But not all adapters are known to work correctly in Target Disk Mode, so if you can, connect directly to the same port type. Using adapters to connect Thunderbolt to FireWire will usually work, as will Thunderbolt to USB-C. Ideally, you should connect similar ports that is FireWire to FireWire, Thunderbolt to Thunderbolt, or USB-C to USB-C. Connect the two computers with a FireWire or Thunderbolt cable.
This beneficial feature makes installation, large file transfer, troubleshooting, and critical backups very easy and fast. That may seem obvious, but it makes sense to point out that Target Disk Mode only works between two Macs you can’t chain multiple Macs together. Target Disk Mode is an useful feature that is offered to use with Mac computers which have Thunderbolt or FireWire ports and it enables you to use one Mac as an exterior drive on another host computer.
#Firewire cable for target disk mode how to#
I can't find a specific Apple KB reference, but the consensus seems to be that you need Firewire, Thunderbolt or USB-C USB 2 doesn't appear to be supported.įrom the MacSales blog - Mac OS 101: How to Boot and Use a Mac in Target Disk Mode