Need a new iMac

[Michael Ventura]

13 minutes ago, Betty LaRue said:

One question I have. On my computer, if I go to the Adobe site and other sites, when one of them asks for a password, I can autofill it. On a brand new computer that doesn’t have a history, will I have to input a password to each site again?

Betty, I use Google Chrome mostly and that is where all my autofill passwords live.  If that is the browser you use, you will want/need to login to it first and then all your saved settings, bookmarks and passwords should be there ready to go when go to the sites where you had saved passwords.  Usually for Google Chrome, you will need your Gmail address and password, so have that ready.

[Betty LaRue]

33 minutes ago, Michael Ventura said:

Betty, I use Google Chrome mostly and that is where all my autofill passwords live.  If that is the browser you use, you will want/need to login to it first and then all your saved settings, bookmarks and passwords should be there ready to go when go to the sites where you had saved passwords.  Usually for Google Chrome, you will need your Gmail address and password, so have that ready.

Everything I have is Safari/Mac.

[Michael Ventura]

45 minutes ago, Betty LaRue said:

Everything I have is Safari/Mac.

Well I think it would similar.  The Mac users can confirm that.

[Betty LaRue]

Thanks, Michael. That should be pretty simple, then.

[Allan Bell]

5 hours ago, Betty LaRue said:

Thanks, Michael. That should be pretty simple, then.

 

I do not know if this helps but it is there if you need it.

 

How to Find Any Passwords on Your Mac

• Open your Applications folder. ... 
• Then open the Utilities folder. ... 
• Next, open Keychain Access. ... 
• Then click Passwords. ... 
• Type the application or website that you want to know the password of. ... 
• When you find what you need, double click it.
• Click on the Show Password box.

 

Another piece of info:

 

Hold down the Option key and choose Go > Library, then open the Keychains folder. Transfer your keychains to the other Mac by copying the keychain files. Important: Transfer your keychain in a safe manner where no unauthorized person can access it. For example, use AirDrop or a USB flash drive to copy the files.

 

Hope this helps.   All from a quick search on the web.

 

Allan

 

[MDM]

8 hours ago, Betty LaRue said:

One question I have. On my computer, if I go to the Adobe site and other sites, when one of them asks for a password, I can autofill it. On a brand new computer that doesn’t have a history, will I have to input a password to each site again?

 

I note Allan mentions using keychains but there is a much simpler method of finding your web passwords for Safari users.

 

In Safari, go Safari-Preferences-Passwords. You need to type your login password and then all will be revealed. 

 

The Keychain app interface is very complicated and I would leave that completely alone, especially copying it to a new computer unless you are a real total geek expert (well beyond my level).

 

There are various ways of transferring settings and info to a new Mac. The easiest way for stuff like Contacts, Calendars and Safari Favourites is to use iCloud. I will stop there for now, as I believe from memory that Allan suffers from a rare condition called iClouditis (pronounced Itis not EETis) which is essentially an irrational fear of iCloud which can cause all sorts of negative reactions. So I will return at night when Allan is in bed and explain further how to do these truly simple tasks.  But take my advice - ignore Keychain unless there is no other option. 

 

 

 

 

[Allan Bell]

14 minutes ago, MDM said:

 

I note Allan mentions using keychains but there is a much simpler method of finding your web passwords for Safari users.

 

In Safari, go Safari-Preferences-Passwords. You need to type your login password and then all will be revealed. 

 

The Keychain app interface is very complicated and I would leave that completely alone, especially copying it to a new computer unless you are a real total geek expert (well beyond my level).

 

There are various ways of transferring settings and info to a new Mac. The easiest way for stuff like Contacts, Calendars and Safari Favourites is to use iCloud. I will stop there for now, as I believe from memory that Allan suffers from a rare condition called iClouditis (pronounced Itis not EETis) which is essentially an irrational fear of iCloud which can cause all sorts of negative reactions. So I will return at night when Allan is in bed and explain further how to do these truly simple tasks.  But take my advice - ignore Keychain unless there is no other option. 

 

 

 

 

 

Ha Ha Ha!  It is not that I fear iCloud I just prefer to have it all under MY control.  I think Edo's problems with his computer/s make my point.  Nuff said.

 

Allan

 

[MDM]

1 minute ago, Allan Bell said:

 

Ha Ha Ha!  It is not that I fear iCloud I just prefer to have it all under MY control.  I think Edo's problems with his computer/s make my point.  Nuff said.

