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I'm about to use Migration Assistant with a Time Machine backup disk to setup my new M1 iMac. It's asking which files to transfer - should I uncheck the System & Network file? Otherwise, won't the old OS 12.6 transfer along with everything else? I haven't finished the process, maybe this isn't even the best way to migrate information to the new computer? The old one is a 2011 iMac running OS 12.6 as mentioned above.
If Migration Assistant does its job properly, no system-related files will transfer that cannot run on an M1 Mac. Worst case scenario, if you elect not to transfer this option, is that you will need to set up your Mac's network setting again. Typically, not a big deal.
The other thing you should be aware of is if you create a user account on the new M1 Mac with the same name as you were using on the old one, MA will try to create a second user account with that same name. So if you did so on the new Mac, you may want to consider removing it.
For an example. When I set up a new Mac, I let the installation process create the original Administer-level account. I name it anything but the name of the user account I use day-to-day on my old Mac. Once the new Mac goes through the initial setup process, I when use MA to migrate my day-to-day account to the new Mac. Since it has a different user name, than the one created by macOS, I don't run into this issue.
However, you can save yourself all of these issues, by using the Setup Assistance when you first power-up the new Mac instead of using MA afterwards.
If Migration Assistant does its job properly, no system-related files will transfer that cannot run on an M1 Mac. Worst case scenario, if you elect not to transfer this option, is that you will need to set up your Mac's network setting again. Typically, not a big deal.
The other thing you should be aware of is if you create a user account on the new M1 Mac with the same name as you were using on the old one, MA will try to create a second user account with that same name. So if you did so on the new Mac, you may want to consider removing it.
For an example. When I set up a new Mac, I let the installation process create the original Administer-level account. I name it anything but the name of the user account I use day-to-day on my old Mac. Once the new Mac goes through the initial setup process, I when use MA to migrate my day-to-day account to the new Mac. Since it has a different user name, than the one created by macOS, I don't run into this issue.
However, you can save yourself all of these issues, by using the Setup Assistance when you first power-up the new Mac instead of using MA afterwards.
I'm having a big problem with my NEW imac that was delivered 10 hours ago.
After a migration that took ~6 hours, I try to login (and it uses my original admin account from the old mac) and it just hangs after entering the password, saying "optimizing your mac".
I followed the steps for resetting my password (deactivating the mac) and, strangely, it referred to a user account that i'd recently deleted on the OLD machine which I'd stopped using a few years ago due to a bug.
I restarted and am trying to log back in using the only user account that appears (the original admin) but with the NEW password. It's giving me the same optimizing message... this is madness.
Should I try a fresh reinstall (of BigSur..even though I didn't want to go to that iOS yet)?!
First, I suggest that you start a new post. Although yours appears to be similar to that of the OP, its overall solution may be different. More importantly, it will get the attention it deserves.
In the mean time, I would suggest that in that post you include the exact model of your new iMac and what version of macOS it is running. Also include what Mac you migrated from and by what method? For example, did you do the migration process using a Time Machine backup of this other Mac?
With such a long time lapse I would personally be very uncomfortable trusting Migration Assistant. I would much prefer to transfer things manually. I have a friend who bricked an M1 MacBook Pro trying to do something similar.
Migrate everything, that way the newer macOS can correctly Migrate all of your User Settings and User Data.
Setting up an M1 iMac from a 2011 iMac
