If I get a new iMac I will want to bring files over from my aging 2012 mini.
I don’t need to bring software over or settings. I want to start fresh, but I do want to bring files and photos over.
IPhoto has never worked well for me on my current mini. I would prefer to somehow just bring the library of photos over. I do not back up the iPhoto pics to the cloud, from the mini, because it has given me such problems.
I have a dedicated TM drive that makes a backup every day, if that’s what I need to use, or I can connect the mini to the iMac, but not sure whether to do that via a cable or WiFi.

I am not sure about bringing music files over either. I don’t really use my mini to listen to music, but I may have some ripped CDs on there that I would like to transfer.

I haven’t migrated into over from one machine to another in years, so I have forgotten how to best proceed.

Again, I mostly want info from the old machine, no software or settings. I don’t use Mail and don’t want anything imported to it.

Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

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Roswell, GA (Atlanta suburb)

I don't remember Migration Assistant being much of a hassle when I went from a 2010 Mini to a 2018 Mini, but it was definitely a piece of cake to go from a 2018 Mini to a M1 Mini.

You can select to just move the user data folder (no apps or system settings).

[support.apple.com]

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John B.
I don't remember Migration Assistant being much of a hassle when I went from a 2010 Mini to a 2018 Mini, but it was definitely a piece of cake to go from a 2018 Mini to a M1 Mini.

You can select to just move the user data folder (no apps or system settings).

[support.apple.com]

MA also allows you to drill down and select subsets of what you want to transfer.

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Thanks!
It has been so long I had no idea where to start.
I’ll give that link a good look.

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Roswell, GA (Atlanta suburb)

I've used Migration Assistant for ages; never had a problem that I can recall.

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Backup everything first, then Migration Assistant. No muss, no fuss.

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"In science it often happens that scientists say, 'You know that's a really good argument; my position is mistaken,' and then they would actually change their minds and you never hear that old view from them again. They really do it. It doesn't happen as often as it should, because scientists are human and change is sometimes painful. But it happens every day. I cannot recall the last time something like that happened in politics or religion." (1987) -- Carl Sagan

Migration assistant sounds like the way to go then.

I am now leaning back to going with a new M1 mini and worrying about a new monitor later, lol, but transferring the files over will need to be done in any event.

If I go with another mini, I might migrate from a TM backup, so that I don't have to hook up the new mini to a monitor, but I do have another monitor, if I need to do that.

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Roswell, GA (Atlanta suburb)

google "move iphoto library" -- believe it's just a few simple steps.

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Edited 999 time(s). Last edit at 12:08PM by jdc.

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jdc
google "move iphoto library" -- believe it's just a few simple steps.

Cool, thanks

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Roswell, GA (Atlanta suburb)