 

Allan

 

 

As I said - irrational fear 😱.  You could say the same about everything on a computer. Running away because it is beyond your present understanding is paranoia I guess. Understanding how iCloud works is the key. It is a very useful tool and it is easy to control once you take the time to understand how it works. 

[M.Chapman]

9 hours ago, Betty LaRue said:

One question I have. On my computer, if I go to the Adobe site and other sites, when one of them asks for a password, I can autofill it. On a brand new computer that doesn’t have a history, will I have to input a password to each site again?

 

If you're using Safari and iCloud then I think Safari website passwords and bookmarks will automatically synchronise across.

 

When I swapped my stuff from a MacBook onto an iMac I made sure my MacBook Time machine backup was up to date and then, when prompted during setup of my new iMac, I just opted to transfer Apps and Settings from my Time machine backup. Pretty much everyting worked straightaway. BUT there's a big caveat on that. I had Mojave installed on BOTH systems. I'm not sure if it would have worked quite so well if I hadn't and it meant I had no 32 vs 64 bit application issues.

 

Mark

 

[MDM]

10 minutes ago, M.Chapman said:

 

If you're using Safari and iCloud then I think Safari website passwords and bookmarks will automatically synchronise across.

 

When I swapped my stuff from a MacBook onto an iMac I made sure my MacBook Time machine backup was up to date and then, when prompted during setup of my new iMac, I just opted to transfer Apps and Settings from my Time machine backup. Pretty much everyting worked straightaway. BUT there's a big caveat on that. I had Mojave installed on BOTH systems. I'm not sure if it would have worked quite so well if I hadn't and it meant I had no 32 vs 64 bit application issues.

 

Mark

 

 

Let's keep this simple. Betty's situation is relatively easy because she stores all her image files on external drives so there is no danger of losing anything really important and she has a working computer to refer to. 

 

Transferring apps and even settings could cause unnecessary complications, especially because of the differences in the Os which are very significant under the bonnet (hood). Apps a definite no no, moreover because a lot of those apps are old. The best thing is to get the new one set up with all the basics, including Adobe CC,  and then work out which of the older apps she wants to run on the new machine.

 

I would suggest just using iCloud if she already uses it for things like contacts and calendars(and Safari settings if she wants) or just re-entering the info manually (she can read the passwords directly off the other machine). I always to a clean install rather than transfer older settings anyway.

 

 

Edited April 28, 2021 by MDM

[M.Chapman]

On Windows I always did as you recommend (clean install). But on a Mac I've been really impressed at how good it is as transferring stuff.  I've even updated and reinstalled the OS on my Mac without loosing any apps or settings. I'd never have dared do that on Windows.

 

Nevertheless, I agree, providing Betty has all the registration keys and source disks/downloads etc. for the software she actualy uses, then your method will give the cleanest end result. But it's likely to take longer and need more manual intervention than simply using the migration tools Apple provides.

 

Mark

Edited April 28, 2021 by M.Chapman

[MDM]

31 minutes ago, M.Chapman said:

On Windows I always did as you recommend (clean install). But on a Mac I've been really impressed at how good it is as transferring stuff.  I've even updated and reinstalled the OS on my Mac without loosing any apps or settings. I'd never have dared do that on Windows.

 

Nevertheless, I agree, providing Betty has all the registration keys and source disks/downloads etc. for the software she actualy uses, then your method will give the cleanest end result. But will take a bit longer and need more manual intervention than simply using the migration tools Apple provides.

 

Mark

 

I don't think it will take longer especially if the migration software has to figure out what is and is not compatible going from Mojave to Big Sur. The end result could be a lot of confusion with plugins that don't work etc etc which could take a lot longer to sort out. I get the impression from what Betty says that a lot of the other software is just stuff that has accumulated over the years and a lot of it will not work on Big Sur so this is a good opportunity for a spring clean. She can add back the plugins and other software as required if they work. Most software is online now so if you lose a key it is simply a matter of logging in to the software vendor's site (resetting a password if necessary). 

 

I don't sync Safari across my devices by iCloud, mainly because there were problems with favourites when they first implemented it some years ago so I am not sure how it transfers passwords. My preference is to do this manually which is simple. I use iCloud for contacts, calendar, Photos app (snapshots on my phone etc, nothing serious), Music, and Notes.

