Using Time Machine to move to a new iMac

Forum|Forum|4 years ago
May 28, 2021
3 replies
1012 views

I am getting the new iMac next week. I currently have an Adobe CC subscription on my 2013 iMac. I generally use the Lightroom Clasic as my photo editor. Everything is backed up to Time Machine. I have read some fairly detailed instructions on moving to a new computer by LightroomQueen. It seems more complicated than it should be. Wouldn't Time Machine take everything, all photos and LR files and keep them in exactly the same place on the new computer? Would a simple LR/Time Machine work and if not, why not?

I do not like my current file structure on my computer, but it works. It kind of got out of hand with repeated backups. I have LR files which have a 2.2.2.2 after them. However, all my photos and edits end up where they should be and easily accesible. So, rather than fiddling around with new locations on the new computer, I'd like to keep the structure the same. Thanks.

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TheDigitalDog

Inspiring

Rather than Time Machine, you might consider the Migration Assistant.

Are all your LR files, image, presets etc on the boot drive?

Author “Color Management for Photographers" & "Photoshop CC Color Management/pluralsight"

G

GovtLawyerAuthor

Participating Frequently

Yes, all of my original photos (around 23,000 of them) as well as all of the LR files are on my internal harddrive. I am not too happy with the file structure, but it works. I can find all of my photos and all of the work is saved. I have an external harddrive with my Time Machine backup. My external harddrive is a 6 TB drive divided into two volumes. My Time Machine backup has about half of the 3TB available and the other volume is totally free. I back up all of my photos and other files to a cloud based. safe "Carbonite" everyday.

I assumed that connecting the Harddrive with the Time Machine backup and using Migration Assistant to restore from Time Machine, would give me what is close to a clone of the old machine on my new one. Obviously, everything won't migrate. I know the new M1 chip will not work with older versions of some of my apps, like a FileMaker app, which I will have to upgrade. It doesn't seem as if it should be more complicated than that, but posts in this forum have me a bit worried.

TheDigitalDog

Inspiring

Either should in theory 'clone' the new machine like the old with respect to LR and your photos. Then you can mess with the file structure using of course Lightroom itself. You could do it before too, up to you. AFAIK, at least with Migration Assistant, it should all carry over. I would suggest first setting your preferences in LR to "Store Presets with Catalog".

Author “Color Management for Photographers" & "Photoshop CC Color Management/pluralsight"

G

GovtLawyerAuthor

Participating Frequently

As an added note, I have looked at other Time Machine backup questions. Many of those are several years old and I am not sure they are up to date. I have all of my photos backed-up with Time Machine and in addition, with a cloud service called Carbonite. So, I am not worried about losing my photos. I am worried about losing my edits, but they should come over with Time machine.

Seems to me that some of the problems people had were using the Time Machine as a 2nd drive and trying to save and work through that. I am a bit worried about this. I thought Time Machine copies all my files at least once - the first time, and then just does updates. So, if my originals were not on Time Machine, how do I get them to the new iMac?

DdeGannes

Community Expert

My recommendation is to follow the Lightroom Queen's instructions. Adobe Lightroom is not a Apple application.

Regards, Denis: iMac 27” mid-2015, macOS 11.7.10 Big Sur; 2TB SSD, 24 GB Ram, GPU 2 GB; LrC 12.5,; Lr 6.5, PS 24.7,; ACR 15.5,; (also Laptop Win 11, ver 24H2, LrC 15.0.1, PS 27.0; ) Camera Oly OM-D E-M1.

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