Ticket Options

Question Profile

Question Details

TICKET ARCHIVE -> Mounting another Mac's hard drive

alfred_bowman - Mar 6, 2008 - 12:34 pm

I am going to connect Power Mac G4 to a friend's old iBook G3 that no longer works properly via a 4-pin A-A Firewire cable. He has told me that he can hear the hard drive running. Is this the correct procedure?

1. Shut down both Macs
2, Connect the cable
3. Start the iBook
4. Start the Power Mac pressing and holding down the T key
5. Keep pressing T until I hear a sound

Assuming that the foregoing works, the Power Mac will mount the iBook's hard drive on its desktop. If this works, will he be able to run applications on the Power Mac that are loaded on the iBook's hard drive?

ScottW - Mar 6, 2008 - 12:43 pm

Alfred,

To run Targeted Disk Mode, you would boot up the computer you want to be the "Targeted Disk" by holding down the T, and in your example, the iBook would be the Targeted Disk. Then just plug the firewire cable between the two systems, and the PowerMac will then see it mounted as if it where an external disk drive.

I question though, you said the Firewire port no longer works on the iBook G3, are you just trying to see if it will work in this mode though?

Scott

alfred_bowman - Mar 6, 2008 - 8:28 pm

Thanks for straightening me out on this matter.

As for the Firewire port on the iBook, I expressed it poorly. What I meant was that the iBook is inoperable overall. My friend believes that the cause is the display panel. I don't know if the Firewire connection works or not. If it does, this would be the best way for him to recover his files that now are trapped in the iBook, assuming that the hard drive proves accessable.

Sorry for the confusion.

ScottW - Mar 7, 2008 - 4:24 am

You right, it would be the easiest. Let me know if you have any problems.

Scott

alfred_bowman - Mar 7, 2008 - 6:22 am

I did pose a second question. My friend is a graphic artist who needs a functioning Mac but cannot afford a new one. This Power Mac is the best I could do for him. He has his graphical apps (PhotoShop, Illustrator, etc.) on the iBook. He cannot afford new versions of these expensive apps. Assuming the Mac-to-Mac connection works as hoped, could he then run his apps on/from the Power Mac?

ScottW - Mar 7, 2008 - 6:27 am

Yes, he will be able to run his apps on the PowerMac w/o any issue.

alfred_bowman - Mar 7, 2008 - 6:52 am

Thanks for your help. I really appreciate it.