Migration Assistant on Apple Macbook Pro

Maental2000

I've been trying to transfer files from my old Powerbook to my new Macbook Pro using Migration Assistant but I keep encountering problems & having to restart!
So I'm just thinking it would be easier to just buy an external hard drive & plug it into my Powerbook, transfer the files onto that & then connect it to the new Macbook Pro & transfer onto it.

I'm wondering if anybody can advise me on this? Are there problems in doing this, regarding iTunes...will it transfer onto the external hard drive??

Thanks in advance!

(Mods...not sure if this is in the right place, feel free to move if not)

Talisman

What system is the Powerbook running? If it's running Leopard then you could create a Time Machine backup on the external drive and use the backup with the Migration Assistant.

Maental2000

It's running Tiger, tried updating it to Leopard a while back but it was proving to be so much hassle that I didn't bother in the end...my optical drive is single layer & the discs for Leopard are written in dual layer or something like that!

big_moe

hold down the T key when starting up the powerbook. this will put it into Target disk mode. then connect it via firewire to your new mac and the powerbook will appear as a standard external hard drive so you can just copy everything over that way

Maental2000

big_moe wrote: »

hold down the T key when starting up the powerbook. this will put it into Target disk mode. then connect it via firewire to your new mac and the powerbook will appear as a standard external hard drive so you can just copy everything over that way

I tried using the migration assistant yesterday with an ethernet cable but when I connected it to the Powerbook I kept getting a pop up message saying something like my system preferences had been changed by another application...or something like that. The only option it was giving me was OK, but when I clicked it, it just went away for a split second & then kept popping back up, so I couldn't continue.
I was on the phone to Apple for almost an hour trying & long story short is that they advised me to just do it overnight using the wireless network because my Powerbook wasn't recognising any of the ethernet cables I tried...they said it would be the same case if I did it using a firewire. But, they never gave me your option....would I encounter the same problem, do you think?

I should mention that I did attempt the wireless transfer overnight, as it was giving a time of 10hrs to complete, but the stupid o2 box decided to just turn itself off last night an hour & half into the transfer :mad: !!

big_moe

no my way the computer doesnt even fully boot up. it basically makes the computer a very elaborate external hard drive! it doesnt use any software or anything... when you have it done the powerbook will appear in finder as a firewire hard drive

Maental2000

big_moe wrote: »

no my way the computer doesnt even fully boot up. it basically makes the computer a very elaborate external hard drive! it doesnt use any software or anything... when you have it done the powerbook will appear in finder as a firewire hard drive

Nice one! Gonna head to town now & get me a firewire cable
I hope this works!

brav

Target disk mode is best alright.

Regards your message in tiger, did you try go to preferences -> Security, and check the box that says "require a password to unlock each system preferences pane". This should prevent whatever is changing your settings from doing that.

Maental2000

@ big_moe...you're a legend! I got the firewire, all done & dusted now
Can't believe the guy in Applecare didn't suggest this to me yesterday, it's so straight-forward & obvious like.
Maybe you should apply for a job with them :P

Thanks again!