# New Mac Pro to replace old Mac Pro - Clean Install or Carbon Copy Clone?



## Jack Weaver (Mar 13, 2020)

Greetings Forumites!

As stated, I got a new Mac Pro and Sunday I plan to start to get it set up. First things first, should I do a clean install or Carbon Copy Clone my existing system? I realize I'm potentially in for a world of pain with my plugins, instruments, and applications either way. The DAW is Logic. 

Looking for sage guidance.

Thanks in advance.

.


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## clisma (Mar 13, 2020)

Personally, I would say that as long as your current/older MP is running without fault, and provided you haven't amassed and then deleted a ton of apps (with their corresponding preference files), you could likely CCC to your new system.

My own experience with this is via the built-in Migration Assistant, but only because I was not yet using CCC back in those days (I've been migrating my system over to 2 separate Macs and I-don't-know-how-many OS upgrades since a G4 in 2009). So far it's always been stellar.

Edit: And congratulation on the new acquisition!


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## Saxer (Mar 13, 2020)

I'd try the Migration Assistent.


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## jcrosby (Mar 13, 2020)

Unless your current clone is already Catalina you'll have to use migration assistant.

Also Apple may have changed this by now, however early T2 machines had issues with compatible OS clones from non T2 machines (I think due to missing BridgeOS settings on the non-T2 machine clone.) Guessing they've solved this, however I wouldn't assume they have by default... My personal experience is that Apple's been pretty slow and pretty poor about fixing bugs related to T2/BridgeOS...

Basically Migration Assistant is most likely the only way you'll be able to safely move everything to the new machine. In terms of clean install, I haven't clean installed in a while and haven't had any issues... No bloat or sluggishness carrying over... For me personally this comes down to how much software I have to install then activate. In my case it can easily take a weekend, download/installation eating an afternoon alone...


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## Hywel (Mar 14, 2020)

I recently used Migration Assistant when moving from an old Mac Mini to a new "full fat" MacBook Pro. I ran it overnight and I must confess it was a dream... I had NO issues to deal with other than some (but not all) reauthorisations.


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## Jack Weaver (Mar 14, 2020)

Thanks All. Please feel free to keep commenting. I still have one more day before I have to commit to any specific process.

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## gsilbers (Mar 14, 2020)

you might need to already be on catalina and a version that has the drivers for the new mac pro. 

i like staring from scratch. i feel i always have too much baggage. you still need to re-authorize NI libraries and some software no matter how you do it. 
there is a ton of preference files and random things that we collect during a long period. 
and sometimes there is a bunch of random apps that get demoed, decide not to use them and those files stay there.


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## Greg (Mar 14, 2020)

Fresh install without a doubt! I tried the migration assistant and it sort of worked but so many things were messed up that I would have saved time and a lot of frustration by just doing a fresh install. I was very close to having to wipe the system and fresh install anyway but the fires seem to be put out for now


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## Wunderhorn (Mar 14, 2020)

You can only migrate without major hiccups if your old system is also already running Catalina.
Mine did not and I did not want to have Catalina on my previous MP (worst MacOS upgrade ever).
Migration assistant is a real piece of shit because it does not let you sufficiently choose what exactly you want to include or exclude in your migration.
I opted for a clean install. Painful. Long winded. But in the end worth it as you leave a lot of accumulated leftovers behind. Regardless of whether getting a new computer or not - every couple of years it totally makes sense to build the system from scratch. Keeps it snappier and rules out potential problems from building up.


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## Prockamanisc (Mar 14, 2020)

Spend the 2 days and reinstall everything. I do that on every new machine. Sometimes, when I wanna be really obsessive, I even download all of my samples fresh, too.


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## Jack Weaver (Mar 14, 2020)

Yes, my current Mac Pro is Mojave and of course, the new Mac Pro is Catalina.

Also last December I lost two RAID's and had to download and install 'way too many libraries. I finally loaded and got working the last one this week. I'll be loading all the sample libraries from SATA and eSATA SSD's to NVMe's on Highpoint PCIe cards. I got a NAS backup system to put together also. 

.


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## Jack Weaver (Mar 14, 2020)

One thing I forgot to ask. 

If I do a clean install, how do I reinstall Logic Pro?


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## onebitboy (Mar 14, 2020)

Open App Store, download it again, done.


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## Jack Weaver (Mar 14, 2020)

Perfect


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## Nick Batzdorf (Mar 14, 2020)

Saxer said:


> I'd try the Migration Assistent.



Yeah, that's what I've done every time. It really does do a good job of saving you from having to set up the new machine from scratch.

Now, the conventional wisdom is that you always want to do a clean install... but man, that would take me days. Yeah there's a chance that you can import cruft, but I don't care. All those preferences to set up again, old emails, texts... no thanks.

But then I still have a folder on my system drive with the contents of the G3 I had probably 20 years ago.


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## Jack Weaver (Mar 14, 2020)

Oooooo.......G3. I had totally repressed that memory.

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## JT3_Jon (Mar 14, 2020)

On my previous upgrade I migrated, but on my latest Im currently reinstalling everything, and it’s a PITA, but hopefully worth the extra effort. I must admit, my system was getting very bloated (still had Cubase v6 and logic 9 among other programs that I had stopped using or no longer worked through OS upgrades), and seeing the new Mac so clean makes me happy. I’m also doing it in stages, grabbing what I need to work, and keeping a list of stuff to eventually install. As for preferences, if I really am frustrated I just power on the old Mac and drag and drop the preference files. I’m assuming this is the same as migration but this way I’m only migrating exactly what I want. Thanks to ethernet and file/screen sharing this is very easy.


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## Nick Batzdorf (Mar 14, 2020)

Jack Weaver said:


> Oooooo.......G3. I had totally repressed that memory.



The G3 got superseded pretty quickly by the G4 - not just for me, but in general.


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