What To Do When You Get a New Mac 

Gary, I really enjoy your videos. I switched from MS several years ago and continue to gain knowledge about the Mac universe. Your videos help me tremendously. Seventy Two years young tomorrow and I love computing. Thank you for imparting your knowledge.

Gary, I've been a Mac user for years, but I still learn something from almost every one of your videos. This week, it paid off as my old Mac Mini (2012 version) began dying a slow, painful death (disk controller intermittently failing). Rather than repair it, I decided to replace it with a new Mac Mini M2. Wow, what a difference! This video was extremely helpful, as were the videos on using Time Machine and iCloud. Your channel is one of only two to which I subscribe. Thank you for all you do!

Very helpful and informative video! Thank you, Gary! ❤️

I just got a new MacBook Air a few days ago so this was perfect timing. Thank you!

I'm new to the mac world and your expertise and advice is appreciated. Great channel. Thank you.

From a new Macbook user, thank you so much. Your videos are a great help.

Outstanding info, Gary. Thanks so much!

These are all great suggestions and I agree 100%. The only thing I would add (and this is not just for a new Mac but ongoing) is to leave your Mac (i.e. your MacBook Pro) plugged in overnight (at least occasionally). I may be a special case but I take my MBP to bed almost every night to watch videos while I wind down. Unfortunately, updates will not automatically install unless your Mac is plugged in.

You are a legend Gary! Thank you and happy holidays!

Great video.filled with lots of common sense. Thanks

Thank you for Sharing. Happy 2023!!!🥳🥳🥳 Greetings from Cabo Verde Islands. Cheers😃😃

Thanks Gary. This helped me set up my new macbook. I alway go to your channel first when I am looking for information concerning my Apple devices.

Thanks. Straight to the point.

Very timely advice Gary. Thank you! I ordered a new MacBook Air yesterday, to replace my aging iMac, and will be putting your recommendations, into practice next week.

Great video as usual. I knew most of the stuff but learned shine new things

Thank you very much. Absolutely fantastic and helpful video.

Really useful as always.

Great information as always. Thanks

This is all solid advice. Thanks.

Thanks for the videos mate I'm new to Mac very happy but its a new world

Dear Gary. I'm new to Apple ecosystem. I got an iPad pro (used) last November, and a basic model of Mac mini M1 on last December. Your chanel is one of the best I found so far on RU-vid. Your tips and advices are spot on. You already helped me a lot twice with my new Mac mini M1. And last February I got a MacBook 12" (used). I got it for two major reasons: fanless and portability. I'll be using it on my trips. For someone that always used MS Windows, is interesting that in a short span of few months I got three Apple products; and so far no regrets at all. In face of your helpful videos I subscribed to your chanel. Thanks a lot for you good work in helping us, specially the new ones to Apple.

Your videos are the best ever.. Many thanks!

I have a new M3 coming to replace my 27” 2015 Intel i3 iMac and have been on the fence on how to set up the new one. I think I’m just going to start fresh and install the apps from the App Store - and use iCloud for repopulating my files. Thanks for the discussion 👍🏽

reminds me of when I got my first mac which is the one I am writing this from back in june of 2020, I believe it was referbished as it came with mac OS catalina and according to the specs it was a 2017 model, 21 inch imac. first thing I did because I was coming from a windows pc as I never had a mac until then was get a feel for the operating system, as I am visually impaired I configured voiceover accordingly and explored what I could do first before installing some apps I wanted to use so my first option was to try and find apps on the app store that worked like those on IOS as I had been using twitter which was the first app I installed from there. even though the mac was referbished it felt new, fast, and ready to go, in fact it still feels this way now even on big sur which I freshly installed to avoid issues as I keep most of my stuff on microsoft one drive and dropbox

Thanks man!!!!

Good video, thank you.

Really have learned allot from your channel. Thanks.

Great points

I got a new MacBook Air today, this was so awesome! Greetings from Mexico 🇲🇽

Excellent!

Used migration from old macbook to new macbook pro worked great

TQSM! I am a first time Mac user. Sorry if my questions sound silly: 1) Must I fully charge my Mac before I do all the settings above and start using it? 2) Must I stop charging my Mac when it is fully charged or can I continue leaving it connected to the power source (charging) eg. overnight? (PS: love your videos - they are so clear and easy to understand)

Thank you

I recommend setting up a second account regardless. The second account is useful to use as a test bed. If something doesn't work in the user account, login to the second account and test. If it works in the second account and not in the user account, then a preference has probably corrupted. If it doesn't work in the second account, then it's a system issue or the app itself is defective. So this is just to determine where the problem is before you call Apple (or your local tech guru) for support.

Thanks

Thanks for the informative video . i am new to macbook world.

Todd Campbell Thanks Gary. I am new Apple user and found your video very helpful.

