PENN PRINTOUT
The University of Pennsylvania's Online Computing Magazine

April 1996  Volume 12:5

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Move it: Transferring files to a new Mac

By Tom Gudmundsen

If you're like most Macintosh users who've bought a new Mac, you want it to look just like your old machine - an exact replica of existing application programs, files, and folders. You may be tempted to copy everything from the old system to the new one, but that is not advisable. The safest things to copy - and probably the most critical - are your own data files. This article reviews four ways to move your files onto a new machine; see the sidebar for tips on dealing with application programs.


Diskettes

The least expensive, but most time-consuming, way to transfer files is to use diskettes. This is a good option if your files are small in size and number. If you have large files that will not fit on a single disk, you might want to use a file-compression program, such as StuffIt, to shrink the files down to a size that will allow you to copy them to diskette. If your files are too large to fit on a high-density diskette (with or without compression), you need to consider one of the alternatives below.


AppleTalk

A convenient and quick way to transfer files is via AppleTalk connections. To link your machines together you will need two AppleTalk connectors and a connecting cable. Each connector costs about $20 (a connecting cable is included). Your machines will need to be set up in close proximity - no further apart than the length of the connecting cable.

Turn both machines off before you begin. Connect the AppleTalk connectors to the printer port at the back of each machine and then run the connecting cable between the two AppleTalk connectors. Turn on both machines. Next you will need to configure both machines for file sharing, beginning with the new machine.

  1. Select Control Panels from the Apple menu.
  2. Double-click on the Sharing Setup control panel.
  3. In the Sharing Setup dialog box, type your last name in the Owner Name field. Type a six character password in the Owner Password field and then enter a name for the machine in the Macintosh Name field. Click Start and close the dialog box.
Repeat the three steps above on the old Macintosh - use the same Owner Name and Password, but give this machine a different name. Now you are ready to copy your files.

  1. Select the Chooser from the Apple menu.
  2. Click on the AppleShare icon. You will see the name of the computer you typed in for your new machine listed to the right. (If not, check your connections.) Double-click on the name of the new machine.
  3. In the connection window type in your last name and the password that you entered when configuring file sharing. Click OK. Another window will appear; click OK in this window also.
  4. You should see the icon of your old Macintosh and the icon of your new machine on your desktop. Double-click on your old hard drive, select files and folders that you want to copy, then drag them on top of the icon of your new machine.

If your machine is connected to PennNet, go back into the File Sharing control panel and turn file sharing off after you finish copying your files. To do so, just lick the Cancel button. This will terminate the connection between the two machines. Be sure to turn your machines off before you disconnect your Apple-Talk connectors.


Ethernet

File transfer via Ethernet is faster than AppleTalk file sharing, but more expensive. You need a 10Base2 transceiver or Ethernet card for each machine, as well as a connecting coaxial cable. (If your machine has built-in Ethernet, you need a transceiver; if it does not, you need an Ethernet card.) Transceivers cost between $50 and $150 (coax cable is not included).

Turn off both machines and set them up in close proximity - no further apart than the length of the coax cable. Follow the manufacturer's instructions to connect the transceiver or card to each Mac and then connect the cable between them.

Use the instructions in the AppleTalk section to configure file sharing and copy your files. After your files are copied, locate the icon of your old Macintosh on your new machine and drag the icon into the Trash. Turn off both the machines and disconnect the devices.


External hard drive

Using an external hard drive to transfer files may not be the most cost-effective option, since a drive can run any where between $250 and $1,000. One benefit, however, is that the external drive can be used for extra storage when you are done.

Connecting an external drive is relatively easy. Most external drives arrive pre-formatted, so all you need is a SCSI cable to connect the drive to your old Macintosh and then to your new Macintosh. Check the documentation that came with your hard drive to see if you need to use a terminator with it. Make sure both machines are turned off before you begin.

  1. Connect one end of the SCSI cable to the back of the external drive (make sure that you use a terminator if your hard drive is not internally terminated) and the other end to the appropriate port on the back of the old Mac. Plug in the external drive, turn it on, and then turn on the old Mac.
  2. Drag the files you want to transfer onto the icon of the external drive.
  3. Turn off the old Mac and the external drive, and then disconnect the SCSI cable from the old Mac.
  4. Connect the SCSI cable to the back of your new Mac. Turn on the external drive. Then turn on your new Mac.
  5. Open the external drive by double-clicking its icon. Drag the files you want to transfer onto the icon of your new Mac.
TOM GUDMUNDSEN is a Consultant for ISC's Computing Resource Center.


Software Tips

In general, applications that use "installer" programs should be reinstalled from original disks onto your new Macintosh. Check with vendors to make sure the program versions that you currently use are compatible with your new system before you purchase a new machine.

If an application does not require an installer program, it is safe to copy the program and its associated files to your new machine. Make sure that you copy the associated files as well as the application, e.g., if you use Eudora, you need both the program and the Eudora Folder (often located in the System Folder).

Operating systems should never be copied from one system to another. Most new Macs already have an operating system installed. If not, install the system from disk or CD-ROM.

For additional information, contact your local support provider or First Call (3-4778), or stop by the Computing Resource Center.