Looking to save/move M$ Office and Adobe single machine lifetime license apps from M1 MBA to (soon to be) new M2 MBA or MBP. Hitch in the giddyup is probability of sending the M1 MBA down the road prior to acquiring its replacement, so I won't be able to cable 'em together and migrate directly.....

How, or what can be used as middleware to migrate the single machine lifetime apps to their new home? Currently running Ventura, so old school CCC to an external a la Intel laptops isn't a choice. Do we have a viable solution?

Thanks.
==

For MS, you can’t, as far as I know. You can buy a new copy of Office for $40 or so.

Start a Time Machine backup, then restore from TM. One of its core functions.

Out of curiosity, whats an "Adobe single machine lifetime license"?

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

Transferring Office was discussed here a while back: [forums.macresource.com]

I've never done a Time Machine restore, but CCC has never worked to transfer licenses for me. I've always assumed the license key gets coded with some hardware feature of the device, i.e. the MAC address or something.

At least back in the CS5/6 days (perpetual license), and even in the current subscription license for Adobe, you can "un-authorize" and "re-authorize" a computer (super easy with the subscription model as it can be done online). With the perpetual license, I believe it had to be done locally on the machine, so definitely something to look into before sending away the M1. Here's an old thread on Photoshop Elements: [community.adobe.com]

Clone to an external drive, erase the M1 and take your chances. The clone will look like the M1 to the M2.

Quote
Buzz
Looking to save/move M$ Office and Adobe single machine lifetime license apps from M1 MBA to (soon to be) new M2 MBA or MBP. Hitch in the giddyup is probability of sending the M1 MBA down the road prior to acquiring its replacement, so I won't be able to cable 'em together and migrate directly.....

How, or what can be used as middleware to migrate the single machine lifetime apps to their new home? Currently running Ventura, so old school CCC to an external a la Intel laptops isn't a choice. Do we have a viable solution?

Thanks.
==

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Ed (modelamac)

I think I will just put an OUT OF ORDER
sticker on my head and call it a day.

I've never seen Office survive a TM transfer - you will be asked to register it again.

Quote
modelamac
 
Clone to an external drive, erase the M1 and take your chances. The clone will look like the M1 to the M2.
 

So are you saying? or just hoping? that the new CCC will play nice enough w/ an external clone, that it'll be just like being back in Catalina again? Issue is sending M1 down the road before M2 is in da house, so there won't be any do-overs.

If it doesn't work, I'll be out a few extra unexpected Benji's re-buying, and/or trying to find the perpetual license apps..... not a huge enough user to justify subscriptions at this point; just a gimpy old retired geezer now, so many/most (if not all) monthly fees would be wasteful. The M1's environment is already paid for, so I don't wanna have to ante up again.

Quote
hal
 
I've never seen Office survive a TM transfer - you will be asked to register it again.
 

That too is part of my fear(s)/concern(s).....

Any other ideas?
Thanks.
==

Quote
Buzz

Quote
hal
 
I've never seen Office survive a TM transfer - you will be asked to register it again.
 

That too is part of my fear(s)/concern(s).....

Any other ideas?
Thanks.
==

How did the software get on your computer in the first place? You're going to need to do that again.

FYI, the $40 MS Office deals are for permanent licenses.

Quote
Buzz

Quote
modelamac
 
Clone to an external drive, erase the M1 and take your chances. The clone will look like the M1 to the M2.
 

So are you saying? or just hoping? that the new CCC will play nice enough w/ an external clone, that it'll be just like being back in Catalina again? Issue is sending M1 down the road before M2 is in da house, so there won't be any do-overs.

If it doesn't work, I'll be out a few extra unexpected Benji's re-buying, and/or trying to find the perpetual license apps..... not a huge enough user to justify subscriptions at this point; just a gimpy old retired geezer now, so many/most (if not all) monthly fees would be wasteful. The M1's environment is already paid for, so I don't wanna have to ante up again.

Quote
hal
 
I've never seen Office survive a TM transfer - you will be asked to register it again.
 

That too is part of my fear(s)/concern(s).....

Any other ideas?
Thanks.
==

Quote
anonymouse1
FYI, the $40 MS Office deals are for permanent licenses.

Quote
Buzz

Quote
modelamac
 
Clone to an external drive, erase the M1 and take your chances. The clone will look like the M1 to the M2.
 

So are you saying? or just hoping? that the new CCC will play nice enough w/ an external clone, that it'll be just like being back in Catalina again? Issue is sending M1 down the road before M2 is in da house, so there won't be any do-overs.

If it doesn't work, I'll be out a few extra unexpected Benji's re-buying, and/or trying to find the perpetual license apps..... not a huge enough user to justify subscriptions at this point; just a gimpy old retired geezer now, so many/most (if not all) monthly fees would be wasteful. The M1's environment is already paid for, so I don't wanna have to ante up again.

Quote
hal
 
I've never seen Office survive a TM transfer - you will be asked to register it again.
 

That too is part of my fear(s)/concern(s).....

Any other ideas?
Thanks.
==

Clone the M1 to a bootable drive; when the new M2 comes in you can use it to transfer all your settings, apps, and data over (or as much as can be done). It should be fine, but you will find that there will be some apps that may require you to re-register (MS Office is one). Before you send the old M1 off, make sure you have a record of the serial numbers somewhere, or a record of the email you received in regards to the software. There is most likely important information there that you will need.

