Re: John M or Clive ? (was Re: Where to Start Learning MS Word 2008)

Tech-Archive recommends: Repair Windows Errors & Optimize Windows Performance

Hi Norm:

I understand your worries. Believe me, I had them too. It's normal ? I get
it with every new machine. However: This really is a simple COPY process
from one Finder window to another.

Don't try to "help" or "intervene" or "adjust" anything, and it will all
just Work.

On 16/11/09 11:11 PM, in article
IbydnRMFUa8S3JzWnZ2dnUVZ_tCdnZ2d@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, "Norm"
<NOSPAM@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Including documents?

COPY the documents. Don't use the Migration Assistant.


3) You may COPY applications. But only if you do not have the install
disks.


So, your advice would be not to use Migration Assistant (I'm assuming
that is what it is also called in SL) for any migration?

That's correct: If you start the Migration Assistant, the new computer
dies!! :-)

I tried it, between OS 10.5 Intel and OS 10.6 Intel. After two days trying
to resolve the resulting issues, I had to format the disk and completely
re-install OS X to get it running right.

You get into an "Enter the Secret Code" hell, then the application dies on
one or the other machine, and after that your day gets very ordinary very
fast...

4) You must NEVER copy preferences. Not EVER. The first
preference/setting/keychain/Preference pane that you copy will be the LAST
time your computer runs well :-)


So for those you recommend what?

The applications on the new system will create new preferences applicable to
the new machine when they first run.

The old preferences do not contain any information that is applicable to the
new machine. All of the information in there is wrong and without value.
But the presence of the file may prevent the application from correctly
creating its new preferences.

If you try to bring preferences from one machine to another, the Nice Men in
White Coats will be along in a week or so...

5) You can move your DATA across. Data only. But put it where Snow
Leopard expects it, in your User Documents folder. Nowhere else :-)


This sounds like I'm going to have to set aside more than another
Saturday afternoon. Somebody again will question my sanity..... and be
right on. ;)

No. It will take less than half an hour.

Let's assume that all your data on the old machine is in your Documents
folder.

Let's assume that the old machine and the new machine are plugged into the
same router.

Create your new User ID on the new machine.

Re-install all the applications you have disks for.

From your old machine,
log in to and open the new machine.

Open the new machine's Documents folder.

Open the old Machine's Documents folder.

Select ALL (yes: Everything) and COPY

Switch to the new machine's Documents folder and click inside it

PASTE

Go make a cup of tea and drink it. Do not look at the machines. Do not
touch the machines. Close the door and walk away.

When you come back after the tea (you can have two cups if you like) you're
done. Everything will appear to be where it all used to was, it's just on
the new machine.

You will have forgotten a few things and you will have to go back and get
them. Some of the old files you have forgotten will produce some read
errors during the copy and OS X will skip them. With luck, there will be
very few. And they're normally not worth chasing, because if they don't
read, they don't read. Nothing you can do about it.

Now: Copy all the applications you did NOT have disks for across from the
old machine into the Applications folder on the new machine.

Some of them will refuse to run: delete them. Some will take you to their
website to get an update: grab it.

Now track down the Fonts you want and bring those across. There is no point
in bringing across any Apple or Microsoft fonts: there are newer copies
supplied with the OS X and Office 2008 install disks.

Now go to FontBook and Resolve the Duplicates, or you will live in Crash
City. FontBook should select the "old" copy of each to delete: let it.

You're done...

If it takes more than half an hour, you have too much "stuff" and your wife
was right...

Cheers

--

This email is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless you intend to pay!

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP (Word, Mac Word), Consultant Technical Writer,
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
Sydney, Australia. | Ph: +61 (0)4 1209 1410
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:john@xxxxxxxxxxx


.

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