Getting a new Mac is exciting. Getting everything from your old one onto it, without losing anything or spending a weekend fighting with it, is a different story. I work with individuals and small offices in San Francisco, Washington, DC, and anywhere else via Zoom. Most migrations happen over a pair of remote calls, which fits the process well: the two appointments need to be spread out by a day anyway, and Zoom lets you join from your old computer right up until we shut it down.

My approach

I use Migration Assistant, Apple's built-in transfer tool, to move everything from your old Mac to your new one: files, apps, settings, email, browser bookmarks, printers, and more. It copies rather than deletes, so your old Mac stays intact until you're confident everything landed where it should.

The part people don't expect is that migration isn't a single step. There's preparation work on the old computer before we start (cleaning up, updating apps, making sure they'll be compatible with the new Mac's software), a hands-off transfer period that can take anywhere from thirty minutes to several hours, and then a follow-up session to reactivate software licenses, configure new settings, and make sure nothing got left behind. I've done this enough times to know where the surprises tend to hide, and I plan for them in advance.

I also help before you buy. If you haven't purchased your new Mac yet, that's actually the best time to call me. Memory and storage on a Mac can't be upgraded after the fact, so choosing the wrong configuration can mean replacing the computer years sooner than necessary. A short consultation before you buy is worth it.

What I can help with

Pre-purchase advice. Figuring out which Mac model, chip, memory, and storage configuration makes sense for your actual needs and budget, and where to buy it.

Full Mac-to-Mac migration. Using Migration Assistant to transfer your files, applications, settings, and email from your old Mac to your new one over your local network or via a cable.

Migration from a backup. If your old Mac isn't working, we can transfer from a Time Machine backup instead.

Post-migration setup. Walking through the setup questions your new Mac asks after a migration: FileVault, Touch ID, Apple Intelligence, Location Services, and more. These choices matter, and most people want some guidance.

Software reactivation. Getting Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Cloud, Dropbox, and similar apps working again on the new machine. They deactivate themselves when they detect they're on new hardware.

Old computer retirement. Advice on how long to keep your old Mac around, and what to do with it when you're ready to let it go. (Short version: Apple Stores will recycle it responsibly, and sometimes give you credit for it.)

A note on timing

The most important thing I tell every client: do not get too far into your new Mac's initial setup before we talk, especially if you have a lot of data to move. Your new Mac will ask early on whether you want to transfer data. If you skip past that and start setting things up from scratch, undoing it is a real chore. If your new Mac is already boxed up and waiting, that's the perfect moment to book. If it's been a few days and you're not sure what you clicked, get in touch anyway. We can usually figure it out.

How it works

Most migrations happen over Zoom, across two appointments roughly a day apart.

The first is a Zoom call to prepare your old computer: cleaning things up, updating apps for compatibility, and starting the transfer. Once the transfer is running, both computers will be busy and you won't be able to use them. Depending on how much data you have and how fast your old machine is, the transfer can take anywhere from about thirty minutes to several hours.

The second appointment covers the finish line: walking through your new Mac's setup screens, logging back into apps that need reactivation, and making sure everything you care about is there and working.

Zoom works well here because you can stay on your old computer for most of the first session, and you don't need to coordinate anyone's physical schedule around the transfer window. In-person sessions are available in San Francisco and Washington, DC, but they work best when you have a relatively small amount of data: a compact photo library, not much music, and a manageable amount of documents. If you have tens of thousands of photos or a large iTunes library, the transfer will take long enough that being there in person doesn't add much.

Rates are on the booking page. Book your appointment here.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to have my new Mac already when I call you? Not necessarily. If you haven't bought yet, a short consultation first is often a good idea. I can help you figure out what to get before you spend the money. Book one appointment for buying advice, and we can schedule the migration during that call once you know what you're ordering.

What if I already started setting up my new Mac? It depends on how far you got. If you stopped before or at the "Transfer Your Data" screen, we're in good shape. If you went past it and set up the Mac as new, we can still migrate, but it takes more work to merge the two. Get in touch and describe where you are; I can tell you what we're dealing with.

Can I do this myself? Apple's Migration Assistant is reasonably well designed, and some people do manage it on their own. But there are a few ways it goes sideways: not updating apps on the old Mac first, not having the right passwords on hand, and not knowing how to handle apps that won't reactivate. Beyond the transfer itself, there's also the follow-up: making sure your printers are still working, that apps you depend on are behaving normally, and understanding what's actually new about your Mac and macOS. That last part is underrated. A new Mac is a good moment to get oriented, not just move the furniture over. If something goes wrong in the middle, figuring out what happened takes real experience. Most people find the peace of mind worth it.

What if my old Mac is dead or not turning on? We can migrate from a Time Machine backup instead. The process is a bit different and depends on whether your backup is current, but it's very often workable. If you don't have a backup, the situation is harder, but still worth discussing.

Will my iPhone and iPad stay connected after I switch Macs? Yes. As long as you sign into the same Apple Account on your new Mac, your iPhone and iPad will connect and sync just as they did before. There's usually nothing to reconfigure there.

What happens to my old Mac? The migration process doesn't erase or change your old Mac at all. I recommend keeping it around for a week or two after migration, just in case something seems off on the new one. After that, if you take it to an Apple Store they'll recycle it properly and may offer you store credit toward a gift card.

Will I lose my Microsoft Office, Adobe, or Dropbox? You won't lose the software itself; it transfers over. But those apps typically deactivate themselves when they see they're on new hardware, because the license is tied to a specific computer. We handle reactivating them during the second appointment. You'll need your account credentials, so it helps to have those ready.

Do you help with switching from a Windows PC to a Mac? Yes. Migration Assistant actually supports Windows too, so we have a real starting point. It won't be the nearly seamless clone you get with a Mac-to-Mac transfer: some things don't carry over cleanly, and the two systems work differently enough that you'll have an adjustment period. That's actually where having someone there helps most. Getting your files and some settings across is one thing; feeling at home on a new system is another, and I can walk you through both.

How do I know if I bought the right Mac? If you haven't bought yet: let's talk first. If you already bought and you're worried about specs, the main things that can't be changed later are memory (RAM) and storage. We can look at what you got and compare it to how you actually use your computer. If it's genuinely undersized, it's better to know now while a return is still possible.

Related reading

• Mac buying guide: every model compared: which Mac makes sense for most people, and what specs to prioritize.

• Migration to a new Mac: a step-by-step walkthrough: the full four-step process I use with clients, including what to prepare and what not to do.

• Post-migration steps: a guide to the setup screens your new Mac walks you through after a migration, with my recommendations for each.