URGENT issue. Migration Assistant doesnt recognise HD

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Shorty

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I really need some help from someone ASAP please.

I'm not getitng into too much detail as will be rioting down the phone at Apple, but just had my laptop back from repairs where they originally thought issue was hardware, found out not and concluded is software and to solve it I should do a clean install of snow leopard. He ASSURED me this would 100% solved the issue[as a by the by it hasnt]

HOWEVER after backing up my whole machine one last time just to make double sure I had a copy, Migration assistant cant even see my hardrive I'm trying to migrate from!
So I have amachine that is no use to me at all and need all my stuff transferred over ASAP as I have too much work to do and already been without my macbook for 8days before now[another issue bringing up with them]

Please, someone, anyone have any solutions for this?
 
This is an external drive that the macbook cannot see during install. Firewire or USB2 ?
 
Have you got the computer re-installed and running MacOS?
 
Sorry, it is very urgent but I needed sleep.
It's on an External HD, macbook recognises it on desktop, but migration assistant doesnt recognise it at all. Computer is reinstalled and running the OS, yep. Am on it now.
 
when you reinstall OS it shouldn't wipe anything from the hard drive, so you can see if it's OK afterwards. Are you installing Snow Leopard 10.6.4 or 10.5 (or something else)
 
It was a clean install of snow leopard. My issue now isnt that, I just need to get my data back onto the laptop but obviously without migration assistant since it doesnt recognise my damn hard drives[but the mac itself does]
 
I'm going to be calling the apple store I've been dealing with, but I fear it'll be a lost battle over the phone, and I'm not making a genius appt cos they'll only ask to have the machine in themselves which I cant do as am away on work from tomorow and need it!

But I just wanna know if anyone has any ideas, advice, help, anything...Please?
Also, My Lacie drive have intego backup assistant, does the synchronisation option on this do the same as migration assistant? Or will it muck everything up?
 
How have you been backing up the machine ?
Did you use Time Machine to back up ? or the intego software ?
If you used Intego then you might have problems.

I wouldnt use anything like intego, I would only use Time machine with an occasional full disk clone using Carbon copy cloner to another external drive. The Intego software shouldnt get in the way, but I prefer to remove any software like this when I first get a new external drive.

You could try another reinstall of OS X, then during the setup process when you get the option to migrate data, see if your drive is recognised.

If this doesnt work, open Time machine, set the external disc up to be used for backups, then see if you can restore from it.

good luck
 
Dude, I've said the drive ISN'T recognised when I get the option to migrate data and/or click on migration assistant manually.

I dont wanna start using time machine incase it erases what I have on there already...?
i.e my whole system?
 
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Do you have access to any other drives?

How much data is on the drive?

How much space on the target computer?

I never use migration wizard but will it allow a folder as a target? - If so you could copy the data into a folder under macOS

If it only works from a DRIVE then:

Check amount of data (eg comes back as 12Gb)

Create 13Gb image file on target computer ie Disc utility, Click "New Image", change size to 13Gb and save this onto your desktop.

Click on the new file when it is finished and it will open a pseudo drive

Copy the data from the external drive into it

Use migration wizard and point to the new drive.
 
Sorry Darren, that's all gone over my head :( whats target drive? and pseudo drive etc.

Basically, I have everything[minus my pictures which are on a seperate drive as solely pictures] on a 1tb lacie hard drive, with a full system backup I did yesterday, and then a general backup from before[I just wanted to do the one yesterday to ensure I did indeed have everything]
There is just under 490gb on the Lacie drive free.

Migration assistant won't allow anythig right now as it just isn't recognising the lacie drive. Yet the macbook itself is and is letting me access things. From a google it looks like a formatting issue, however it all appears to be in the correct format[which is the same as my actualy computer, the OS extended (journaled) whatsit]

Thats about as much info I can give u in relation to your questions cos havnt understood the rest :(
 
Shorty said:
Sorry Darren, that's all gone over my head :( whats target drive? and pseudo drive etc.

Basically, I have everything[minus my pictures which are on a seperate drive as solely pictures] on a 1tb lacie hard drive, with a full system backup I did yesterday, and then a general backup from before[I just wanted to do the one yesterday to ensure I did indeed have everything]
There is just under 490gb on the Lacie drive free.

Migration assistant won't allow anythig right now as it just isn't recognising the lacie drive. Yet the macbook itself is and is letting me access things. From a google it looks like a formatting issue, however it all appears to be in the correct format[which is the same as my actualy computer, the OS extended (journaled) whatsit]

Thats about as much info I can give u in relation to your questions cos havnt understood the rest :(
Click to expand...

