If Target Disk Mode doesn't work...?

[Christina1971]

Hello all. I am the proud new owner of a C2D Macbook. My previous computer was a "grape" iMac G3/400 running 10.1.5, so you can see that I've really made a major upgrade.

I can't seem to start my iMac in Target Disk Mode. When I start up the computer while holding down T, the computer just boots up all the way. When I go to the Apple Documents for technical support, it says to ensure that I'm running the latest Firewire firmware, but I fear that those documents are written for someone with more computer knowledge than I; I've tried to download various firmware updaters but they seem to only work in Classic and for whatever reason, my own ignorance I'm sure, I'm still not able to get my iMac to do what it needs to do.

I wonder if anyone has any suggestions for me for how to get my stuff off the iMac and into the Macbook? I've read about this program called Carbon Copy Cloner, and I also have a completely unused (thus far) 30 GB iPod. Is it possible I can copy my (much smaller-- the hard drive on an iMac was about 11 GB) hard drive to the iPod, then transfer the info from the iPod to the Macbook? Or is there an easier way to do all of this?

Thanks very much in advance for your help.

 

[balamw]

You could boot the MacBook in target mode and access it from the iMac or network them together....

B

 

[Christina1971]

So if I'm understanding you correctly (sorry for having to ask for small words and visual aids! ) I would put the Macbook into Target disk mode, and then it'll pop up on my iMac as a disk, and I can drag files to it that way? How would I know what are the important things to copy to the MacBook?

 

[apfhex]

Does the iMac G3/400Mhz even support target disk mode??

Don't make this more complicated than it needs to be — go out and buy a cheap ethernet crossover cable and connect the two Macs, then just use file sharing to transfer whatever you need to.

 

[balamw]

Does the iMac G3/400Mhz even support target disk mode??

Don't make this more complicated than it needs to be — go out and buy a cheap ethernet crossover cable and connect the two Macs, then just use file sharing to transfer whatever you need to.

Assuming she's already got a Firewire cable, don't all Firewire equipped Macs support IP over Firewire too?

B

 

[Christina1971]

Does the iMac G3/400Mhz even support target disk mode??

I thought that all Firewire equipped Macs did, but I could be wrong.

I do have a Firewire cable.

I guess I have two concerns, as I think of this further; one is how to to get the two computers connected to each other. The second is how to know what needs to be transferred from the old Mac to the new one. That's where the Migration Assistant helps, but it sounds like that's not going to be something I can use.

 

[balamw]

Apple implies that you need 10.3 for IP over Firewire.

http://developer.apple.com/hardwaredrivers/firewire/ip_over_firewire.html

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=58583 provides a list of supported Macs.

The following models can be used as target computers:

* iMac (Slot Loading) with Firmware version 2.4 or later
* iMac (Summer 2000) and all models introduced after July 2000
* eMac (all models)
* Mac mini (all models)
* Power Mac G4 (AGP Graphics) with ATA drive
* Power Mac G4 Cube
* Power Mac G4 (Gigabit Ethernet) and all models introduced after July 2000
* Power Mac G5 (all models)
* iBook (FireWire) and all models introduced after September 2000
* MacBook (all models)
* PowerBook G3 (FireWire)
* PowerBook G4 (all models)
* MacBook Pro (all models)

B

 

[Christina1971]

Okey dokey. I was searching lowendmac.com and I had no idea my grape iMac was as old as it is. I thought sure I bought it sometime in 2000, but it must have been sometime in 1999.

I did see that Apple technical document during my earlier research, but that "firmware version 2.4 or later" throws me; I don't know how to see if I have that.

So it seems like setting up an Ethernet network is the way to go? I googled a little bit on this and there is some talk about making sure Appletalk is on; this is also something I don't know how to do (yet) but I guess I'll figure it out.

 

[Christina1971]

I managed to get my old iMac to come up in Target Disk Mode. I know this is probably very basic for everyone else here, but just in case there's another inexperienced person who comes along with the same problem...here's what I did.

I rebooted the computer in Mac OS 9. (I have 9.2)
I downloaded firmware update 4.1.9, which addresses networking and target disk mode issues.
I followed the instructions for installation, and got a message saying the firmware update was successful.
I restarted the computer in Mac OS 10.1.5, just to make sure I could.

Then I restarted again, held down the T key, the iMac went right into Target Disk Mode, all was well with the world.