Santa bringing you a new Mac this year? We hope so too! Just in case, we put together a little refresher on moving or transferring Sandvox (and your websites created with Sandvox) to a new Mac.
Don’t fret—it’s easy to do. There are just a few things to be aware of before you get started. This quick article will have you prepared in minutes.
When setting up a new Mac, Migration Assistant will ask if you wish to transfer files and settings from an existing Mac. If you're able to, this is the easiest and simplest process to follow, leaving your new Mac set up just like the old, with Sandvox all ready to go.
But if you find yourself needing to manually move over Sandvox to a new Mac, read on to learn how…
Sandvox is available from two different on-line stores: the Mac App Store and the Karelia Software Store. The process for moving Sandvox to another Mac differs slightly depending on where you purchased it. We detail below how to make a smooth transition for either scenario.
Installing Sandvox on a new Mac
To install Sandvox on a new Mac, the first thing you’ll need to do is remember or figure out where you purchased your license. There’s a very quick way to check. If you launch Sandvox and the second item under the “Sandvox” menu is “Check for Updates…” it was purchased directly from Karelia; otherwise, it was purchased through the Mac App Store.
Mac App Store
If you purchased Sandvox through the Mac App Store, just launch the App Store app on your new Mac, sign in using the same Apple ID used to purchase Sandvox, and download a fresh copy of Sandvox to your new Mac from the App Store’s Purchases tab. (Hint: This would be a great time to re-install any other apps you purchased through the App Store.)
Karelia Store
If you originally purchased and downloaded Sandvox from Karelia, you can download the latest version right from this article. Just click the “Demo” button, locate it in your downloads folder and install it.
Tip: The “Demo” and “Download a Demo” buttons on our website always retrieve a full copy of the latest version of Sandvox which will run as a demo, with limited features, until it is unlocked with a license key.
Once Sandvox is installed, open the registration window by choosing “Sandvox > Buy/Register Sandvox…” to enter your license key.
If you purchased a Single User license, you can continue to use the license key from the old Mac as long as you will not be using Sandvox on the old Mac at the same time. If needed, you can purchase additional licenses straight from the Sandvox Registration window or from the Karelia Store.
Your Sandvox license key can be found in the email that we sent you when you purchased Sandvox from the Karelia Store. If you’ve lost your license key and need help finding it, you can easily look it up and we’ll email the key right to you.
Transferring Sandvox Site Documents
Normally, Sandvox documents contain all of the media that the website relies on, so they’ll transition across to a new Mac just fine. However it's possible for some individual objects to opt out of this. If all supporting media files are not copied into the site document before you move it, you’ll probably end up with missing media on the new Mac, and then on your website when you next publish.
So, the best thing to do is simply use “Copy Files into Document…” from the File menu before you transfer your document. It will let you know if any files needed to be copied in, and if the document now needs saving to reflect that.
Transferring your Site documents works the same way regardless of where you purchased Sandvox. Simply copy your .sandvox files from the old Mac to the new Mac. To quickly find all the Sandvox documents on the old Mac, open a Finder window and type “kind:sandvox” into the search field. (You probably also want to make sure that “This Mac” is selected so you don’t miss any!) Then, you can transfer the documents you find over to your new Mac using a flash drive, AirDrop, Dropbox, or any other method that is convenient for you.
Removing Sandvox from an old Mac
If you aren’t keeping your old Mac, either throw Sandvox into the the Trash, or launch it and click “Clear License” in the Sandvox Registration window. If you’re a Mac App Store user, remember to launch the App Store app and choose “Sign Out” from the “Store” menu so that whoever gets the old Mac can’t access your account.
Plug-Ins and Third Party Designs
If you have Sandvox plug-ins or third party designs installed on the old Mac, you’ll need to install them again on the new Mac to make sure your Sandvox documents look and function the same. Because installed plug-ins and designs are stored deep in a set of nested folders not normally accessible from the Finder — especially if you are using the Mac App Store edition of Sandvox — it will be easier to just download and install fresh copies of your third party plug-ins and designs on the new Mac. To install a freshly downloaded plug-in or design on your new Mac, simply double-click it in the Finder to open it; Sandvox will take care to install it in the proper place.
Of course, we’ll be here to help should you ever run into trouble.
Our best wishes for a happy holiday season—one that’s filled with good times, lots of cheer, and yes, the joy of a new Mac!