Mac Migration Assistant Manual

Windows Migration Assistant transfers your contacts, calendars, email accounts, and more from a PC. It migrates this data to the appropriate places on your Mac.

Migration Assistant Pc To Mac
Migration Assistant Windows
Mac Migration Assistant Vs Manual

This is the Setup Assistant.not same as Migration Assistant, but very similar. Set up assistant will import the users directly from the MBA, without the need to create a user first. You could use a Time Machine backup of your MBA on an external instead of a clone.

After you migrate data to your Mac, be sure to authorize your Mac in iTunes. It’s important to authorize before you sync or play content that you download from the iTunes Store.

Before you begin

Migration Assistant Pc To Mac

To prepare for a smooth migration:

Make sure that Windows is up to date. Migration Assistant works with Windows 7 and later.
Make sure that you know the name and password of an administrator account on your PC.
Connect your Mac and PC to the same network, such as your home Wi-Fi network. Or connect an Ethernet cable between the ports on your Mac and PC to create a direct network connection. Some Mac models require an Ethernet adapter like the Belkin USB-C to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter, or the Apple Thunderbolt to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter.

Next, use the check disk (chkdsk) utility on your PC to make sure that your Windows drive doesn’t have any issues:

Choose Start > Run.
In the Run window, type cmd and press Enter.
In the command window, type chkdsk and press Enter.
If the check disk utility reports that it found problems, type chkdsk drive: /F and press Enter. In this example, “drive” is the letter that represents your Windows startup disk, like “d.” At the prompt, press the Y key, then restart your PC. Repeat this process until the check disk utility reports no issues.

Can you clear all of the disk issues that the check disk utility reports? If not, you might need to have your PC serviced. Then migrate your data to your Mac.

Move your data

This section guides you through migration, post-migration, and what to do if the steps don’t work for you.

How to move your information from a PC to your Mac

On your PC, download and install the Windows Migration Assistant.
- Windows Migration Assistant for macOS Mojave
- Windows Migration Assistant for macOS Sierra and High Sierra
- Windows Migration Assistant for OS X El Capitan or earlier
Quit any open Windows apps.
Open Windows Migration Assistant.
In the Migration Assistant window, click Continue to start the process.
Start up your Mac. Setup Assistant automatically opens the first time you turn on your Mac. If you’ve already set up your Mac, open Migration Assistant from the Utilities folder.
On your Mac, follow the onscreen prompts until you get to the migration pane of the assistant. Select the option to transfer information “From a Windows PC.”
When you’re prompted, enter an administrator name and password.
Click Continue to close any other open apps.
In the migration window on your Mac, select your PC from the list of available computers. Then wait for the PC to show the same passcode that your Mac shows.
When both computers display the same passcode, click Continue on your PC and Mac.
Your Mac scans the drives on your PC to build a list of information to migrate. When the scan completes, select the information that you want to migrate to your Mac and click Continue. Learn about some of the data that you can transfer.

You can watch the progress and estimated time remaining on both the PC and your Mac. They tell you when migration is complete.

After you move your data

When migration completes, close Windows Migration Assistant on your PC. Then log in to the new user account on your Mac. The first time you log in to a user account that’s migrated from a PC, you’re asked to set a password. You can use the same password that you used on your PC, or create a new password. Learn how to choose a good password.

After you log in to the user account that you migrated, be sure to authorize your Mac in iTunes. It’s important to authorize before you sync or play content that you download from the iTunes Store.

If you have issues moving your data

If the steps above don’t work as you expect, try these options.

Quit other Windows apps

Use these steps to make sure that no other apps are open while you migrate:

Press Alt-Tab to choose an open application.
Press Alt-F4 to quit the selected application.

Check your network connection

Does your PC appear in the Setup Assistant or Migration Assistant window on your Mac? If not, make sure that the computers are connected to the same network. You can create an isolated network if you connect a single Ethernet cable between your Mac and PC.

If Migration Assistant still doesn’t show your PC, try to turn off any Firewall software on your PC. It might block network ports that Windows Migration Assistant needs to work. After migration completes, you can turn on your Firewall software.

Turn off antivirus software

If Migration Assistant doesn’t open on your PC, turn off any antivirus software on your PC. Then try to open Migration Assistant again. After migration completes, you can turn on your antivirus software.

If your PC isn’t compatible with Migration Assistant

There are other options you can use to transfer your data. For example, you can use an external drive or file sharing to manually copy important data to your Mac.

What data can I transfer?

Migration Assistant lets you choose the data to move to your Mac. Here’s what moves over for specific apps and data types:

Email, contacts, and calendar information
Migration Assistant moves your email messages, mail account settings, contacts, and appointments. This depends on your Windows version and the accounts that you have.

