Step 1: Buy your new computer

I recommend booking a 30-minute Zoom appointment with me to decide what computer is best for you. You may want to brush up on my (almost always up-to-date) Mac Buying guide for general information. If you purchase a computer without enough memory or storage, you cannot upgrade it later without replacing the computer, so it makes sense to buy a computer now that will last you for five to ten years, not just a computer that is good enough for today. I can give you advice on what model, what specifications to choose, what accessories to purchase, and where to purchase it. If you want extra assurance that you are getting the right thing, I can even walk you through the purchase during our appointment.

We should have this discussion when you are ready to make your purchase. If I give you a recommendation and you end up waiting a few months, my recommendation could change. Apple rarely announced products ahead of time, so I can only make reliable recommendations based on what is available right then.

Step 2: Book time to perform the transfer

Once your computer ships and you have a delivery date from the courier, book a time to perform the transfer. Don't schedule based on the initial delivery estimate when you place your order, as these can change drastically in either direction. You will need to book two appointments, about a day apart. My general recommendations are below, but depending on your setup and how much we prepared, I might have given you different times.

• The 1st appointment: 1-hour Zoom call if we have not met recently to clean up your computer and update things. ½-hour if we have.

• The 2nd appointment: 1-hour Zoom call to reactivate software and make sure everything is working properly.

Step 3: Prepare for our appointments

You don’t need to go through these steps ahead of time, but they can help our call go more smoothly. If you decide to start with unpacking the computer, please, please pay attention to #2. These instructions are also about what not to do.

1. Unpack the new computer and connect it to power.

2. Begin the first few parts of the setup process. In particular, you should connect to WiFi and install a software update (if it asks; it doesn’t always). But, stop when you get to the question titled “Transfer Your Data to This Mac”. It might seem like you can just easily get back to this and transfer later, but it can be quite a bit of work to untangle if we then have to merge your two computers together rather than simply transfer.

3. Have your old computer in the same room, also connected to power. If your old computer is no longer working, have your Time Machine/backup drive ready.

4. Have your passwords handy if possible. Specifically, we will need your computer password, your Apple Account (Apple ID/iCloud) password, your WiFi Password, as well as passwords for Dropbox, Microsoft Office/Microsoft Live, and Adobe if you use those. If you don't have them, don't worry too much. We can look them up or reset them during our first call.

5. A day or two before our appointment, I recommend restarting your old computer ( > Restart) and checking for and installing any software updates ( > System Settings > General > Software Update). If your software is very old and you see System Preferences rather than System Settings, you will find it in  > System Preferences > Software Update.

6. Close and save documents on your old computer before we begin our call. We will be shutting your computer down.

Step 4: 1st appointment—Transfer the data

On our first appointment day, join our Zoom call from your old computer. This will be where we go over any tidying up that needs to be done so that less is transferred, update your apps so they are compatible with your new computer, and document anything that needs to be done afterward. At a certain point, we will need to shut your old computer down, so we may need to finish up the appointment using your phone.

Step 5: 2nd appointment—Finish up

After the transfer, which can take several hours depending on the speed of your old computer and the amount of data you have, your computer will ask you a series of questions. I have a separate blog post on this here if you want to get a head start on those things before our second call.

Even though your old computer is not erased, I don’t recommend going back to using it unless absolutely necessary. Things you do on your old computer might not sync to your new computer, so if you edit a document on your old computer, you might have to manually transfer individual files to your new computer. But if you need to do some simple things on the web while we wait for our final appointment, that should be fine. As long as it’s not work that needs to be moved over.

General Questions

Will I be able to use my computer while my data is being transferred?

No, both computers will be unusable until the transfer is complete. If this will be a problem, we might be able to use your backup drive instead of transferring directly from your old computer, but I find that a direct transfer is usually faster and more reliable, and if we have to do any cleanup before the transfer starts those will take time to get to the backup drive.

What happens to my old computer?

This process does not make any changes to your old computer, so if you find that something isn't working quite right on your new computer, you can use your old computer in a pinch. Just be aware that unless you are saving to a cloud service, things you do on your old computer may not come over to your new computer. People call this a "transfer" or "migration," but it really ought to be called a "copy" or a "clone".

What transfers to my new computer?

Basically everything. Your apps, files, customizations, and settings. However, many apps will require you to log in or reactivate again because they see that they are on a new computer and they deactivate themselves. This includes Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Cloud, and Dropbox.

What will be different with my new computer?

Unless you are switching to a new type of computer (desktop to laptop or vice versa), there should be little that is different. We can discuss what those might be. Typically, the only major changes are the physical connectors that your new computer will have or maybe a new feature like Touch ID. If your old computer is running an older system software, chances are that most of your changes will simply be adjusting to the newer Mac software, not the hardware.

What do I do with my old computer?

We can erase your computer later, but I usually recommend keeping your old one around for a week or two, just in case something isn't working as expected on the new computer.

Eventually, you do want to get it recycled or repurposed. There is little sense in holding onto an old Mac. Computers don't get more valuable with time, and portable computers with batteries pose a fire hazard if left unchecked. For recycling, I recommend taking your Mac to an Apple Store. They are equipped to efficiently recycle their own products, melting them down into new Macs and iPhones. If your computer isn't completely obsolete, they might offer you an Apple gift card for it.

How long will the transfer take?

It can take anywhere from half an hour to 10 hours, depending on the speed of your old computer and how much data you have.

Do I need to purchase Microsoft Office for my new Mac?

If you have Microsoft Office 2011 or older, it will not run on a new Mac. If you have a more recent version, we can activate your existing license on the new computer so you won't need to buy it again. You might not need to purchase it if you don't depend on Microsoft Office. You have other free options.