Edited April 28, 2021 by MDM

[Allan Bell]

1 hour ago, MDM said:

 

As I said - irrational fear 😱.  You could say the same about everything on a computer. Running away because it is beyond your present understanding is paranoia I guess. Understanding how iCloud works is the key. It is a very useful tool and it is easy to control once you take the time to understand how it works. 

 

NOT irrational fear at all. I know how it works and how people have lost files to the iCloud when things go wrong as they do sometimes and I don't mean the user making mistakes or errors.  There was a case a while back, (I can't remember the details), but it still sticks in my mind that someone or a company lost a lot of important files to iCloud so I don't go there.

 

My iCloud is a personal one sitting in my office not on machines far away.

 

Allan

 

[MDM]

43 minutes ago, Allan Bell said:

 

NOT irrational fear at all. I know how it works and how people have lost files to the iCloud when things go wrong as they do sometimes and I don't mean the user making mistakes or errors.  There was a case a while back, (I can't remember the details), but it still sticks in my mind that someone or a company lost a lot of important files to iCloud so I don't go there.

 

My iCloud is a personal one sitting in my office not on machines far away.

 

Allan

 

 

That doesn't sound rational to me nor does it sound like you understand how iCloud works. More like Project Fear based on hearsay. I've been using iCloud for years and have never lost anything nor do I know anyone who has done. Perhaps you are talking about celebrities having their accounts hacked. People lose data from hard drives from computers or sitting on their desks all the time as well. Does that mean you would not use a hard drive? 

 

Anyway best leave this one. I was joking earlier as it was a little heads up that I was going to suggest to Betty to sync some settings using iCloud and I recalled you had some objection to iCloud (totally unfounded in my opinion). 

Edited April 28, 2021 by MDM

[Allan Bell]

1 hour ago, MDM said:

 

That doesn't sound rational to me nor does it sound like you understand how iCloud works. More like Project Fear based on hearsay. I've been using iCloud for years and have never lost anything nor do I know anyone who has done. Perhaps you are talking about celebrities having their accounts hacked. People lose data from hard drives from computers or sitting on their desks all the time as well. Does that mean you would not use a hard drive? 

 

Anyway best leave this one. I was joking earlier as it was a little heads up that I was going to suggest to Betty to sync some settings using iCloud and I recalled you had some objection to iCloud (totally unfounded in my opinion). 

 

I have four hard drives running constantly when working on my iMac. Two mirrored drive in bay one which are working drives and two mirrored drives in bay two which are constantly backing up as changes are made to drives in first bay.    Two more hard drives which are for alternate backups and are kept off line after they have backed up the main number one drive. I also make regular backups of the OS on other hard drives.  Never lost any information yet.  Misplaced sometimes but easily found.😃

 

The above makes it sound as if I am actually sitting inside my computer system.😳

 

Allan

 

 

[Betty LaRue]

Going to find passwords right now. I’m also going through my graybeard apps and getting rid of many. I got sidetracked last night. One of them uses the computer camera and distorts my face and other things. One option put a circle of bluebirds flying over my head. I snapped that one of me and sent it to my daughter! 😂 it’ll be gone today.

Distractions, distractions.

It’s like hunting through old family pictures for a particular one and coming out 2 hours later, glassy eyed from studying them all.

[M.Chapman]

I suspect some of the stories of lost iCloud files arise from a misplaced belief that iCloud is a backup service, when under most circumstances it isn't. iCloud is a fundamentally a synchronisation service. If your Mac is stolen, or the disk fails then any synchronised files should be retrievable from the iCloud copy. But, if a file or folder or data item (contact details, calendar entry etc) is deleted on one device, the synchronisation process will also remove it from iCloud and any other synchronised devices. Years ago, I remember watching my contacts dissappear from my phone after I'd removed them from a device where they were no longer needed, not realising synchronisation was on. Oops. Luckily I had a proper backup. These days a "deleted items" folder may rescue such accidents, but not always.

 

Mark

Edited April 28, 2021 by M.Chapman

[M.Chapman]

3 hours ago, MDM said:

a good opportunity for a spring clean

It will certainly help clear out a lot of the stuff left behind by unused apps and older versions of Adobe CC apps. One thing that may warrant some advice (cue MDM?) is how to transfer any Adobe LR/PS develop and export presets etc. to the new machine? Does Adobe cloud/account do this automatically, or is it a manual copying operation?

