Moving from Macbook to iMac

[gjm]

Migration Assistant? OR start again fresh? Or...?

My dilemma is that I have 2 years worth of bits and bobs collected either payed or free... .alps, samples and softsynths etc splatted all over my HD. I also have software that allows only 2 or 3 unlocks. I am not sure how that is affected with using MA. Also, with the macbook, the system disks are for 10.5 and I have a Snow leopard upgrade disc. Not sure if MA transfers the OSX licenses from the macbook to the iMac or weather I can after transferring stuff reinstall the original OS and the upgrade disc again on the Macbook for a fresh start? I will be giving the Macbook to my son for school and want to set it up with various IT, Audio and Video Apps needed for his courses. I wouldn't mind some tips n tricks, advice etc... if there is any to be had... Even after 2 years I am still an OSX noob... Thanks.

[Peripatetic]

Migration Assistant? OR start again fresh? Or...?

My dilemma is that I have 2 years worth of bits and bobs collected either payed or free... .alps, samples and softsynths etc splatted all over my HD. I also have software that allows only 2 or 3 unlocks. I am not sure how that is affected with using MA. Also, with the macbook, the system disks are for 10.5 and I have a Snow leopard upgrade disc. Not sure if MA transfers the OSX licenses from the macbook to the iMac or weather I can after transferring stuff reinstall the original OS and the upgrade disc again on the Macbook for a fresh start? I will be giving the Macbook to my son for school and want to set it up with various IT, Audio and Video Apps needed for his courses. I wouldn't mind some tips n tricks, advice etc... if there is any to be had... Even after 2 years I am still an OSX noob... Thanks.

This only answers a tiny bit of your question, but I just did the same thing (Macbook -> iMac) and I started completely fresh. I took it as an opportunity/excuse to get rid of all the shit I never use (i.e., every free synth/effect that's come with Computer Music for the last 2 years, etc.). It took longer but it sure was nice to go back to a bit more streamlined of a setup.

[gjm]

This only answers a tiny bit of your question, but I just did the same thing (Macbook -> iMac) and I started completely fresh. I took it as an opportunity/excuse to get rid of all the shit I never use (i.e., every free synth/effect that's come with Computer Music for the last 2 years, etc.). It took longer but it sure was nice to go back to a bit more streamlined of a setup.

Thanks for that... I think you had the right approach, I might shed the extra weight and stream line things a bit. All the best.

[muthafunka]

+1 on the fresh install. Also be sure to get hold of an extra drive and clone your current machine using CarbonCopyCloner and keep hold of this for a few months after you get the new machine. This clone is bootable so you can go back and fire up sets to check things out and also find all those little prefs and things that you forgot you needed.

[Piplodocus]

Or if you have a Time Machine backup of you Macbook, when you first run your new iMac install just say you want to import everything from the TM backup after all the intro screens. It'll all come out like your old Macbook, but newer and faster! Simples!

Don't forget to run the latest Software Updates too after. If your macbook has a later version of OSX than the OSX disk/install on the new machine Ableton may not play samples (which I found much to my horror and then relief when I had to do a reinstall from TM on a HDD the night before a gig)!

[The Leveller]

That sig is getting bigger by the day Pip...

I don't know what i did wrong, and it was probably me, but I went from an old macbook to a new macbookpro and did the firewire old to new connection.

And ended up with about 100gig more on my new HD than i did on my old...can't figure that out for the life of me. I did hear that snow leopard counts it's HD space ina different way...something.

but tbh, I avoid all that. I am a musician and not a computer guy, at all.

[LoopStationZebra]

Updates

Pip, is it me or did your sig just get a LOT more hardware?

[Piplodocus]

Updates

Pip, is it me or did your sig just get a LOT more hardware?

Well spotted. As tyou can tell I'm very busy today at work!

It's actually slightly shorter I think, so takes less vertical space. I added my guitar stuff though so I can use it in guitar forums, and someone was asking about my other stuff here, so it got wider!

Hope it's not too offensive! I try to remember to turn off the "attach a signature" if a post doesn't relate to any equipment I have, but sometimes I forget! For the purposes of this post only the bottom left-hand inch counts: I have a mac, and hence I'm not talking out my arse (for a change!).

No. I didn't win the lottery.

[Rave]

Fresh install ftw. It will help u reorganise your stuff. I ceased an install folder with all my softwareand licenses. It really speeds up the process if u ever nEed to do it again. I have 3 macs

[gjm]

Fresh install ftw. It will help u reorganise your stuff. I ceased an install folder with all my softwareand licenses. It really speeds up the process if u ever nEed to do it again. I have 3 macs

Hi Rave... what did you mean by this? I am a shocker when it comes to organizing my HD so when starting from scratch this time I would like to do a better job

[Rave]

Oops auto spell checker

*Create

Just organize your shit then install

I create folders for each install program and add a text file with the license info

[gjm]

Cool thanks

[whitespaces]

Well I just moved from Macbook Pro to iMac and I went with the Migration Assistant option and to be honest it was a breeze - after completed first time I loaded up Ableton it just took me to website to reactivate - boom everything fine - didn't even need to reenter any codes. Also my iMac has TWO hard drives so there was potential for more confusion as I was putting iTunes library on second disk blah blah but all fine.

Only prob I had was - Logic wouldn't work properly so I had to re-install that and I've got NI Komplete and it was looking for Shared files in the wrong place - but I put that down to me having 2 HDDs which you may not have.

Honestly whilst it is a good opportunity to clear up and reorganise your folders - jesus that would have taken me like days - weeks when I've got a shiny new iMac to play with it's the last thing I wanted to do. MA was fine for me.

Up to you.

[steko]

Instead of Migration Assistant better use Setup Assistant on first boot of new Mac: http://web.me.com/pondini/AppleTips/Setup.html

For Logic & other OS X "Pro" apps: http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3519