Target Disk Mode Questions

[lgwells1]

There is an iMac throwing up the ? inside a Folder when booted, or sometimes the pinwheel of doom.

I would like to:

Start iMac in Target Disk Mode

Plug in iMac to my MBP with firewire 800.

Use Migration Assistant to pull data from iMac to an external drive plugged into my MBP.

So I can wipe/reinstall OSX and then plug in the external drive to the iMac and use Migration Assistant to pull data back onto iMac.

Is this possible? To point to a destination or Folder for Migration Assistant?

 

[simsaladimbamba]

It is a bit complicated though.
I would do the following.

• Connect iMac in Target Disk Mode to the MBP.
• Connect external HDD to MBP.
• Download and start CarbonCopyCloner.
• Select iMac has Source (and select/deselect folders you want/don't want) and external HDD as Target.

That way you can later use Migration Assistant to import data from the clone.
But know, that the external HDD needs to be formatted properly*.

If you only want to backup some files, you could also just use Finder.

*

How to format a new HDD/SSD to install Mac OS X or make a bootable copy onto​

 

[lgwells1]

I think your way sounds a little less complex. By formatted properly you mean Mac OS Extended Journal, and properly format it according to Intel or PowerPC?

 

[simsaladimbamba]

I think your way sounds a little less complex. By formatted properly you mean Mac OS Extended Journal, and properly format it according to Intel or PowerPC?

Just look at the guide I linked to, it says Mac OS Extended (Journaled).
If you don't want to boot from it, it doesn't matter.

If your iMac is an Intel iMac, and you want to have the external HDD bootable on that iMac, then use GUID.
If your iMac is a PPC iMac, and you want to have the external HDD bootable on that iMac, then use Apple Partition Map.