 

Mark

[MDM]

17 minutes ago, M.Chapman said:

It will certainly help clear out a lot of the stuff left behind by unused apps and older versions of Adobe CC apps. One thing that may warrant some advice (cue MDM?) is how to transfer any Adobe LR/PS develop and export presets etc. to the new machine? Does Adobe cloud/account do this automatically, or is it a manual copying operation?

 

Mark

I do anything like that manually although to be honest I usually start again from scratch with presets and keyboard shortcuts. It is a useful way of revising how it’s done.  
 

I don’t use the Adobe sync which is probably more relevant if using the new Lightroom and the cloud stuff. I think it will only sync files rather than settings but zi could be wrong. A while back I decided to figure out what all this extra Adobe Cloud stuff does after learning the basics of Lightroom Mobile on my iPad. I did get the basics of how it all works organised in my brain but I don’t use it. I prefer to use drives which is now very easy with newer versions of iOS for transferring images or videos. Syncing huge files takes ages as well so much more efficient to use drives. 

[Allan Bell]

51 minutes ago, M.Chapman said:

It will certainly help clear out a lot of the stuff left behind by unused apps and older versions of Adobe CC apps. One thing that may warrant some advice (cue MDM?) is how to transfer any Adobe LR/PS develop and export presets etc. to the new machine? Does Adobe cloud/account do this automatically, or is it a manual copying operation?

 

Mark

 

I don't know if it was mentioned earlier but I wonder if Betty has thought of using Apples Migration Assistant on her machines.

 

Allan

 

[MDM]

4 minutes ago, Allan Bell said:

 

I don't know if it was mentioned earlier but I wonder if Betty has thought of using Apples Migration Assistant on her machines.

 

Allan

 

 

That is what we have been talking about on the previous page and elsewhere in the thread. I advise against it here. 

Edited April 28, 2021 by MDM

[Allan Bell]

Just now, MDM said:

 

That is what we have been talking about on the previous page. I advise against it here. 

 

Thank for the info Mick.

 

Allan

 

[MDM]

 

 

1 hour ago, Allan Bell said:

 

Thank for the info Mick.

 

Allan

 

 

No worries Allan. 

[Betty LaRue]

I’ve done a lot of reading on several ways to get the info from the old to the new. Just when I thought using the Migration Manager was the way to go, I read that it copies the bloated parts, pieces of things no longer needed, all the update strings and things like that. I think it’s probably the easiest way to go, just not the best.

I did read about copying files over to a desktop HD. But both of my current drives have image files on them. There’s 2 GB of space on them. I can create a folder to copy them into. But if I do a backup, can I designate a backup into that folder? 
 

Doing a backup, though, seems like it would do exactly what Migration Manager would do...copy all the dross I don’t want. Or if I do a backup, can I choose what I want backed up? And into a folder on my HD?

Time machine...basically the same thing, copying everything, even the unwanted bits.

Say I copy the files I want to install on my new computer into a file on my desktop HD. How do I get them from that HD into the new Mac? Drag and drop? Drag to where, or copy to where? There are questions here that Mark and Michael instinctively know how/what to do. I don’t. I don’t know whether if I want a copy of my contacts in the contact folder, do I have to follow that string to open the contact folder in the new Mac and copy/paste, or drag/drop.

I think I might call around and see if I can find someone who can do a clean install for me. The last time, the new computer came into the Apple store in Oklahoma City. I took my old in and they did the transfer. I think it cost me $100.

There is no Apple store in Wichita. I could take them to Oklahoma City, but that’s a one-way 3 hour drive. Doable, but not fun.

I could ask the people who cleaned my old Mac here in Wichita if they can do a clean install. But I’m not sure what I would need to provide them. Passwords? User IDs? User names?

I spent a lot of time in my password folder, thanks for telling me where to find it. It won’t allow me to copy it. It won’t allow me to select all and send to my printer. So I’ve been painfully writing each one down by hand, which involves writing the website/password/user name. Some of the websites have 3-4 entries that are different passwords, maybe from when I changed them, but I don’t know which is the latest/current. I just now thought what if I can do a screen shot, save to my desktop and print from there? I’ll try that if I can remember how to take a screen shot. Google, here I come.

I was in there 60-90 minutes and am only in the Gs. There has to be an easier way.

I’m pretty low right now (not quite tearful) thinking all of this will be endless.

 

[Betty LaRue]

duplicate

Edited April 28, 2021 by Betty LaRue