Target Disk Mode via FireWire 800 to Thunderbolt 2 to Thunderbolt 3. Or even use both adapters if needed to get from FireWire to Thunderbolt 3. If connecting two Macs of a different generation you can use adapters, such as Apple’s Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 adapter or the FireWire 800 to Thunderbolt 1/2 adapter. You can connect the Macs using Thunderbolt 3, USB-C, Thunderbolt 2, or FireWire.
Target Disk Mode is a special boot mode that enables nearly any Mac to behave like an external hard drive for another Mac. To cut the copy time in half, though, try Target Disk Mode instead.
If you had an external hard drive with sufficient free space handy, you could copy all the data to it from one Mac and then copy the data back off to another Mac. You can send files via AirDrop, attach them to an email message, put them in a Messages conversation, turn on and connect via File Sharing, or use Dropbox or iCloud Drive as an intermediary, to name just a few of the more obvious approaches.īut what if you have a lot of data-say tens or even hundreds of gigabytes-to transfer from one Mac to another? The techniques listed above might work, but it could be slow if you don’t run out of space.
Target Disk Mode won’t be something that you use every day, but for those occasions where you need to quickly transfer a large batch of files between two Macs, it can be a great tool.įor more information on the new MacBook Pro, be sure to read our full hands-on walkthrough of the Touch Bar-enabled model, and the regular model without Touch Bar.We have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to the number of ways we can move data between Macs. Quickbench results when using Target Disk Mode with Thunderbolt 3 Step 7: Once you’re finished transferring files, eject the disk volume, and press the power button on the MacBook Pro that’s in Target Disk Mode to exit. All available disks associated with that Mac will become available for file transfer to and from the target computer. Step 6: Upon making the connection, the MacBook Pro that you designated as the Target Disk should show up in Finder. If you haven’t already connected a Thunderbolt 3 cable between the two machines, now is the time to do so. Step 5: Once your Mac restarts, you will see Thunderbolt and USB icons on the screen. Step 4: Click the Target Disk Mode button and click Restart Step 3: If necessary, click the lock button in the bottom left-hand corner of the Startup Disk window, enter your password, and click Unlock. Step 2: Open System Preferences → Startup Disk. (Note that you will need a separate Thunderbolt 3 cable, as the 2-meter charge cable that ships with your MacBook Pro is USB 2.0 only, and doesn’t support Target Disk Mode.) Step 1: Connect two Thunderbolt 3-enabled Macs together with a Thunderbolt 3 cable. Subscribe to 9to5Mac on YouTube for more videos If your MacBook Pro is on… Step 1: Hold the ‘T’ key while powering on your Mac to boot into Target Disk Mode, then skip to step 5 below. There are two ways to get into Target Disk Mode. The main downside to using Target Disk Mode is that you have to power down the Mac that you wish to use as a disk. It’s a great way to transfer huge files and folders between Macs, and it’s way faster than using something like AirDrop. Target Disk Mode essentially mounts your Mac’s various disk volumes so that you can transfer files between the two machines at high speeds. Watch our video walk-through as we guide you through the process step-by-step. Target Disk Mode allows you to quickly share files between two MacBook Pros using Thunderbolt 3. Target Disk Mode isn’t a new technology, but the fact that you can now transfer files using Thunderbolt 3 is new.