Trouble Transferring from old Mac to new one

I have a new MacBook Air and I want to transfer from my old one to the new one. I have used migration assistant but on my old Mac it only gives me the option to transfer TO the Mac not FROM the Mac? My new Mac also can not find the old one even when connected via cable. How can I get my old Mac to transfer - the old Mac is fully updated and working fine.

Posted on Nov 4, 2026 11:23 PM

1 reply

TheLittles

Level 10 (211,627 points)

Nov 4, 2026 11:42 PM in response to XLauraBX

”Trouble Transferring from old Mac to new one: […]My new Mac also can not find the old one even when connected via cable. How can I get my old Mac to transfer - the old Mac is fully updated and working fine.”

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Troubleshooting Migration Assistant:

A. Update BOTH Mac:

While performing this, make sure that both Mac’s are updated.

B. Boot in Safe Mode:

Boot your Mac in Safe Mode, as see if it then works. Go Here: Start Up your Mac in Safe Mode - Apple Support

C. Using a Tine Machine Backup:

If no luck, create a Time Machine Backup of your old Mac (using an external hard drive that is of enough capacity), and then transfer it that way.