Overview
When you get a new device, the replace device wizard helps you transfer files, move your backup, and update settings. If you are switching from one operating system to another (like going from Windows to Mac), there are some limitations on what can be transferred. This article describes the limitations of replacing a device with a different operating system than your current device.
These instructions apply to users working at endpoint devices with CrashPlan app version 5.1 and later. They do not include transferring Windows user settings (USMT data).
To work with older versions of the CrashPlan app, the CrashPlan console, or USMT data, select the appropriate article from Use CrashPlan to simplify device migration.
Limitations
If you replace your current device with a device that has a different operating system, the replace device wizard notifies you that "There are some limitations when operating systems don't match". These limitations affect what you can transfer and your backup file selection.
File transfer
Step 2 of the replace device wizard prompts you to transfer files from your previous device to your new device. When transferring files from a device with a different operating system than your current device (for example, transferring files from Windows to Mac):
- All files transferred will inherit permissions from your device's current user. The option to transfer files with their original permissions is disabled when transferring files to a different operating system.
- Some file metadata may be lost when downloading files to a different operating system if it is not supported by the operating system to which the files are downloaded.
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Filenames containing characters that are illegal on the operating system you download to cannot be downloaded to that device. Download those files from the web instead.
Backup file selection
Step 3 of the replace device wizard transfers settings from your previous device to your current device. This includes transferring the file paths from your backup file selection on the previous device to the current device. However, because different operating systems have different file-system hierarchies, the CrashPlan app can’t transfer these paths to the new file system when the operating system has changed.
The following examples illustrate the difference between replacing a device with the same operating system and replacing a device with a different operating system.
Example A: Mac to Mac
In this example, Lili backed up a Mac device. Then, she used the replace device wizard to replace it with a different Mac device.
- Previous device's file selection: /Users/Liliana
- Current device's file selection: /Users/Lili
On the current device, the previous device's file selection is shown under the path relative to the original device: /Users/Liliana. Because that folder doesn't exist on the current device, it's shown as missing.
Example B: Mac to Windows
In this example, Lili backed up a Mac device. Then, she used the replace device wizard to replace that device with a Windows device.
On the current device, the previous device's file selection doesn't have a relative equivalent on Windows. Instead, the previous device's main drive is shown as Root at the same level as the main drive on the current device (C:). If Lili had replaced a Windows device with a Mac device, the Window device's drive would display as C: on the new device. Like the example above, because the file path does not exist on the current device, it is shown as missing.
In both examples, you cannot browse the contents of your previous device's file selection. You can only view and manage the top-level folders included in your file selection from a previous device.
Confirm your file selection
Although the replace device wizard automatically updates your file selection, you should confirm your file selection on your new device to make sure you are backing up everything you need. A few file paths are completely different across operating systems. For example, the "Movies" folder on macOS is a different filepath than the "Videos" folder on Windows.
Whether the device you replace has the same operating system or a different operating system than your current device, you should use caution when updating your file selection.
If you remove folders selected from your previous device, there is no way to add them back because the paths do not exist on your new device. Additionally, you will lose all version history from the previous device. To keep your version history, keep the previous device selected indefinitely.
If you do not want to keep your version history, and you want to remove your previous device from your file selection, let your backup reach 100% first. Deselecting files before the CrashPlan app has backed up the file locations on your new device deletes the files from your backup archive and there is no way to recover them. For more details, see our information on managing files after replacing your device.