad a “User” previledge and the administrator account was just so that there was a separate password to modify anything on the system and to prevent a anything bad from outsite source to install unwanted program on any user account that was accesing the internet. The admin account, never did access the internet directly. So, any windows update and “system” change , the system promoted the “user” to enter the system admin password. It was a proctection measures. After that, when I moved to the iMac in 2010, I did the same thing. Today, my question is; If you give “Administrator” access to all users on the M1 Macbookair, is that because there are sufficiently security built in Mac OSX to allow this? Or is the potential vulnerability still exist and people are just being ( lazy / negligent ) ??? Thank you for your insight! 🙏🏻

[@macmost]

@@llajeunesse4668 I can't think of a single reason to have, at least, your account just be an administrator. No need for a separate admin account. The only real power the admin account has is to add, remove and change the password of other accounts. If all users are computer-savvy trusted people, then they can be admins. If you have a child or an adult who could potentially cause problems (maybe through not understanding things) then they can be standard accounts.

[@mikeaz1960]

Gary i just bought a new m2 iMac air. I don’t want to transfer any info from. Y old computer. What r the steps.

[@macmost]

Then just don't transfer. Don't use migration assistant. The opposite of "steps" I guess.

[@mine1685]

Could you make a video about how to wipe up and make fresh start with a mac. Mine is MacBook 2017 retina 12 inch. When I buy a new mac, I want to pretend that my old mac was used one and I want to clean it up ...because I am suspecting my old mac got infected with virus or something or who knows what. So I want to start over everything as if I am the new owner. Can you make a video about how to clean up the whole thing and make a fresh start? It would be so useful for so many people like me. Thank you.

[@macmost]

You can just start using it as a new Mac and bring over the files you need, sign onto iCloud for things like Calendar, Notes, etc. If you use iCloud Drive for everything, it is almost as easy as just signing into iCloud. But what you really do depends on how you use your Mac and what you have installed and stored on it. So a tutorial I made would only work for a small selection of people, probably not even you, and then others would have different situations.

[@llajeunesse4668]

Thanks for the info 👍🏻 but I hear that music doesn’t go on the icloud. You forgot to mention that. You need to copy and paste using thumb drive or HDD. Samething for the Download folder. I may be missing a few mire things too.

[@thetdchannel]

Wiping your Hard Drive Clean: I did that, then successfully installed a new macOS system. However, all is fine except the hard drive will no longer let me drag n drop, copy n’ paste a file to it. I am the Administrator and in the My Info of the HD…the read and write is assigned. I need to have that normal function! Any answers please?

[@macmost]

That shouldn't be related. It is just an action in the Finder app. Not sure what you are experiencing there.

[@Lirleni]

When using Setup Assistant and transferring info from an old Mac, does it not move over the applications you have on the old Mac? 6:20 you are talking about downloading apps from the Mac App Store that you already purchased, and then after that you are talking about apps purchased elsewhere.

[@macmost]

You mean Migration Assistant. Yes, you can use MA for that. But if you don't use MA then install them from the App Store or original source.

[@jeanneblackwell5123]

set up new mac. son did the migration. i trust him. he knows what he is doing. now in the migration Word did not come over nor did all the info i had on Notes and there are no stickies. any way to get that information onto my new mac? it doesn't have to be every single note or stickie note but some I really need. And word is a big deal. i still have everything on my old computer and i am using those things that did not transfer on the old one. i don't have a clue what icloud is all about is there a video or something i can watch to get me up to speed. thank you. i originally got a mac because it was so user friendly for a new user. that was me 15 years ago. i have tried to keep up but its not working so well. not a click a play world anymore. but i have to keep it simple otherwise my time is all taken up with learning new things that i never get a chance to use before they become obsolete and i have to learn something new. i really appreciate this mac service. so does my son. i am not bugging him every minute with questions. thanks again.

[@macmost]

Not sure what you have going on. What do you mean by "Word?" Do you mean Microsoft Word files? If you used Migration Assistant, then all files should have come over. Were you using iCloud before? If so, are you logged into iCloud now? Maybe you were using Microsoft OneDrive for Word documents? If so, you'll need to log into OneDrive again to get access to the files there.

[@jeanneblackwell5123]

@@macmost Thank you for getting back to me. Yes microsoft word. And no I didn't use icloud. this new os system is putting me on icloud and I don't know where I can access it. Or what it is storing. I don't seem to have a desktop and even notes is all different. Yikes I am so frustrated.

[@Chesbay53]

I am setting up my new iMac M3 . I want to cherry pick what to put on new from 10 year old iMac. Just want music, contacts and a few other things. I don’t want to dump 10 years of data from old machine on to new. What would be best recommendations for accomplishing? Thanks in advance.

[@macmost]

You just have to do what you said. Take what you want. Be prepared for it to take much more time though. A better strategy may have been to clean up on your old iMac first.

[@Chesbay53]

@@macmost my 2013 iMac still running fine so I had hoped to keep data on that for an as needed basis, therefore reluctant to dump a lot of it .Also for budget reasons have gone from a terabyte of memory ( though not full) to 512 SSD. Thanks

[@Chesbay53]

ETA: I haven’t set up anything on new machine, that’s why I’m inquiring.

[@PromotingTheBeat]

Down the line, I do plan to get a new iMac. My concern is, would I be able to transfer from my Time Machine to the new machine since MacOS Big Sur uses a different format. I ask because I managed to install Big Sur to try ( on an unsupported iMac ) and when I reverted back to Catalina, my previous Time Machines saved were gone and I had to start all over again from when I reverted.

[@macmost]

I always start a new Time Machine backup when I get a new Mac. Good time to get a new drive too, as drives wear out, and chances are you need a bigger one today than you did years ago.

