TDM (Target Disk Mode) a blank HDD/SDD?

[anonthymous]

Hey Guys/(Experts),

Farfetched question but I'd like know if it's possible to access TDM (via holding the "T" key upon startup) if I'm booting from a blank HDD/SDD?

Absurd as it may sound, I want to clone my HDD into a SSD using the nifty TDM trick and a thunderbolt cable.

Here's my thought process:

I brought a new SSD and was thinking about placing that in a surrogate Macbook pro and afterwards, launching into TDM. From there, I'd connect the thunderbird cable to another Macbook pro (let's call this one the host) run CCC (Carbon Copy Cloner) and clone my hdd onto the surrogate MBP to the blank SSD.

Before undertaking this, I'd made sure the new SSD I brought is formatted accordingly and both Macbook Pros are compatible.

Would this (technically speaking) work? Hopefully I explained it in a way that makes some sense ...

 

[yjchua95]

Hey Guys/(Experts),

Farfetched question but I'd like know if it's possible to access TDM (via holding the "T" key upon startup) if I'm booting from a blank HDD/SDD?

Absurd as it may sound, I want to clone my HDD into a SSD using the nifty TDM trick and a thunderbolt cable.

Here's my thought process:

I brought a new SSD and was thinking about placing that in a surrogate Macbook pro and afterwards, launching into TDM. From there, I'd connect the thunderbird cable to another Macbook pro (let's call this one the host) run CCC (Carbon Copy Cloner) and clone my hdd onto the surrogate MBP to the blank SSD.

Before undertaking this, I'd made sure the new SSD I brought is formatted accordingly and both Macbook Pros are compatible.

Would this (technically speaking) work? Hopefully I explained it in a way that makes some sense ...

Technically speaking it should work. The target Mac would appear as a blank external hard drive.

 

[rigormortis]

it is my understanding that target disk mode will work even if the hard disk has been completely erased.

i am not about to test this though!!!

target disk mode is in the mac's firmware

 

[anonthymous]

Just verified this and it is possible! Upon starting up the blank SSD I installed in my Macbook pro, I was able to access TDM (Target Disk Mode) pressing "T".

 

[Altemose]

Target Disk Mode turns a Mac into a power hungry disk enclosure with a FireWire/Thunderbolt port interface. Any drives inside will appear regardless of formatting.

 

[rigormortis]

i used target disk mode once to install os x from a working cd drive on another mac by holding down the C key!!!! it made a very expensive external cd drive!!