Migration Assistant in macOS has matured over a few years from a fragile software that usually failed in shifting your id—your apps, information, preferences, and different knowledge—from one Mac to a different. It’s now fairly dependable, and I’ve used it a number of occasions in recent times with out fail.
However one ache level pertains to how briskly information switch. Ideally, you wish to join two Macs with a Thunderbolt 3 or 4 cable. A USB-C plug doesn’t guarantee it’s Thunderbolt—some USB 3.1 and three.2 cables sport USB-C plugs, however when related between two Thunderbolt 3 ports on Macs solely carry 480 Mbps (USB 2.0 speeds) as a substitute of as much as 40 Gbps. You’ll be able to test the cable to ensure the lightning-bolt icon seems on each ends. If it doesn’t, it may be tough with out numerous element to confirm that you’ve got the best cable. Thunderbolt 4/USB4 cables are common and don’t should be a particular kind. (This column may also help you inform USB-only and Thunderbolt cables aside.)
What in the event you’re positive, you plug the cable into each Macs, start Migration Assistant’s switch, and the pace is horrible? You’ll be able to see within the Transferring Your Info display which technique is in use: on the backside, it ought to present Present Connection and the tactic: Wi-Fi, Ethernet, or Thunderbolt. (Ethernet is subsequent greatest, providing 1 Gbps; Wi-Fi depends on a peer-to-peer technique that’s about 200 occasions slower than Thunderbolt in my testing.)
In some variations of Migration Assistant, you possibly can click on Connection Particulars and see the accessible strategies and the way they take a look at for efficiency in Migration Assistant. If you happen to don’t see Thunderbolt listed there, it’s merely not getting used.
Some customers have discovered the next may also help you switch at Thunderbolt speeds:
- As a substitute of utilizing Migration Assistant on each Macs, boot into Goal Disk Mode on the Mac you’re transferring from. The Mac you’re migrating to will acknowledge it as a supply and let you choose it. This could bypass some macOS points. (This column tells you how you can use Goal Disk Mode with Intel or Apple silicon M-series Macs.)
- Make certain Thunderbolt Bridge mode is enabled and exhibits Linked with a inexperienced dot in > System Preferences/Settings > Community. If it’s lively on each Macs and also you see “Not related,” it’s believable your cable isn’t working or isn’t the right type. If it’s not current, click on the plus signal (Monterey and earlier) or … (Ventura) button, select Add Service, and select Thunderbolt Bridge from the Interface menu. Click on Create.
This Mac 911 article is in response to a query submitted by Macworld reader Isidore.
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