Outlook
Migration Assistant supports this data from 32-bit versions of Outlook in Windows 7 and later:

People move to Contacts*
Appointments move to Calendar
IMAP and Exchange settings and messages move to Mail
POP settings and messages move to Mail*

Migration Assistant doesn’t support 64-bit versions of Outlook. You can manually migrate Mail, Contacts, or Calendars from Outlook 2013 or Outlook 2016 by signing in and entering the content on your Mac manually.

Pictures

Photos and other images copy to your Home folder. You can add these files to Photos. After you migrate, open Photos and let it search your Mac for photos to import.

Other files
You can also choose whether or not to move these files during migration:

Files from the top-level folder of the currently logged-in PC user’s home directory
Non-system files located in the Windows or Program Files folders
Top-level folders located on the user’s Windows system disk
Top-level folders located on other local disks attached to your PC

Windows Live Mail
Migration Assistant supports this data from Windows Live Mail in Windows 7 and later:

IMAP settings and messages move to Mail
POP settings and messages move to Mail*

Windows Mail
Migration Assistant supports this data from Windows Mail in Windows 7 and later. The only exception is Mail app for Windows 8.

IMAP settings and messages move to Mail
POP settings and messages move to Mail*
People move to Contacts

Bookmarks
Bookmarks from Internet Explorer, Safari for Windows, and Firefox transfer to Safari.

iTunes content
Your iTunes Music, Movies, and other iTunes library files transfer to iTunes on your Mac.

System settings
Your language and location settings, web browser homepage, and custom desktop pictures transfer to System Preferences settings in macOS.

* Migration Assistant transfers only the Mail or Contacts data that belongs to the logged-in Windows user. To transfer data from another user account, use Migration Assistant again while you’re logged in to another Windows account. Each time you migrate, your Mac creates a new user account.

The Mac line comes with a program called Migration Assistant, which makes it super easy to move data across your computers or even from a Time Machine backup. You can connect two devices using Thunderbolt, FireWire, Ethernet, or even just using the same Wi-Fi network if you don't have the required cable. Migrating your old data to your new computer will make it possible for you to start working on your brand new Mac without missing a beat.

If you are new to Mac, you can also migrate your old PC data.

Before you start

Update your software - If your old Mac is running OS X 7 (Snow Leopard) or earlier, you will need to update your software first.
Name your old Mac - If you haven't done so already, make sure your old Mac has a name. Open System Preferences > Sharing > and enter a name in the Computer Name field.
Connect your old and new computers to a power source - Both devices need to be plugged into a power source to ensure that you don't run out of juice in the middle of the migration process.
Get your Thunderbolt, FireWire, or Ethernet cable ready - Direct connection is the fastest way to migrate your data from your old Mac to your new. If you don't have the required cable, you can use your local Wi-Fi network instead.

How to migrate your old Mac's data to your new Mac

Start with your old Mac

Connect the Thunderbolt, FireWire, or Ethernet cable from your old Mac to your new Mac.
- If you are using local Wi-Fi, make sure both Macs are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.

Open your new Mac

Launch a Finder window by clicking on the Finder icon in your Dock.
Click on Applications in the sidebar.
Double-click on the Utilities folder.
Double-click on Migration Assistant.
Click Continue.
Enter your administrator password if prompted.
Click OK.
Click From a Mac... when prompted to select how you want to transfer your information.
Click Continue.

Go back to your old Mac

Launch a Finder window by clicking the Finder icon in your Dock.
Click on Applications in the sidebar.
Double-click on the Utilities folder.
Double-click on Migration Assistant.
Click Continue.
Enter your administrator password if prompted.
Click OK.
Click To a new Mac... when prompted to select how you want to transfer your information.
Click Continue.

Go back to your new Mac

Migration Assistant will be looking for a source. Select your old Mac (if you are using a Time Machine backup, select your Time Machine hard drive).
Click Continue.
- A security code will display on the screen.

Go back to your old Mac

Confirm that the code on your old Mac is the same as the one on your new Mac.
Click Continue.

Go back to your new Mac

Select the files, settings, apps, and other information you want to transfer to your new Mac.
Click Continue.

This will probably take a while, so grab a cup of coffee and watch your favorite movie while the process takes place.

When you're done

Migration Assistant Windows

Your new Mac should have all of the data that you selected to transfer. If you migrated everything, your new Mac will look almost exactly like your old one.

If you are planning on selling your old Mac, don't forget to clean it before transferring to its new owner.

Great Mac Accessories

Samsung T5 Portable SSD($88 at Amazon)

This tiny, speedy solid state drive is the perfect way to expand your Mac's storage.

Das Keyboard 4 Professional($169 at Amazon)

Get your Mac a better keyboard by picking up this mechanical option from Das Keyboard.

Questions?

Mac Migration Assistant Vs Manual

Let us know in the comments below!

Updated May 2019: Current through macOS Mojave.

MacBook Pro

Main

We may earn a commission for purchases using our links. Learn more.