By target drive I mean your computer.

The disc utility program can create a large file which when clicked on appears to MacOS as an actual drive. I was hoping that the data was small enough to fit on one of these "pseudo" drives so that you could copy the data over and let the migration wizard see it.

As it would appear that you have far too much data for that what format is the data actually in on the drive?
 
What do you mean by what format? Basically, my backup drive has a folder 'macbook hd' and within that is then all the files. So I have a 'users' file a 'library' file. etc if that makes sense?

I can always do a print screen to demonstrate, but basically has every file and folder from my machine previously - in a file/folder format, it's not been compressed into a single file type if that's what you mean?
 
Nope that is what I was after...

Which applications do you urgently need restoring?
 
Mainly lightroom and photoshop CS3

I've managed to manually transfer my bookmarks for safari, and all my mail accounts etc over to the computer, but obviously Adobe programs dont work in a drag and drop system.
 
For lightroom = After installing Lightroom, just copy the Pictures directory from the migration drive to your new drive lightroom should pick it up and work.

For PS3 it is more difficult IF you have optional extras installed. Do you use any extras like scripts, actions etc?

If you check my top tips thread it shows you where the files are for Mail, iWeb etc etc
 
Thanks Darren.
Also - that way to re-do lightroom, none of my preferences/actions will appear. Will they? I'll have to re-do all of those?
 
eos1's point is - how did you do the backup to the external HD?

If you just copied the files in the Finder, then Migration Assistant won't recognise it.

MA is designed to migrate users, applications and settings from one computer to another, or to restore from a complete Time Machine backup.
 
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Shorty said:
Thanks Darren.
Also - that way to re-do lightroom, none of my preferences/actions will appear. Will they? I'll have to re-do all of those?
Click to expand...

Lightroom stores all the preferences in the "Lightroom" directory so all your preferences etc should just re-appear.
 
I had this issue too and didn't find a solution for it unfortunately - it seems to be an issue on some Macs with some hard drives but not all. Ended up manually copying stuff over and reinstalling programmes etc.
 
grum said:
I had this issue too and didn't find a solution for it unfortunately - it seems to be an issue on some Macs with some hard drives but not all. Ended up manually copying stuff over and reinstalling programmes etc.
Click to expand...

Getting a little OT, but with a couple or recent Macs, I've found that it sometimes has problems migrating from an older Mac in target disk mode, but the old one simply fails to be seen at all from the new machine. Doesn't mount on the desktop and is the disk is not seen in System Profiler, just the host machine.

The simple solution is to connect the two with an Ethernet cable, set up an ad-hoc network and use 10.5 and 10.6's migrate-over-a-network option.
 
cowasaki said:
Lightroom stores all the preferences in the "Lightroom" directory so all your preferences etc should just re-appear.
Click to expand...

Mine hasn't seemed to. Never mind!

grum said:
I had this issue too and didn't find a solution for it unfortunately - it seems to be an issue on some Macs with some hard drives but not all. Ended up manually copying stuff over and reinstalling programmes etc.
Click to expand...

Oh.
Joy.
:'(:runaway:

Thanks for your help so far. Still waiting on Apple to call me back.
 
Shorty said:
Mine hasn't seemed to. Never mind!
Click to expand...

If you look in your Pictures directory there should be a folder called LIGHTROOM and inside this folder should be a folder called LIGHTROOM SETTINGS
 
Yeah thats all there but hasnt had an effect on my lightroom..? Not that I can see anyway
 
Just a quick question

To use migration assistant the drive must be connected to the computer by one of these 3 methods, firewire, or be on the same ethernet or wireless network

Which one are you using ?. it wont work over USB.
 
mho said:
Just a quick question

To use migration assistant the drive must be connected to the computer by one of these 3 methods, firewire, or be on the same ethernet or wireless network

Which one are you using ?. it wont work over USB.
Click to expand...

I asked that question earlier but hadn't noticed it not being answered. Tiz a valid point!
 
It never says that though, I'm on USB drive doesnt work on Firewire etc. How would one make the USB drive any of the other connections?
 
Shorty said:
It never says that though, I'm on USB drive doesnt work on Firewire etc. How would one make the USB drive any of the other connections?
Click to expand...

Do you have another computer in the house on a network?
 
Just windows machines. But yeah. However they never show up in the network bit on my laptop....?


mho - its not another mac. Its just a drive, a single external drive
 
Shorty said:
Just windows machines. But yeah. However they never show up in the network bit on my laptop....?
Click to expand...

