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Can I migrate El Capitan from an external hard drive to new M1 iMac?

I have a 2014 iMac and was unable to transfer old OS over because of insufficient space and my workaround was to use a large capacity external drive and booted to bypass the internal hard drive OS.


Now I have a new M1 iMac with plenty of space that will accomodate everything and more on the external boot drive. Can I migrate the (EC) OS over to the new iMac? Will the Migration program allow me to migrate from the external drive rather than the default internal drive?


For years I've relied on Carbon Copy to make the transfer these kinds of transfer.

Posted on Mar 12, 2022 2:35 PM

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Posted on Mar 12, 2022 4:20 PM

There are a couple of questions here. First, your M1 Mac will only run with the OS it came with and then with later upgrades. No Mac can operate with any OS which is older than the one it came with regardless of whether it's installed on the HD or on an external disk. Second, Migration Assistant is an app Apple provides specifically for transferring our data from an older computer to a new one. Use it for that. It will provide options to transfer your personal preferences and settings, your apps and your files. For each group, you can transfer all or none, as you select. It will not transfer your operating system or erase anything from the old Mac. Migration Assistant identifies any disk (internal or external) which has an OS on it and then can transfer either to or from it. Most importantly, use only a USB cable to connect the two computers. Wi-Fi is simply too slow and often fails. Carbon Copy, while being an excellent app is designed for backing up and restoration primarily. (I also use it.) Enjoy your new Mac.

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Mar 12, 2022 4:20 PM in response to TheOS2Guy

There are a couple of questions here. First, your M1 Mac will only run with the OS it came with and then with later upgrades. No Mac can operate with any OS which is older than the one it came with regardless of whether it's installed on the HD or on an external disk. Second, Migration Assistant is an app Apple provides specifically for transferring our data from an older computer to a new one. Use it for that. It will provide options to transfer your personal preferences and settings, your apps and your files. For each group, you can transfer all or none, as you select. It will not transfer your operating system or erase anything from the old Mac. Migration Assistant identifies any disk (internal or external) which has an OS on it and then can transfer either to or from it. Most importantly, use only a USB cable to connect the two computers. Wi-Fi is simply too slow and often fails. Carbon Copy, while being an excellent app is designed for backing up and restoration primarily. (I also use it.) Enjoy your new Mac.

Mar 13, 2022 1:55 PM in response to TheOS2Guy

Q - " Yes, it has the M1 chip. I believe the majority of my apps are 64bit. "


A - Suggest using Go64 to find 32 bit application before attempting the upGrade. Some or many of the Application already installed may required update or upGrades to 64 Bit Versions.


Q - " Apple doesn't say on their sales pages which OS comes with the iMac and I assume it is the latest "


A - The Age of this computer will Govern what newer version of macOS it will Qualify to install. Use About this Mac from the Apple Icon on Desktop - the required Information will be there. With the above information in-hand - follow this How to get old versions of macOS and verify what version this computer Qualifies to install. 


Q - " Apple does not offer a USB-C to Thunderbolt 3 or 4 connection and may have to rely on WiFi for the transfer. "


A - Move your content to a new Mac


Mar 12, 2022 6:46 PM in response to Ronasara

Thank you, this info was on the mark. I don't want to transfer the older operating system, just the important data like my account, passwords, mail settings, etc. If the migration assistant will look for an external OS on the old machine then that should solve my problem of moving the important data. Do I start the migration program on the older machine or the new machine? Also, the older machine has no Thunderbolt ports but only older USB ports. Will I need a separate USB cable with the older USB port to the newer Thunderbolt port? If so, will the wireless keyboard lightening cable that came with the older machine work to connect the two? (That would be much faster than WiFi altho I have a commercial grade of ethernet/WiFi and could make the transfer if the USB to Lightning cable won't work..)


I haven't started the new machine. When I do should I create a new account and then ignore or remove that account once my old account is transferred over? The older machine works fine but Safari, etc., apps cannot be upgraded and I've never been able to upgrade Pages, etc. so looking forward to these updates.

Mar 12, 2022 10:04 PM in response to TheOS2Guy

You have posed a number of questions. Here is some information which should be helpful. Migration Assistant is very easy to use. Be sure to read and follow its instructions as you progress. Basically, the process is as follows.

You first begin by starting the process of setting up your new computer. You will be asked if you wish to transfer files. Respond YES and follow the instructions you will be given.

You will be told to turn both computers on and activate Migration Assistant in the old computer.

The computers should be connected with a USB cable to facilitate the transfer.  (As I said Wi-Fi is simply not suited for a transfer of so much data and corruption often results.)

