How to Manually Transfer Files from an Old Mac to a New Mac

Step by step

1. 1 min

   Format your external drive for compatibility

   Connect your external drive to the old Mac and open Disk Utility via Spotlight. Select your drive, click Erase, and choose APFS or Mac OS Extended (Journaled) as the format to ensure full file permission support during the transfer.

   Note: Erasing will delete all data on the external drive; ensure you have a backup if the drive was previously in use.
2. 2 min

   Identify your user data folders

   Open Finder on the old Mac and navigate to your Home folder by selecting Go > Home in the menu bar. Locate the folders containing your primary data: Desktop, Documents, Downloads, Movies, Music, and Pictures.

   Note: Command + Shift + H
3. 3 min

   Transfer files to the external drive

   Select all desired folders and drag them onto the icon for your external drive in the Finder sidebar. Allow the progress bar to complete fully before proceeding to ensure no data corruption occurs during the file copy process.

   Note: If you have a large library, verify that your external drive has sufficient storage capacity before starting.
4. 30 sec

   Safely disconnect the external storage

   Right-click the external drive icon on the desktop or in the Finder sidebar and select Eject. Wait for the icon to disappear before physically unplugging the cable from the old Mac.

   Note: Command + E
5. 2 min

   Copy files to the new Mac

   Connect the drive to your new Mac and open the drive in Finder. Highlight the folders, then drag them into the corresponding directories within your new Home folder. macOS will prompt you to merge folders if they already exist; select Merge to combine contents.

   Note: Drag items into their respective system folders (e.g., Photos into the Pictures folder) to maintain correct library organization.