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I have a question. I have purchased a new MacBook Pro 14" (M2 Silicon Chip). My old computer was a 2013 iMac (intel based). I used Apple's Migration Assistant to migrate the data from the older iMac (running Catalina 10.15.17) to my new MacBook.

While there were a few hiccups, most of the apps seem to be working fine. However, I am noticing that "Bootcamp Assistant" is now listed as a hidden app under the /system/applications/utility folder. I tried removing it manually via the UI and then using a linux terminal (sudo -Rf "bootcamp utility.app"), but it seems the file cannot be deleted.

I even went hard core and booted the new Macbook into recovery mode and used the csrutil disable command to disable the System Integrity Protection (SIP), but upon rebooting, I still was unable to delete the file.

Any advice? I don't like having phantom files like this kicking around, even if they are hidden. How did this happen? Is this a bug with Migration Assistant? Shouldn't MA have filtered this out as part of the migration?

Update: When I say "hidden", I am referring to the Bootcamp Assistant not showing up under Applications/Utilities

Application/Utilities

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    Wait till I tell you about all the thousands of files in the OS that you'll never use, like the script files for 56K Modems.
    – benwiggy
    Jul 24 at 9:45
  • You never know... after the apocalypse...!
    – Andy Griffiths
    Jul 24 at 9:54

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Bootcamp is in a standard Apple Silicon OS install image, even though it's purpose is Windows support on Intel, nothing to do with the Migration Assistant, and not a bug. Migration Assistant doesn't copy the OS from the source machine, just your data. The OS is installed as a downloaded image before your data is copied.

You can't delete it because the standard macOS components are members of the 'Sealed System Volume' or SSV. This has been the norm since macOS 11.

See this Apple article for more information.

As to an aversion to 'phantom code', most executables are now Universal binaries, containing both Apple Silicon and Intel code. This is for portability and eases App distribution.

Bootcamp is visible via Spotlight search, so it's hardly oxymoronically 'listed as hidden'.

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  • Thanks for the detailed response Andy. I apologize for my lack of context in my original posting. When I said "hidden" I simply meant that the Bootcamp Assistant was not showing up under Applications/Utilities. Let me update my original posting with a screenshot.
    – Derek Megyesi
    Jul 24 at 14:54

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