You will be given several options as to what to transfer. You will likely want to transfer your settings and preferences.

You can transfer all or none of your files or apps. You do not have an option to select certain files or apps to transfer. If you wish to do that, then do so manually. Some people prefer to download and install new apps in the new computer. In either case, you may have to reregister or upgrade some older apps. Note that if you are running any old 32 bit apps in the old Mac, they will not function in the new Mac and 64 bit versions will have to be newly installed there. And there can be a cost for the upgrade in some cases.

The old computer's operating system will not be transferred. No data from the old computer is erased.

Allow for up to an hour for the transfer process to complete once you start it.

It should set up the new computer the same as the old one.

As to the cable you need, get one with the right connecters on each end that match the USB ports on each computer. If you check Apple's support sales site, it has some excellent pictures to show you what is needed. You ask about the wireless keyboard cable. My answer is does the cable have the right connecters that you need? It's a simple matter to look at it and see. In the alternative an Ethernet cable will work, but it will be slower.

When completed you will have two user accounts in the computer. You may either delete one of them or select one to use.

Just follow the instructions and everything should go just fine.

Mar 13, 2022 4:36 AM in response to TheOS2Guy

If the new computer is going to be the Apple Silicon M1 Equipped Computer - would suggest Only Migrating the User Account and nothing more.


1 - Apple Silicon with either Big Sur macOS 11 or Monterey macOS 12 Only Support everything 64 bit and there is no workaround.


2 - Issues that may exist on the older computer will be migrated to the New Computer. This would badly pollute the new Original and Pristine installation of the new OS.


3 -  Applications, extensions and Software Drivers may or may not even work on the new computer.


4 - IMHO - it would be best to only install new application etc Directly from the Developer or the Apple Apps Store.


5 - Due Diligence on New Applications and make sure they are Monterey / Big Sur compatible and factor in the ARMs CPU of the Apple Silicon Computer  

Mar 13, 2022 11:40 AM in response to PRP_53

Yes, it has the M1 chip. I believe the majority of my apps are 64bit. When upgrading to El Capitan many apps were no longer useable and I had to replace them. Apple doesn't say on their sales pages which OS comes with the iMac and I assume it is the latest. I'm not sure I can afford to install new applications as I'm 77YO and live on a small SS pension. I had to save up for three years to buy the new machine and even then, without the Sr. discount I couldn't have afford it. I started with Apple way back in the late 80's when IBM dropped OS2 in '92 or '95. I worked at IBM and designated their official OS2 Guy to answer questions about the operating system. I attended a business conference with officials from IBM, Microsoft, Linux and Apple and assumed I would move from OS2 to Linux but dreaded it. I met Jobs at lunch and he was enthusiastic about OSX and said I would find the transition far easier than Linux and invited me to the Apple store to look at his new machines. I walked in, played with the machine and bought one on the spot. It was so close to OS2 that the learning curve was almost non-existent. I have carried forward all the data/info/settings/apps from upgrade to upgrade from that first OSX and don't want to loose it but stopped upgrading at El Capitan because of illness which depleted my finances.


Now I'm ready to move forward with the new iMac. My current hurdle is the cable. Apple does not offer a USB-C to Thunderbolt 3 or 4 connection and may have to rely on WiFi for the transfer. I must have 20 or so external usb drives with data I don't want to lose or be able to access and have purchased an adapter to accommodate them. I can't afford cable TV and have relied on EyeTV for public broadcast/recording. I'm hoping it will still work with the USB adapter on the new machine.


Thanks for the help and advice, it is much appreciated.

Mar 13, 2022 3:38 PM in response to PRP_53

I tried the Go64 app and it reports I would have to replace apps likes Adobe Acrobat Pro, Video Converter, DiskWarrior, EyeTV, Final Cut Pro, TechTool Pro, and 12 others at a cost of $994. The OS on the new iMac is version 12. I assume you mean to manually move my content to the new Mac and forget about Migrating or cabling it over.

I don't have $1,000 to replace the apps - not that I need them all. I tried the Migration method but it reports a problem with my Mac iCloud Mail account (I describe this in a separate post) and won't allow me to go any further. I have not been able to find a USB-C to Thunderbolt 3 or 4 cable from the Apple Store, Amazon, Best Buy, New Egg, etc.


Bottom line, I'll box up the new machine, cancel the sale and send it back. I'll just have to stick with an older 27" iMac with El Capitan. Altho the display is going out on me I may be able to pick up an refurbished iMac that will accommodate OSX v10.11.


Thank you for all the help and advice and for taking the time to provide it.

Can I migrate El Capitan from an external hard drive to new M1 iMac?

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