Right then... which version of Windows?

and from your mac...

Go to Apple Icon >> System preferences >> Sharing

Click "File Sharing" in left pane

Click "Options" in right of window

Click the tick on "Share files and folders using SMB (windows), click on your account and click DONE

Right once we have the version of Windows we can fix that end. Then transfer all the data across the network to the windows machine into a share and see if it sees that. Only ever done it using a working Apple machine so can't say for sure. Best bet would be a firewire drive but that means going and spending some money.
 
Not sure if this wll do what you want but at least you will be able to share stuff backwards and forwards. I don't actually ever use migration assistant. My docs are stored on my server which is then backed up and I use Apple's online .me service for settings and backup mail etc as per my tips....

On the XP machine create a directory called STORE and right click it then share it on the network. I can't give you a step by step on this right at the moment because I don't have a Windows machne running XP handy. I have one running Windows 7 which I run across the network in a window on the mac but I can't change OSes remotely. If you look at my top tips thread I am sure I give a step by step for setting the Windows machine up.

But have a look on the Windows machine and you should now see the Mac and be able to log in to it and upload/download files.
 
Er, if I understand what you're trying to do correctly, the network thing isn't going to work IMO. Especially if you're accessing it from a Windows host.

Migration Assistant between two Macs works between two copies of MA running on two Macs. Unless you've found a Migration Assistant client for Windows, which I've never heard of.

Back to the earlier question: How did you perform the backup?
 
Musicman said:
Er, if I understand what you're trying to do correctly, the network thing isn't going to work IMO. Especially if you're accessing it from a Windows host.

Migration Assistant between two Macs works between two copies of MA running on two Macs. Unless you've found a Migration Assistant client for Windows, which I've never heard of.

Back to the earlier question: How did you perform the backup?
Click to expand...

It was always going to be a slim thing, as he has one Mac and no FW it sort of messes migration assistant up! I don't actually use migration assistant personally.

Restoring the apps manually would be my choice but not being in front of the machine and doing it by posts on here is going to take a while :)
 
cowasaki said:
....I don't actually ever use migration assistant. My docs are stored on my server which is then backed up and I use Apple's online .me service for settings and backup mail etc as per my tips....
Click to expand...

Sorry for the thread hijack, very interested in the above, I have my email on a imap server so I can use my MBP out and about and have the email and my replies replicated at home on my main machine, I would however like to rebuild my main Mac, but the thought of losing all my settings has prevented med from doing this, previously I screwed my permissions up and and not completely happy that they are correct as every so often I will come across an issue that suggests they have not been correctly fixed, despite running diskutil and repairing permissions and using Tinkertool System 2
 
orinoco said:
Sorry for the thread hijack, very interested in the above, I have my email on a imap server so I can use my MBP out and about and have the email and my replies replicated at home on my main machine, I would however like to rebuild my main Mac, but the thought of losing all my settings has prevented med from doing this, previously I screwed my permissions up and and not completely happy that they are correct as every so often I will come across an issue that suggests they have not been correctly fixed, despite running diskutil and repairing permissions and using Tinkertool System 2
Click to expand...

The 3 best options are: MA (migration assistant) which as has been pointed out saves your data to an external FIREWIRE hard drive OR to another Mac across your network; Individually saving an applications files (manually as per my top tips thread OR automatically using BACKUP) and Time Machine.

There is some confusion here as the OP has his files on a USB2 drive but is using MA. We don't yet know how he managed that unless he just dragged and dropped his HOME directory to the USB drive. If he did so then he is going to have to manually restore everything as per my top tips.

I actually run several apps including Light Room ( ! ) from my server by creating DMG files on the server which appear on any of my other machines as drives so I can actually use the same lightroom settings, images and everything else across four machines without any massive speed penalty (Gb / dual Gb networking).
 
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From the limited information here, I think the OP did a backup by just copying and pasting the file over to the external drive. This backs up files ok but it's no good for a full system backup.

A few points though for reference.

Time machine can only restore backups that are made with Time machine. It won't work with just a bunch of files and folders thrown at it. Time machine also backs up and restores permissions and preferences which your Mac needs to work.

A copy and paste backup won't have these and won't work with Time machine.

Migration assistant only works when it is given a full running working bootable copy of OS X to pull data in from, either on a different Mac by firewire/USB/target disc mode or from an external drive. Again, a random bunch of folders is no use to Migration assistant.
 
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