Move entire data, files & drivers etc over to a new computer

Greetings one and all.. I have to change my windows 10 computer. Thinking of getting a apple mac. Can you explain process to transfer over my native instruments data, drivers etc from one computer to another, also how to switch from windows laptop to mac desktop. As you probably worked out by now , I'm not at all computer savy. Need your help big time.

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Gforce

Old laptop cannot cope with data. Storage issues.

Jojo123

Im on Mac. Will come back to that in a minute. Whatever platform you go for you'll first will need to re-install all the Applications freshly as you cant just copy those. Same goes for any drivers. I know Content libraries can be copied from one system to another of the same platform but Im not sure from PC to Mac. You may have to download those again. What ever you do it will all need to be authorized through NA .

If you go Mac direction I would strongly recommend that you definitely sort out what your needs are beforehand. You dont want to end up with a underpowered system or one that falls short of your expectation. You cant upgrade RAM and internal storage once you've got your machine, so again, figure out what your requirements are. Very important. Many people go for external SSDs including myself, as Apple charge exhorbitant prices for extra storage space and more RAM. Never skimp on RAM. I wouldn't go for 8GB. At least 16 and more if you can afford it.

These days I wouldn't recommend anything less than a 1TB internal drive and thats only if you get added external storage. You'll need much more if you dont plan to go the external SSD route and use NI stuff. Of course if you only have plans on running a small part of whats availble from NI, then you can adjust accordingly but be aware in the install process the system drive is used temporarily to unpack the libraries and this can take more than double the size of the library.

You'll want to make sure any external SSDs are formatted APFS as many fall into the trap of installing content libraries on an ExFat formatted disk such as the popular Samsung T5s and T7s which I have, only to find out later that things dont run well.

This should get you started with some basics. Have a look around the NI site as there's some good info to help you get an idea of where you're going. Theres also videos on youtube that can be helpful.

Gforce

Thanks Jojo 23. I really appreciate you taking the time to answer my enquiry.

I will take all your advice on board before making a decision. I'm unsure which computer should invest ( mac or Windows). Could you say a bit more about pros and cons for each types.

Kind regards.

red_nick

Major con of mac: poor internal storage options. If you get a macbook you cannot upgrade the internal storage, whereas you can on most Windows laptops (do check before purchasing though)

Jojo123

I have a Mac, WIndows, and Linux system. What they each are designated to do works for me, but I have no allegiance to any of them. Im reasonably familiar with all those systems but Ive only used Mac for music. One thing you can be sure of, all systems will eventually throw you a curveball or two. So for stability, there's a lot of variables on either system (PC or Mac).

Mac has more influence of what exactly goes into their machines so their QC is likely to be tighter than PCs, especially custom-made, which are likely more of a mongrel setup. The components are more varied and thus less tested. But all this is a moving target. Much depends on you identifying a ballpark figure of what your needs are, how much money comes into it, then researching diligently so you get the best value. Theres no point buying a monster system if all you are going to run is a few tracks with not too many resource hogs in the mix. If you have a little time on your side then use that to your advantage -research research research and dont be afraid to ask yourself the tough questions and work out how much headroom/future proofing you need.

Mac, as has been said, charge like a wounded bull for RAM and larger SSD and you're pretty much stuck with what you purchase, unless you get a Mac Pro, but thats a very niche product with a price tag to match and they dont come out that often for obvious reasons.. Then you have to wait sometimes 2 OSes before people like NI become compatible. And Apple change their OS too often, so you have to keep your eye on things like compatibility.

On these forums Mac users have caught a bit of flack for one thing or another, but one thing is for sure, both PC and Macs have their fair share of issues, and for sure those can be the same, like both want to get you in their walled garden and thats something I dont like. Id prefer going Linux but I haven't got time to faff around with too much geeky stuff. In my life Music making needs a stable system and Mac for me has been pretty good.

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