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Access Mac Pro HD through eMac

Silly John Fatty

Silly John Fatty

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Nov 6, 2012
1,806
518
Hello,


my Mac Pros graphics card is in repair, meaning I have no graphics card at the moment.

How can I access my files from my eMac? I heard USB will not work.
I don't have the right FireWire cable. But it's urgent…


Thanks!
 
What exactly is a network?

And no, these aren't enabled. I can't enable them either now, since I don't have a graphics card to enable these settings in the first place.
 
Jardins de Vin said:
What exactly is a network?

And no, these aren't enabled. I can't enable them either now, since I don't have a graphics card to enable these settings in the first place.
Click to expand...
Then you're pretty much left with transferring the files over FireWire Target Disk Mode, as I don't know how you would enable File Sharing without a GPU/connected display. I always enable File Sharing on my Macs, in System Preferences > Sharing.

By network connection I basically mean the Mac needs to have a Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection. Your network is what all your computers connect to over Wi-Fi or Ethernet, and is generally managed by your router.
 
Okay, I'll try to quickly get a FireWire cable then! Thanks.

Edit: Is it still possible to access the files with the FW cable when the Mac Pro has no graphics card? Is this what "for this" meant?
 
Jardins de Vin said:
Edit: Is it still possible to access the files with the FW cable when the Mac Pro has no graphics card? Is this what "for this" meant?
Click to expand...

Yes. You would boot the Mac Pro into Target Disk Mode by holding T at boot as it chimes and then connecting the FireWire cable to the eMac. The Mac Pro's hard drive(s) will appear as external disks on the eMac.
 
Jardins de Vin said:
Okay, I'll try to quickly get a FireWire cable then! Thanks.

Edit: Is it still possible to access the files with the FW cable when the Mac Pro has no graphics card? Is this what "for this" meant?
Click to expand...

I meant your mac could boot up without a graphic card installed.
So if you had set the File Sharing to On, the eMac could access
its HDDs over the network (ethernet, wifi). Target Disk Mode
is also an option if you have the cable.

By the way, your Mac Pro has FW800 ports while the eMac has FW400 ports.
So you will also need a FW400 to FW800 adapter or buy a FW400 to FW800
cable.
 
Hey guys,


I bought the right cable (FW 400 to 800) and connected both macs.

Yesterday everything worked fine. I have two drives in my Mac Pro, a standard hard drive and an SSD. The SSD is the important one. Today it stopped appearing on my eMacs desktop. I have no idea why, because yesterday it worked. Today only the hard disk drive would appear.

I tried turning off both macs and restarting several times, but nothing.


I thought it may have something to do with how I turned off the Mac Pro yesterday. I didn't know how so basically I just hold the power button, but the light instantly turned off. It seemed like the Mac was turned off. Normally that would put it in sleep, but then the small white light would be turned on and go "up and down" just like on the emac but it didn't do that. Since the MP has no screen I didn't know if it was on or not.

Any idea?
That's so annoying because I must prepare something really important for work for Thursday… and now this happens and I have no access to my stuff,…

Thanks!
 
Jardins de Vin said:
Hey guys,


I bought the right cable (FW 400 to 800) and connected both macs.

Yesterday everything worked fine. I have two drives in my Mac Pro, a standard hard drive and an SSD. The SSD is the important one. Today it stopped appearing on my eMacs desktop. I have no idea why, because yesterday it worked. Today only the hard disk drive would appear.

I tried turning off both macs and restarting several times, but nothing.


I thought it may have something to do with how I turned off the Mac Pro yesterday. I didn't know how so basically I just hold the power button, but the light instantly turned off. It seemed like the Mac was turned off. Normally that would put it in sleep, but then the small white light would be turned on and go "up and down" just like on the emac but it didn't do that. Since the MP has no screen I didn't know if it was on or not.

Any idea?
That's so annoying because I must prepare something really important for work for Thursday… and now this happens and I have no access to my stuff,…

Thanks!
Click to expand...

I don't totally understand what you described about how you turn off the Mac Pro.

You might want to check the procedure here:
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT1661

If you have followed the instructions strictly but the drive still doesn't show up.
It might have something to do with this issue:
https://support.apple.com/kb/TA24366?locale=en_US

Then I would buy a SATA to USB adapter, take the drive out and connect it to the
eMac using the adapter. Just hope the SSD is not dead.
 
Finally it did appear, but only after like 15 minutes, if not more. When I tried again today, the SSD appeared after 10 seconds maybe. It's weird.

Was this perhaps a sign that it is damaged?
 
Jardins de Vin said:
Finally it did appear, but only after like 15 minutes, if not more. When I tried again today, the SSD appeared after 10 seconds maybe. It's weird.

Was this perhaps a sign that it is damaged?
Click to expand...

Yes, perhaps, or the issue in the link I posted (which can be fixed by updating
the Mac Pro's firmware).
 
redheeler said:
@Jardins de Vin Do you have Screen Sharing and/or File Sharing enabled on the Mac Pro? Both these will work without a GPU installed, provided the Mac Pro is connected to your network.
Click to expand...

hi, i am just hopping into this thread to ask something....since you mentioned 'it will work without a gpu'...

yeah mine is not a desktop, but just wanting to know.

So, in the event i hook up an iBook G3, which has a screen issue, which is due to the gpu.... can i use the mini vga port to get a display on an external screen ?
 
redhatcode29 said:
hi, i am just hopping into this thread to ask something....since you mentioned 'it will work without a gpu'...

yeah mine is not a desktop, but just wanting to know.

So, in the event i hook up an iBook G3, which has a screen issue, which is due to the gpu.... can i use the mini vga port to get a display on an external screen ?
Click to expand...
Running an external display is dependent on the GPU, so not if it's a failed GPU.
 
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