Using imac boot drive as external disk (target mode)

[jerusalem.mancrieff]

Hey all
I just picked up a 2013 mac pro 6 and was hoping to use it in conjunction with my 2017 imac - so I could boot either the mac pro or imac in target disk and utilize the imac as a monitor for both systems - only to find that imacs w retinas don't support target display mode. Major bummer.

My new thinking is to remove my imac's boot drive, enclose it in an external casing, and pick up an external monitor.

My question is, will I be able to mount the imac drive as an explorable disk to transfer data between the mac pro (booted disk) or would I have to boot from one disk OR the other and use a third drive to transfer data between the two systems?

 

[Juicy Box]

My question is, will I be able to mount the imac drive as an explorable disk to transfer data between the mac pro (booted disk) or would I have to boot from one disk OR the other and use a third drive to transfer data between the two systems?

I read this a few times, but am unsure what you are trying to do. Maybe I am just tired.

 

[chscag]

My question is, will I be able to mount the imac drive as an explorable disk to transfer data between the mac pro (booted disk) or would I have to boot from one disk OR the other and use a third drive to transfer data between the two systems?

You should be able to mount the iMac drive (that's in an external case) from your Mac Pro and transfer data between the iMac drive and the Mac Pro. The drive from the iMac will act just like any other external drive. You do not have to boot from the iMac drive to do the transfers. If you're planning on running programs from the iMac drive while it's in the external case, then you would need to boot from it.

 

[jerusalem.mancrieff]

@chscag Perfect. Thank you! One other question - would I be able to access the mac pro drive in the same fashion if i were to boot from the external imac drive?

 

[chscag]

One other question - would I be able to access the mac pro drive in the same fashion if i were to boot from the external imac drive?

Yes, that will likewise work. I do the same thing when I boot from one of my bootable external hard drives. It's actually a way that I use on occasion to do repairs or replace files.

 

[Mr_Brightside_@]

It may just be easier to get the Apple Thunderbolt 3 to 2 adaptor and a Thunderbolt cable. No drive removal needed. It is bidirectional.

 

[Fishrrman]

"My new thinking is to remove my imac's boot drive, enclose it in an external casing, and pick up an external monitor."

It makes NO SENSE - NONE - to me why anyone would want to pry open a relatively new 2017 iMac just to "use the drive" with another computer.

Why not get an EXTERNAL USB3 SSD, use CarbonCopyCloner to clone the contents of the iMac's drive to the SSD, and use that instead?

 

[bigrell486]

"My new thinking is to remove my imac's boot drive, enclose it in an external casing, and pick up an external monitor."

It makes NO SENSE - NONE - to me why anyone would want to pry open a relatively new 2017 iMac just to "use the drive" with another computer.

Why not get an EXTERNAL USB3 SSD, use CarbonCopyCloner to clone the contents of the iMac's drive to the SSD, and use that instead?

100% Agreed. All OP needs is a NAS. You don't really even need that. While a NAS would be optimal, you could alternatively just set up a shared folder and place all the files you need to access in there.

However, it sounds like they are trying to use the same applications on both computers and may not have the installers/license keys anymore? Otherwise, I cannot understand why someone would want to go through such unnecessary lengths to share data between computers.

 

[hobowankenobi]

100% Agreed. All OP needs is a NAS. You don't really even need that. While a NAS would be optimal, you could alternatively just set up a shared folder and place all the files you need to access in there.

However, it sounds like they are trying to use the same applications on both computers and may not have the installers/license keys anymore? Otherwise, I cannot understand why someone would want to go through such unnecessary lengths to share data between computers.

Agreed.

OP:

Clone the drive to an external. No need for surgery. Use SuperDuper (free version), or the free demo of CCC....or any of the other free tools out there to make a simple, bootable, exact clone of the internal drive to an external of your choice, including USB.