Hello Tim,

Perhaps you might want to use your Time Machine backup to replace everything in your new machine hard disk with the latest contents of that backup...?
I think you can do that if you boot the machine from the Recovery system (restarting the machine with the Option key pressed) and the TimeMachine disk connected.

Or perhaps only the contents of your user directory? To do that, I think you can select TimeMachine icon on the Dock, with the Control key pressed, and choosing "Browse other TimeMachine disks..."

Best regard,

Nobumi Iyanaga
Tokyo,
Japan

On May 20, 2014, at 2:50 PM, THDW <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> I have just bought a new MacBook Air to replace an older, similar machine. Both are running the latest version of Mavericks.
> 
> I can got the machines to collaborate over the migration of files. I have tried both via wifi and with a Time Machine backup saved to an external disk but Migration Assistant on the old machine, once the two machines have identified the source for the new files, quits and reboots,
> 
> I have discovered on the web that there is a recognised problem with Mavericks. It is something to do with logging out of a virtual disk and there are suggested work arounds of going into Console and typing stuff.
> 
> All that is too complicated for me.
> 
> Can anyone kindly suggest a simple way in which I can migrate everything from one machine to the other? I have the two Airs plus an external drive.