Ok, so I literally NEVER subscribe to a RU-vid channel as with most I only find one or two vids interesting. Your channel is a treasure trove though. So much fund knowledge put into really helpful videos. I am one of those late PC to Mac switchers and would have never guessed there's so much you should know about. THANKS!!

Keep going on Gary

Thanks for the clarification about using file vault on mac books! (& time machine BU) I stopped using it after genius advice. this sounds smarter!

Really liking your latest videos! They are still very macmost but feel much more fresh in terms of content. Did you consider making one about deep settings that most people don't know about?

I heard you talk about the not shutting down your Mac tip in another video a couple of years ago and it changed my entire outlook on shutting down computers. I now never shut down my Mac! Thanks for explaining why Sleep is the better option.

TouchID: Set up the same finger multiple times increases accuracy / speed of touchID read.

Also when you migrate, if you have a large amount of data on the old mac, the peer to peer wifi doesnt work very well, it may stall or crap out. Better to backup to timemachine, then migrate from time machine.

Gary, you’re very informative! However, one issue with my new used mac laptop was my iCloud files taking over the storage on my now smaller hard disk space( 128gb flash). I finally figured out how to “ remove from download” these files so that they may stay in iCloud and not on my device. Would be a good video to talk about this and how to do the same for an iPad and iPhone. Thanks

Great, helpful video, Gary. Really useful tips and information. Thank you.

I watched your video on the new MacBook Air with the 15” screen. The only complaint I have with my 13” is that it’s hard to see. Well today I purchased the MacBook Air 15” with “trade-in” and I can pick it up at the Apple Store on the 29th. Thanks for this video it is very timely for me.

I just got a new MacBook Air last month, it’s my first Mac ever

Thanks you -- this appeared in my suggested videos at just the right time -- I'm about to replace my old Intel MacBook with a new M1 MacBook. Or maybe an M2 if I can scrape together the extra £250.

Hi, Thank you for this video. Very very helpful. I’m buying refurbished iPad and iMac from amazon. Do I still have to do the “Wiping “?

Hi Gary, so TimeMachine is my kryptonite. I do not have any backup but I recall in an earlier video you suggested purchasing one. Do you have a video regarding into to Time Machine or into to what backup to purchase for MacBook Air and how to install, etc...? My MacBook Air is from 2017 and once again I am thinking about trading this in for the new M1 but I have decided to wait until after the upcoming Apple event.

You are such a life saver. I was planning to buy a new mac because my old mac has been acting out for quite a while. But my big concern was "How to set up the new mac" and and I had no idea how to do that. Paying for it would cost me a lot too. So I had been worrying. Then I saw this video. I started thinking maybe I can do it by myself with the help of this video. God bless you!!

yahhooooooo lets go gary greeting from evening SINGAPORE

Great video, just a quick one i have a mid 2012 MacBook pro with SSD that I need to clone to a mac pro 2013 trash can would the best way to do this be using a enclosure for the SSD in the mac pro 2013?

Another thing, regarding time machine. Whenever I buy a new Mac, I can no longer keep using the time machine on this new computer. Or is there a way I can still check my old documents in the new Mac using Time Machine with its features?

I’m getting a new iMac to replace an ancient one (2009 vintage). My iTunes configuration is totally messed up. (I have all of the sort fields set up, but the indexing is messed up, so records don’t get properly sorted). And, yes, the version is still iTunes. I have Apple Music and the like, but I also have a large CD collection, so many tracks are downloaded from CDs rather than bought from Apple. The current Library is stored on an external drive. How do I transfer all of the tracks without having to do a second sweep to catch tracks Apple may consider flotsam & jetsam?

Hi Gary. Quick question, What is the difference between file vault on the Mac and "advanced data protection" on my iPhone? I have file vault on and Advanced Data Protection off currently...

Thanks for the video - just working on my new iMac now. I want to start afresh with not using migration as you mentioned but then you mentioned that we should create a time machine backup for the new one straight away. My external drive already has the backup of the old iMac so I am not sure what to do now? Do we delete this one, write over it with the new one, wait till the new Imac has all the files I need from the time machine? surely this is very important in the beginning to save the data in a time machine or am I looking at this all wrong?

In another video you did, you said it was better to use a Time Machine backup to migrate everything to the new Mac. Which is better?

Thanks for your videos they are superb with bitesize chunks and comprehensive coverage. When following 'What to do when you get a new Mac' on the FileVault section, my Mac has the FileVault on, yet I do not recall noting down a recovery key on setup. Should I have one or is it stored automatically in iCloud please? I have the latest 24-inch M1 iMac operating macOS Ventura v13.2

Whats the advice for docked MacBooks? Should you not shut those down where possible ?

Gary, should the new M1 macs be left plugged in at night ? Will they do their updates and maintainence while unplugged and sleeping ?

