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How to transfer files/home folder/iweb files FROM Macbook AIR to a new Macbook PRO?

post #1 of 15
11/15/12 at 7:09am
Thread Starter 

Hello all. I always get great sound advice here and I'm looking forward to help with yet another mac question. I have a macbook air and just bought a macbook pro and as you know, it's limited with data transfer. I have searched other forums and support and can't find an answer to my question. I have heard about migration issues and obviously the NO FIRE WIRE port hinders the obvious easy transfer I am so used to. What is the best way to get my files over from my macbook pro? Files include a few thousand photos, word docs/pdfs and my email info, preferences etc. And what about all my iweb sites? I have 3 web sites I have built on my macbook air using iweb 3.0.4 - mostly need my HOME FOLDER. Thank you!

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post #2 of 15
11/15/12 at 11:51am
You can connect them via ethernet using USB to ethernet adaptors:

http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC704ZM/A/apple-usb-ethernet-adapter

and an ethernet cable.

You can also copy stuff using wifi direct.

To go from the Air to the Pro, click the wifi menu item on the Pro and choose create network. You can leave it unencrypted if you like as it's just temporary. Give it a name you'll recognise like MBP. You'd then connect the Macbook Air to that network with its wifi menu item. In system preferences on the Air, go to sharing and enable file sharing.

On the Macbook Pro in Finder > Go menu > Network, you should be able to connect to the Air and mount the entire drive. I'm not sure if Migration assistant will recognise the Air being connected that way but you can copy files over manually that way but try it anyway. Don't manually replace the entire home folder if the Assistant doesn't work, copy the files you need and put them in the relevant places.
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post #3 of 15
11/15/12 at 7:27pm
Thread Starter 

Is "WIFI DiRECT" something special? I have wireless internet - is that the same thing you are speaking of?
 

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post #4 of 15
11/15/12 at 11:49pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by craftymacgirl View Post

Is "WIFI DiRECT" something special? I have wireless internet - is that the same thing you are speaking of?
 

 

Directly with wifi.

 


Just follow the step Marvin wrote.  

 

Your = the possessive of you, as in, "Your name is Tom, right?" or "What is your name?"

 

You're = a contraction of YOU + ARE as in, "You are right" --> "You're right."

 

 

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Your = the possessive of you, as in, "Your name is Tom, right?" or "What is your name?"

 

You're = a contraction of YOU + ARE as in, "You are right" --> "You're right."

 

 

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post #5 of 15
11/16/12 at 4:44am
Quote:
Originally Posted by craftymacgirl View Post

Is "WIFI DiRECT" something special? I have wireless internet - is that the same thing you are speaking of?

You can do the transfer over the wifi network for your internet but when you use your network, the data has to go through your router, which is often a lot slower, especially if it's an 802.11g router. Setting it up direct is bypassing your local network entirely and connecting the wifi cards in each machine to each other. With 802.11n, the transfer speed can be pretty good.
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post #6 of 15
11/16/12 at 6:46am
I think "WiFi Direct" means WiFi "ad hoc network"... Which means you create a wifi network on one Mac, and then the other Mac joins it. Usually quite okay, indeed, as long as you don't go through your router.
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post #7 of 15
11/16/12 at 10:25am
Thread Starter 

Thank you! It arrives today so hopefully it will all go smooth.
 

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post #8 of 15
11/17/12 at 7:53am

Good luck.  Enjoy your new machine!

 

Your = the possessive of you, as in, "Your name is Tom, right?" or "What is your name?"

 

You're = a contraction of YOU + ARE as in, "You are right" --> "You're right."

 

 

Reply

 

Your = the possessive of you, as in, "Your name is Tom, right?" or "What is your name?"

 

You're = a contraction of YOU + ARE as in, "You are right" --> "You're right."

 

 

Reply
post #9 of 15
11/17/12 at 12:42pm
Thread Starter 

I ended up doing migration assistant since I had no ethernet port on the macbook air. It took about 15 hours to get all my stuff from the AIR to the PRO. And then I was going to plug in an old xdrive via firewire and see that my firewire cord is VERY outdated. Guess I need to get a new "modern" firewire cable to add some other files from my ancient xdrive.

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post #10 of 15
11/17/12 at 2:31pm

Firewire 800... it's a lot faster than the original Firewire.  

 

The new MBP also has the newest system: Thunderbolt, which is really fast.  The external drives for TB are a bit pricey, though.    The MBP also has USB3, which is fast and the drives are cheap.  If you are heavy in video, TB is the way.  Otherwise, USB 3 should do you fine.

 

Your = the possessive of you, as in, "Your name is Tom, right?" or "What is your name?"

 

You're = a contraction of YOU + ARE as in, "You are right" --> "You're right."

 

 

Reply

 

Your = the possessive of you, as in, "Your name is Tom, right?" or "What is your name?"

 

You're = a contraction of YOU + ARE as in, "You are right" --> "You're right."

 

 

Reply
post #11 of 15
11/17/12 at 2:46pm
Thread Starter 

thanks. But what about the ancient xdrive with ONLY an old fire wire port? Is there a cord with USB 3 on one end and old school firewire on the other end?
 

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post #12 of 15
11/17/12 at 2:52pm
Originally Posted by craftymacgirl View Post
thanks. But what about the ancient xdrive with ONLY an old fire wire port? Is there a cord with USB 3 on one end and old school firewire on the other end?

 

Yes, but it only carries power.

 

What is an 'xdrive'? Perhaps you can take out the HDD inside and put it in a more modern enclosure?

PhilBoogie
That's Google alright. For a stupid company they sure do dumb things.
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PhilBoogie
That's Google alright. For a stupid company they sure do dumb things.
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post #13 of 15
11/17/12 at 6:15pm
Thread Starter 

external drive. thanks but don't care about aesthics at this point ;0)

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post #14 of 15
11/17/12 at 7:08pm
Originally Posted by craftymacgirl View Post
external drive. thanks but don't care about aesthics at this point ;0)

 

Oh, thanks.

 

I meant modern in the sense of having more modern ports in it (Thunderbolt, USB 3, etc.) rather than going from this to this: 

 

 

700700

 

You can buy empty hard drive enclosures, I mean. Ones with newer, faster, more compatible ports, and take the hard drive out of your old one.

PhilBoogie
That's Google alright. For a stupid company they sure do dumb things.
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PhilBoogie
That's Google alright. For a stupid company they sure do dumb things.
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post #15 of 15
11/18/12 at 4:43am
Quote:
Originally Posted by craftymacgirl View Post

thanks. But what about the ancient xdrive with ONLY an old fire wire port? Is there a cord with USB 3 on one end and old school firewire on the other end?

If you got one of the Retina Macbook Pros, you can get a Thunderbolt to Firewire connector:

http://store.apple.com/us/product/MD464ZM/A/apple-thunderbolt-to-firewire-adapter

You can then get a Firewire 800 to 400 cable:

http://www.amazon.com/CiTi-FireWire-IEEE-1394B-Firewire-PLATED/dp/B002U5MFX8/

If you have the old-style Macbook Pro, you just need the cable. You should consider copying your data to a new drive though. If your xdrive is a few years old, it is at an age where faults typically start developing.
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