Things will be fine, just be as thorough as you can. It is better to be over-prepared than under.

Quote
Diana
Clone the M1 to a bootable drive; when the new M2 comes in you can use it to transfer all your settings, apps, and data over (or as much as can be done).

This is *exactly* what TM was designed for. "bootable" externals with M macs require a Thunderbolt drive ($$) for 100% reliability. TM has no such limit. "Cloning" also means separate software, which costs $$ to use, and extra steps at initial setup.

Get a small SSD, like a Crucial X8, and start a TM backup. Runs every hour, with nothing else for you to do. Right before you send off the old one, run it again.

When you get new mac, when starting for first time it has "restore from TM" as an option. Plug in drive, let it run... done.

Others are correct, the $40 deals for MS Office are permanent.

Its still not clear what "Adobe single machine lifetime license" is, but Im going to guess its not the Creative Suite. So something else. Only guessing, but Log into adobe and register it, then you can always download at a later date?

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

Quote
jdc
ts still not clear what "Adobe single machine lifetime license" is, but Im going to guess its not the Creative Suite. So something else. Only guessing, but Log into adobe and register it, then you can always download at a later date?

It's probably Photoshop Elements (or Premiere Elements).
[www.adobe.com]

Quote
Adobe
May I install Photoshop Elements & Premiere Elements on more than one computer?
You can install your product on up to two computers. If you want to move your product to a new computer, simply choose Help > Sign Out in the product from one of the computers that has an active license. That will deactivate it. Then you can install the product on your new computer.

Fingers crossed, gotta explore this Thunderbolt drive situation...... vs. USB C 3.2 drive...... any concise explanations out there?

Or just bite the bullet and order TB drive?
Thanks.
==

Quote
Buzz
Fingers crossed, gotta explore this Thunderbolt drive situation...... vs. USB C 3.2 drive...... any concise explanations out there? Or just bite the bullet and order TB drive?
Thanks.
==

In a nutshell, TB costs more and is faster.

My Q is why exactly do you think you need/want a TBolt drive?

If money isnt an issue, then go for it. Otherwise, not sure the point. just to be able to external boot if the need ever arises?

Buy the Office suite for $40. And whatever Adobe app = same cost as Thunderbolt upgrade.

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



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/18/2023 12:11PM by jdc.

"Buy the Office suite for $40. And whatever Adobe app = same cost as Thunderbolt upgrade."


I have spinny and SSD USB C externals available for clones, but no TB external. You noted TB is somehow more compatible for external clone booting than high speed USB C, so I was just looking to be prepared. On the SW side of things, it may be nit picking, but I just don't think/feel I've gotten anywhere near my money's worth from the Office & Adobe apps on the M1 yet. Hope was/is to minimize the penalty of optioning up to the M2.


==

Correct. TB is a for sure bootable drive, anything else, no promises. Only you can decide if having a bootable is a critical part of your world. I deemed them unnecssary long ago. My TM is on a SSD. If my mac just up and died, and had to get a new mac -- the restoring from a TM is a short time. Not hours and hours and hours and hours like the past, but *less* than an hour. And its Boom... like I never left. TM fills in just about everything.

I only mentioned buying those, cause you mentioned losing them.

I think Google docs will handle 99% of most peeps needs, or if you want a stand a lone app, Libre office, free, does 99% of the things Office does.

Still unsure what "adobe apps" you have/need/want/use -- everything they have is subscription based. Adobe makes 50 apps. Its like saying "i drank a great beer" -- which is great, but there are 50,000 beers, which one?

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

Buzz,

I just traded in my 2018 MBA for a M2 MBA. After updating the new MBA, I migrated everything, including accounts from an external clone of my M1 mini. The result was that the new MBA was itself a clone of the m1 mini, even so far as the name of the computer (MBA) was the same. The same thing happened when I moved from my T2 mini to my M1 mini. I had to change the names so Finder could show the different machines on. my network.

Quote
Buzz

Quote
modelamac
 
Clone to an external drive, erase the M1 and take your chances. The clone will look like the M1 to the M2.
 

So are you saying? or just hoping? that the new CCC will play nice enough w/ an external clone, that it'll be just like being back in Catalina again? Issue is sending M1 down the road before M2 is in da house, so there won't be any do-overs.

If it doesn't work, I'll be out a few extra unexpected Benji's re-buying, and/or trying to find the perpetual license apps..... not a huge enough user to justify subscriptions at this point; just a gimpy old retired geezer now, so many/most (if not all) monthly fees would be wasteful. The M1's environment is already paid for, so I don't wanna have to ante up again.

Quote
hal
 
I've never seen Office survive a TM transfer - you will be asked to register it again.
 

That too is part of my fear(s)/concern(s).....

Any other ideas?
Thanks.
==

---

Ed (modelamac)

I think I will just put an OUT OF ORDER
sticker on my head and call it a day.

Ed- Thanks; what kind of drive and cloning + migrating software did you use? Also, I'll be going from a M1 MBA to a larger M2 laptop, so I wonder if the source machine. I'm assuming you went Ventura -> Ventura? I'm not gonna have the luxury of still having the M1 MBA when the M2 shows up, so Ill be stuck w/ using a clone and/or TM backup only.
==