Could you clarify what you mean by restoring from Migration Assistant?. There are options to restore documents settings and applications, although you later say to reinstall or redownload some apps. Why would these apps not have been restored already with Migration Assistant? When restoring, is it recommended to NOT restore the Apps. If you do not do that, will we have to re-enter licenses and registration codes? Perhaps you would consider doing a tutorial on the best way to use Migration Assistant ?

Gary, your videos are fantastic. I have a question. How do I turn off the new environment that puts all your open documents on the side? It's driving me crazy.

I did a slow wipe of a new iMac then made two partitions. The first has everything on my older Mac mini with the older OS so I can use photoshop. Now I need to open the other partition and put the latest OS that it will bear. How do I get into it? Thanks Cheryl

Hi Gary - love the channel for years now! I have a mid-2012 MacBook Air and I'm upgrading to a new 2024 Air. I've watched all sorts of videos with regards to Migration Assistant. Wifi seems like the way to go although everyone says running a USB-C between the 2 computers will make the transfer faster. Do I not have that option with such an old machine?... it has 2 USB ports and a thunderbolt port that I don't recall ever using! I'm in no hurry, but with my luck, there will be a hiccup in the Wifi deep in the transfer process. Any advice would be appreciated... thanks Gary!

Gary is their a way to FileVault both AppleTv and Time machine because otherwise they are not protected which makes the Mac encryption pointless. ?

To see if it was already erased, you can start up the Mac normally once to see if it boots to the Setup Assistant. If it does not boot to the setup assistant, then you can hold the power button down until your Mac turns off to erase the drive and reinstall.

Hi Gary, wiping the disk is ok, but when and how do I do that? Do I first have to login with my AppleID or can I do that even before I install the new system?

Turn on Mac firewall.

Dear Gary, thank you very much for your comprehensive explanation. Can I ask you for some question? If I store all of my flies in the iCloud and I did not start a migration assistant . The new MacBook will recover all of my files? What about the application I still need to download?

[6:15] How do you remove accounts (globally) from the App Store you no longer use? I am moving from an Intel Mac to M1.

Do you want to use Migration Assistant if the new mac has less storage than the previous mac? I used my ssd drive. Thanks!

Just came back to this video. Just bought the Mrs a new Mac Air

Just in time - i got my first macbook pro yesterday... :-)

Minor point, but I surprisingly can not find the answer after looking for way to long. On my older Mac Book Pro, mid 2000 vintage you could change a folder's icon on the desktop to have the entire file name highlight in a color. My new M1 out of the box only places a colored dot in front of the file name. Is it possible to change it to the full colored name displayed folder?

Gary, I am moving from one company to another and have to turn in my current MacBook. Is there some way to inventory all of the apps on the current one? They’re not all from the App Store.

Gary - I have a MacBook Pro (purchased in 2020). I have the “Find My” activated within the Mac system. However, my iPhone indicates ‘no location found’ for it. My Mac and iPhone are signed into iCloud (my phone can find my iPod). My iPhone does display the icon for my Mac, but it can’t find it. The Mac is connected to the internet (it is directly plugged into my router, I have WiFi off because it’s not needed). Can you help?

Hi Gary, not sure if I do a migration from my old mac to the new is there a place not to move the apps so I can instal new ones?

Gary i just bought a new m2 iMac air. I don’t want to transfer any info from. Y old computer. What r the steps.

Can I migrate data from an old Macbook with Maverick os to new Macbook M1? Thanks

At 2:14 or so Gary said he didn't use MIGRATION ASSISTANT, but instead he used the iCloud method. He mentioned if you don't have all your data in the cloud then MA is OK. My question is if a icon or folder has a little cloud next to it that means the item is in the cloud? If no cloud then the item is local and not in the cloud? Sorry for being so wordy, old timer here.

I’ve always used my time machine backup drive to migrate to new Mac. Is this still ok. I just ordered the studio to replace my iMac.

I would setup 2 accounts even if I am using the Mac myself. One with supervisor privileges, and the other without. This would provide added security.

Hi Gary, thank you for your videos. I get alot of useful tips out of them. I would love you to make a video about the macs file version history like in pages, numbers etc. I have experimented with it a bit but am still confused. When I just use it locally it seems to store the versions in a central database, but when I move a file to iCloud drive it does not move the version history with it. If i make changes on a file already stored in iCloud it remembers these changes on the iCloud and they are available on all devices. I would like to start a new mac fresh but want to move my files including there version history. Hope you can make it more clear how the version history should be used and how it can be synced.

never did fire vault as to being afraid of forgetting password which i just won't unless i get amnesia and forgetting the recovery key, not sure what that consist of but dont won't to loss my data. how does that affect backing up, restoring computer or recovering stuff from time machine?