[@PromotingTheBeat]

@@macmost I always understood the rule of thumb for Backup HD's to be double of what your main HD is, so I have a 6TB G-Drive. I only back up once a month then shut it off. So it seems to be a-ok for now. If you do a new backup, then how are you transferring things over to the new mac? Are you going into the old drive, dragging those over to the external manually then putting them into their place on the new machine?

[@macmost]

@@PromotingTheBeat First: Once a month?? Why?? Let Time Machine do its hourly backup. Each backup will be small and quick then. Once a month will take a long time, and won't offer much protection when you accidentally delete something. Maybe in your situation, continue to use the TM backup drive on the new Mac if you can. If not, then after the transfer is done and it all checks out, wipe the TM and start a fresh backup on it. While the first backup completes, your old Mac is still around with copies of the files just in case.

[@hape3862]

​@@PromotingTheBeat You don't understand Time Machine, as it seems. It isn't a backup as usually thought of. It runs all the time and makes its hourly incremental backups and you shouldn't think of it at all. Buy a tiny portable hard drive, which gets its power through the USB- or Thunderbolt-cable, plug it in, set up Time Machine and forget it. If something happens to your Mac, you'll have a copy of its actual state with the Time Machine. And if the hard drive of the Time Machine fails, you have your Mac. Most probably either one or the other fails, but not both together. (Except when disaster strikes, but that can be covered with another, second Time Machine drive, which you plug in only occasionally and store it away from your home at a friend's or so. - Just like you use your first drive now.) And yes, you can chose to restore a new Mac either from your old one or from a Time Machine Backup. It will work upwards, but not downwards from a newer Mac OS to an older one, as you've seen. But from the older to the newer one will work. Oh, and by the way: You do not need a huge drive (double the space of your internal drive, as you mentioned). The same amount of space as the internal drive is fine. Time Machine does not save the Operating System (anymore), as it can be easily obtained from the Internet. It stores only your settings and your documents and other files. That together restores your Mac as it is now, but on top of a new copy of macOS (whatever version the current one might be).

[@witeksob1296]

@@hape3862 Hi, that when I want to restore from TM I can restore specific app eg. Thunderbird from Applications and all setup and date will be restored ?

[@pete5668]

How do you transfer data from on old mac to a new mac if you trade in the old mac first? this is why I am leery of trading in a mac.

[@macmost]

You'd need to wipe the old Mac before it leaves you possession. But you can transfer data from a Time Machine backup, or if you are using iCloud for *everything* then you can just log onto iCloud to get access to your files. But that's besides the point. You would do the migration first, and then trade in your old Mac after everything is migrated.

[@eD-xc8lh]

Hello. Great video. As for me, I just purchased the new Mac Book Air M1, along with Big Sur. My current Mac is a mid-2012 MBA (with El Capitan). I want to do a Migration but without the Assistant, for a ‘fresh start’. So how about a step-by-step guide for a 'Manual' and Selective Transfer/import from Time Machine backup of an old Mac ? I intend to properly reinstall the Applications on the new M1. The Transfer will mainly concern my many Docs of all kinds. Where I'm wondering is for all the bookmarks in my browsers (Firefox, Opera, Safari, Chrome) ... and 'Libraries' ... and 'Preferences' ... I'm not sure I'll know how. Possible to have your lights? Thank you

[@macmost]

There is no one-size-fits-all step-by-step for that. It all depends on how you have things set up. For me, using iCloud Drive, I would just sign in to iCloud and that's pretty much it. If you aren't using iCloud Drive, it would be be a matter of moving the contents of your Documents folder over. But if you have things in Movies, Music and Pictures you 'd need those too. As well as anything else you created in your Home folder. But if you use iCloud Photos you can just log into that to get your photos, no need to copy Pictures. And your Desktop folder too if you use that. So you really just need to take an inventory of what you have and where it is and run through a checklist.

[@eD-xc8lh]

@@macmost Thank you Gary for taking the time to reply to my query. I agree with the checklist, will do. iCloud Drive is an option indeed which I know you recommend. Sure could make some of the migration easy. I still wonder about a 'Time Machine' way for certain parts but it is ok, will sort it. Thks again.

[@believeinpeace]

I backup my Mac with a store bought memory, not iCloud. When I got my new Mac I used that backup and all of my old problems appeared on my new Mac and I almost fainted. How do you back up the contents of the Mac without baking up the system? Like a genealogy program, documents, photos, etc. Thank you!!

[@macmost]

When you set up the new Mac, use Migration Assistant and it will bring over your data, not the system. But if you have the same apps and system extensions and other things set up on your new Mac, you will bring any problems with you. You have to actually FIX the problems.

[@believeinpeace]

@@macmost Thank you so much!

[@terriannmuller794]

Great information! What I wanna know is how do I easily clean up all the extra things that seem to download like HTML code and duplicate files that I have no idea where they came from. If you could point me, I would be so grateful.

[@macmost]

What do you mean exactly? Where do you see HTML code files? Where and what are they? Where do you see duplicate files? Where and what are they duplicates of?

[@jtotheunk]

Hi, can anyone point me to a resource of how to "migrate" your old data and time machine when you've already started using your new machine for a few months and have new data on it already? I'm having trouble finding a resource for that. Thanks :)

[@macmost]

That's going to be difficult. No good solution except to being over any data you need directly from the old machine (network, AirDrop, etc). As for Time Machine, just start a new one with your new machine (haven't you been backing up already?) On the other hand, if you are using iCloud and iCloud Drive then this shouldn't be a problem as you'd be seeing the same things on both machines anyway.