Getting files back

Where your files went after the migration

Updated 2026-10-30 · 4 min read

Migration Assistant doesn't delete anything from the old Mac, so missing files are usually in another account, in iCloud, or in a category that wasn't ticked. Check them in that order, then move the files across.

Check which account you're in first

Often the files did arrive, in a different account from the one you're looking at. Open Finder, choose Go > Computer, open Macintosh HD, then the Users folder. Or in Terminal:

ls /Users

You'll see one folder per account, plus Shared. If the migrated account is there as well as the one you set the new Mac up with, log out and log in to the migrated one. Its Desktop, Documents and Downloads are the ones from the old Mac.

Two facts from Apple help here. Migration Assistant doesn't delete anything from the old Mac, so whatever is missing is still there. And a migrated administrator account uses the password you set during the transfer (Set Password), while a standard account gets a temporary password shown onscreen, which you replace at first login.

A second account, by design

Apple's support page describes what happens when an account with the same name already exists on the new Mac. You choose to either replace the new Mac's account with the old Mac's, or rename the old account before it's transferred. Renaming keeps both accounts, and you log in to each separately. That's a second home folder, and the files you expected in the first one are in the second.

If you chose to replace, Apple says you might have been offered to keep the replaced account's data by moving it to the Deleted Users folder. Apple's guide to deleting users puts that folder at /Users/Deleted Users, so look there if something you made on the new Mac before migrating has vanished.

Move files between accounts

Another account's Desktop, Documents and other private folders are closed to you; only its Public folder can be read. The place built for sharing is /Users/Shared, which every account can write to:

1. Log in to the account that has the files.
2. Copy them into Macintosh HD > Users > Shared.
3. Log in to the other account and copy them out.

What the Shared folder is and how it behaves covers the details. Copy the folders you need, such as Documents, Desktop and Pictures, rather than the whole home folder, which also holds that account's Library and settings.

Files that were in iCloud, not on the disk

If Desktop & Documents syncing to iCloud was on, the old Mac's Desktop and Documents lived in iCloud Drive, and with storage optimisation some files may only have been in iCloud, with nothing local to migrate. On a Mac with that setting on, the real Desktop folder is:

~/Library/Mobile Documents/com~apple~CloudDocs/Desktop

On the new Mac, sign in with the same Apple Account (Apple ID on macOS 13 and 14), turn on iCloud Drive and its Desktop & Documents option, and give it time to download. The setting moves between macOS versions, so search System Settings for "iCloud Drive". Until it's on, the new Desktop can look empty, which is easy to mistake for lost files.

Things Migration Assistant asks you to choose

After it calculates how much space your information uses, Migration Assistant lists categories with a checkbox beside each, and Apple says you can click a category's disclosure arrow to pick specific items inside it. Anything unticked doesn't come across. The usual gaps:

• An account you didn't tick. Each account on the old Mac is its own item in the list.
• Files outside the home folder, or on another disk attached to the old Mac.
• A transfer that was stopped early. Apple notes that large transfers can take hours and may seem to pause.

You can run Migration Assistant again from the Utilities folder, or copy the files across yourself from the old Mac or a backup. If you've already done real work on the new Mac, back it up first, so a second run can't replace anything you'd miss. What to save before a clean install has a checklist that applies here too, and consolidating files from several Macs helps if you're merging more than one.

Searching for one file by name

Everywhere indexes the whole new Mac, but never another account's private folders, so log in to the account the files should be in before you search, or move them to Shared first. Type a word from a file name you remember: the folder under each result names the account it's in, as in /Users/<name>/Documents, and path:Shared limits the list to the Shared folder. It also needs Full Disk Access before it can look in Desktop, Documents and Downloads.

Common questions

Why are my files missing after Migration Assistant?

Often they're in a different user account. Check the Users folder on Macintosh HD for a second account, which appears if an account with the same name already existed and you chose to rename the old one.

Did Migration Assistant delete my files from my old Mac?

No. Apple says it doesn't delete information from your old Mac or replace the new Mac's operating system. If something didn't arrive, it's still on the old Mac.

Why did Migration Assistant create a new user?

If an account with the same name existed on the new Mac, it asks whether to replace it or rename the old one. Renaming keeps both accounts, so you log in to each separately.

How do I move files from one user to another on a Mac?

Log in to the account that has them and copy them into /Users/Shared. Then log in to the other account and copy them out. Other accounts' private folders, such as Documents, aren't open to you.