[X-Newbies] Migration Assistant

[W Lane]

On 21-Dec-05, at 01:06 , Chris Walker wrote:

> The old machine has one account 'Mars' running as admin.  The new one
> will have two accounts Saturn' as admin and 'BigC' as user.  At  
> present
> BigC is enabled as admin but this will drop back to user when all the
> installations are done.

Too much messing about with privileges here for my liking. I know it  
'should' work, but...

> My aim was to create a new 'clean' machine
> which will last for my usual 4/5 years.

To really do this, see below

>
> I'm already having problems with permissions

As I feared

> so I wondered whether to go
> the easy route and simply duplicate the old machine via the Migration
> Assistant.

Yes!

> Only problem is that all the accumulated crud (apps that
> were tried and not used, ancient prefs, whatever else that might be
> lurking etc) on the old machines comes to the new.

And is the old machine running OK?

>
> Anyone any experience with migration assistant

Works like a charm

> or could suggest any way
> round the permissions problems?

Before you get too far down the road I would -
Reinstall the OS on the new machine, taking it right back to 'stock'
Use Migration Assistant on the new machine and simply follow the step  
by step. (You can 'pick and choose' what you want brought over)
In the case of all the extra 'stuff', the apps I would simply delete.  
The pref files I would not worry about. They are tiny in size and  
without the associated app installed they do nothing

>
> All help gratefully received.  :-)