Could you make a video about how to wipe up and make fresh start with a mac. Mine is MacBook 2017 retina 12 inch. When I buy a new mac, I want to pretend that my old mac was used one and I want to clean it up ...because I am suspecting my old mac got infected with virus or something or who knows what. So I want to start over everything as if I am the new owner. Can you make a video about how to clean up the whole thing and make a fresh start? It would be so useful for so many people like me. Thank you.

Thanks for the info 👍🏻 but I hear that music doesn’t go on the icloud. You forgot to mention that. You need to copy and paste using thumb drive or HDD. Samething for the Download folder. I may be missing a few mire things too.

When using Setup Assistant and transferring info from an old Mac, does it not move over the applications you have on the old Mac? 6:20 you are talking about downloading apps from the Mac App Store that you already purchased, and then after that you are talking about apps purchased elsewhere.

Gary. Thanks for the video. I've had a lot of Macs and I set them all up at the beginning with an Admin account that I don't use day to day, skipping all the requests to sign in to iCloud, etc during the Setup process. I then add user accounts with appropriate iCloud and other internet accounts. The one thing I do add to the Admin is my Apple ID to allow it to install programs, turn on "find my Mac", etc. It's a bit cumbersome to set this up because Apple seems to default to the assumption that the account you are adding is your normal day-to-day account. I therefore have to "inactivate" things on the Admin when I add the Apple ID (e.g. Calendar for iCloud account, etc). Do you have a setup process that could be followed to ensure a consistent starting setup for the approach I'm describing?

5:33 What is time machine? I just got my 27" iMac 3.1GHz 6-core Intel Core i5 with Retina 5K display, today. Came with no touch pad, *Track Pad* ,,, do I have to buy one? Or was it supposed to come with it? Do I need it?

What if your old computer has an older version of MacOS because it wasn’t upgradable? Will Migration Assistant still work with two different versions of MacOS?

Enjoy your channel…Mac user since 2004. I have an old desktop Mac still running 10.9.5. I plan to get a new desktop within the next year. When I’ve previously purchased a new Mac, I've copied files from a back-up disk (not Time Machine) and it worked very easily - copy each folder, Documents, Music, Pictures etc. Since my last Mac, iTunes has been replaced by Music, iPhoto has been replaced by Photos and the directory / file names for the old apps and the new apps are considerably different. Will migration assistant work for me? is migration assistant smart enough to adjust directory /file names as necessary or will it just copy from my backup and put on the new machine with the OLD directory/filenames? It’s unclear to me what is the best way to transfer my data.

So sorry, I’ve had my Mac for years and only just about to start using time machine ( used different method before). Is that ok? You said to set up time machine when you first get your Mac. Is it ok to do it now with so much on my Mac already ?

Even more basic ... how do you get the new mac to recognize the trackpad and keyboard inputs so you can actually respond to the queries in the setup assistant? I have (1) new Mac Mini, (2) new magic keyboard w/numeric keypad, (3) new Apple track pad. I connected keyboard & trackpad with supplied usb cables (as recommended for new devices) and turned them on. I then turned on the Mac but could not get past the language selection screen. The up & down arrow keys on the keyboard seem to work but no response from the return key, no way to confirm choice and move on. No mouse cursor on screen either and no response from track pad. What am I doing wrong?

Hi Gary! I havea question for you…or I need an advise. I have a 2010 iMac, there I setup four user account, but they all are “User” and I setup une account as “admin” with the “Administrator” privilege. I rarely go there, but when I need to make a change in the system, the system ask me the administrator name and password. Do you think it’s a good idea like that on a new Macbookair ? What would be the “Con’t” of doing this way on a new M1 Macbook?

How do you transfer data from on old mac to a new mac if you trade in the old mac first? this is why I am leery of trading in a mac.

Great information! What I wanna know is how do I easily clean up all the extra things that seem to download like HTML code and duplicate files that I have no idea where they came from. If you could point me, I would be so grateful.

set up new mac. son did the migration. i trust him. he knows what he is doing. now in the migration Word did not come over nor did all the info i had on Notes and there are no stickies. any way to get that information onto my new mac? it doesn't have to be every single note or stickie note but some I really need. And word is a big deal. i still have everything on my old computer and i am using those things that did not transfer on the old one. i don't have a clue what icloud is all about is there a video or something i can watch to get me up to speed. thank you. i originally got a mac because it was so user friendly for a new user. that was me 15 years ago. i have tried to keep up but its not working so well. not a click a play world anymore. but i have to keep it simple otherwise my time is all taken up with learning new things that i never get a chance to use before they become obsolete and i have to learn something new. i really appreciate this mac service. so does my son. i am not bugging him every minute with questions. thanks again.

Why no audio here when other RU-vid have audio right now?