For reasons of toll , we might grease one’s palms a new Mac with a littler driving force than the one we ’re substitute . If your current Mac has more information stored than the capacity of the new one , you probably feel you ’re in a pickle . But you may strategize how to make this transition work .
When planning the transistion , I extremely recommend that you try on to keep innocent at least 50 GB on a 256 GB effort , and 100 GB on drives that are 512 GB and larger .
Here ’s how you could reduce your storage requirements before migration .
Optimize Mac Storage lets you offload unneeded files to iCloud Drive across many apps and for general storage.
Enable iCloud Photos and sic Photos ( inPhotos > Preferences > iCloud ) to put in only optimise rendering of your images . This does lead in younot ingest the ability to make a full local backupof all your medium , and may necessitate an upgrade from your current iCloud storage tier . However , it can be worth the trade-off of hundred to several hundred of dollar sign for a larger - capacity ride on the new Mac .
employ optimized memory in macOS via the iCloud preference pane in Mohave and earlier or the Apple ID preference pane ’s iCloud view in Catalina and by and by . Selecting Optimize Mac mechanically offload files synced via iCloud Drive to your iCloud storage as needed .
Optimize Mac Storage countenance you offload unneeded file cabinet to iCloud Drive across many apps and for general entrepot .
Optimize Mac Storage lets you offload unneeded files to iCloud Drive across many apps and for general storage.
Get assistance from macOS in finding items to delete . Choose > About This Mac > Storageand clickManage , and macOS makes a number of suggestion about how to reduce campaign pulmonary tuberculosis . You may find ( as I did ) some large files you ’d draw a blank about . On my laptop , I had a well-nigh 13 B self-aggrandising Sur beta installer .
macOS offers insight into the filing cabinet that fill up your parkway , including bury ones — like a monumental beta macOS installer here .
UseSpotlight to identify large file and appswith a Finder - based search . This can bring out items that the Storage view in the previous bullet point does not .
macOS offers insight into the files that fill your drive, including forgotten ones—like a massive beta macOS installer here.
If there are point you require to be sure you retain but do n’t need “ online”—i.e . , directly and always connected to your Mac — transplant them to an cheap external hard drive , but be certain you have freestanding backups of that crusade . ( Some online backup help will only keep archive of committed drives for about a month at their canonical overhaul level without them being attached . Either set a reminder to bond and power them up monthly , orpay an additional fee , as with Backblaze , for tenacious - terminus storage . )
Once you ’ve reduced occupied blank space below the stratum needed to transfer to a Modern Mac — being indisputable to empty the Trash — you could do your migration . you’re able to apply Migration Assistant to transfer between the two car either while both are booted into macOS , or if you ’re starting up the young machine fresh or after having erase the movement and install macOS from lolly .
If you want to expend Time Machine for the migration , be sure after deleting files to choose the Time Machine card in the system menubar and opt Back Up Now . This does n’t delete the Indian file you ’ve removed from your Mac from the Time Machine computer backup now . That will happen in time . But it does immediately create a new snap with the just the current , reduced set of files that you’re able to use to migrate to a new Mac .
This Mac 911 clause is in response to a question submitted by Macworld reader Jim .
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