MacBook Air: Migration tips and tricks

  • Last Modified: June 09, 2009
  • Article: HT1896
  • Old Article: 307314

Summary

Learn about things to consider before migrating data to your new MacBook Air.

Products Affected

MacBook Air

  • Both the source and target computers must be plugged into power prior to starting the migration process. Ensure both are plugged into an AC outlet before you start.
  • If you would like to reduce the amount of time required for system migration, consider using a USB Ethernet adapter on your MacBook Air and a wired Ethernet connection to your migration source for your data migration. Simply connect the two machines using a single ethernet cable; you don't need to connect the computers to a hub, switch, or router.  This should be faster than using a wireless connection. For the best experience, be sure to attach your source and target computers to the wired network before you start.
  • If you are having issues with your Ethernet or wireless network, another method that can be used for migration is Internet Sharing from your source.

Follow these steps to use Internet Sharing.

  1. Set up a home connection from your source computer.
    1. Choose Apple > System Preferences, then click Sharing.
    2. Select Internet Sharing.
    3. Choose a network service from the “Share your connection from” menu. Do NOT choose AirPort for this step.
      Note: You can use built-in FireWire for example.  You do not need to be connected to the Internet to transmit data for data migration.
    4. Select AirPort to share your Internet connection from the “To computers using” list.
    5. Click AirPort Options and give your network a name and password.
  2. On your MacBook Air computer, connect to the AirPort network you created in step 1.
  3. When you are connected, open Migration Assistant on both computers and proceed as you would normally.
  • Do not let either computer go to sleep while you are attempting to migrate. To disable sleeping, on the both computers, go to System Preferences, click Energy Saver, then select Custom in Optimization. Adjust the slider in "Put the computer asleep when it is inactive for..." to Never. This should prevent your source computer from going to sleep during the migration.  
  • If you choose a wireless migration, you want to ensure you are on the best wireless connection available. Use the Signal Strength meter in the upper right corner of your screen to find a location that provides the best signal to your source computer before you start. You may also want to eliminate potential sources of interference as well. The best wireless migration experience will be on an 802.11n network.
  • If you are using Mac OS X Leopard, use Software Update or go to Apple Downloads to update to Mac OS X v10.5.6 or later.

Additional Information

For information on how to configure your MacBook Air with Setup Assistant, see MacBook Air: How to configure your MacBook Air with Setup Assistant .

For information on how to use Migration Assistant, see MacBook Air: How to use Migration Assistant.

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