Question To clone or not to clone ?

[zooterist]

I am going to buy a MacBook Pro in the near future and will be transitioning away from my 2019 iMac. The last time I transitioned from an older Mac to a newer one, I had to re-enter software license numbers anew to start the apps back up--software like MS Office, Parallels, and others. Sometimes when you can't find your old license numbers and the makers of the software will not provide it, your only option is to buy the app again.

Which makes me wonder whether I should clone my old Mac's hard drive and superimpose that clone onto the new Mac's hard drive. However, Apple now uses its own M4 chips rather than Intel's chips, so I'm wondering 1) whether cloning is even possible in this situation and 2) whether it's advisable to do so because I might be permanently damaging the new MacBook pro if do it.

Does anyone here know the answers to these questions and is willing to offer informed advice?

 

[COLGeek]

This won't work. Going from one hardware baseline (x86) to another (M4) requires a completely different OS installation. You are just going to have to do the other way and reinstall everything on the new configuration if you expect it to work.

 

[JacobLaw]

I am going to buy a MacBook Pro in the near future and will be transitioning away from my 2019 iMac. The last time I transitioned from an older Mac to a newer one, I had to re-enter software license numbers anew to start the apps back up--software like MS Office, Parallels, and others. Sometimes when you can't find your old license numbers and the makers of the software will not provide it, your only option is to buy the app again. Which makes me wonder whether I should clone my old Mac's hard drive and superimpose that clone onto the new Mac's hard drive. However, Apple now uses its own M4 chips rather than Intel's chips, so I'm wondering 1) whether cloning is even possible in this situation and 2) whether it's advisable to do so because I might be permanently damaging the new MacBook pro if do it.

Does anyone here know the answers to these questions and is willing to offer informed advice?

You should not clone your Intel-based iMac drive to an Apple Silicon MacBook Pro, in my opinion. Using Apple's Migration Assistant, which is designed to move your data and applications without triggering compatibility or license issues, is the safest option. Cloning could cause more problems than it's worth since it might interfere with the new design and introduce problems with legacy software. For a safer, more seamless transfer, stick with Migration Assistant. Reinstall or reauthorize applications as necessary. In this manner, you steer clear of any unpleasant shocks with your new Mac. Good luck with your migration!