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HDD question……

I have discontinued using the IMac10 due to zero support. And purchased a new IMac with 512hdd. Would it make sense to remove the 500ghdd from the old and use it as an external hd for the new? Also, what to do with the ram on the new one? Ideas?


Thanks


iMac, macOS 10.13

Posted on Jun 12, 2023 2:32 PM

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11 replies

Jun 12, 2023 5:22 PM in response to Harpo2416

Although you may use your old iMac as a monitor, it will not work with your new iMac.


Ref: Late 2014 & later iMac models do NOT support Target Display Mode. The other Mac that you're connecting it to must have been introduced in 2019 or earlier and have macOS Catalina or earlier installed. The cable connecting the two Mac computers must be a Thunderbolt or Thunderbolt 2 cable. Use your iMac as a display with target display mode - Apple Support


Jun 12, 2023 6:15 PM in response to Harpo2416

Based on the partial model number and the hard drive size, I think you have a 21.5” Late 2009 iMac. Those don’t support Target Display Mode.


Even if I’m wrong, and you have a 27” Late 2009 iMac which does support Target Display Mode, Apple has added restrictions on the other Mac which mean that no new Mac can take advantage of that feature.


Use your iMac as a display with target display mode - Apple Support





Jun 12, 2023 5:03 PM in response to ku4hx

So, any external harddrive will work with this new IMac. The purpose of the additional HD is storage of “my” files. Keep the programs on the new and records on the extra which can be turned on and off by me as “I” needed.




Here’s a question, can I use my old IMac10 as a second monitor? Will the new IMac recognize the old as a monitor? I hate disposing of things I can use.




thanks all

Jun 12, 2023 3:21 PM in response to Harpo2416

If the old iMac has a 512 GB hard drive – not a 512 GB SSD – you could remove the hard drive from the iMac and put it into an external case. However, that would be a lot of work. (Pulling the drive, that is. There are plenty of fairly easy-to-assemble external enclosures.) It might be worth it if you want to copy the data from the drive, or make sure that nobody else has access to the data.


Hard drives have now gotten so big and cheap that even the smallest portable drives that you will find on sale at most places will store at least 1 – 2 TB. Desktop drives hold as much as 20 TB or so. So if you're just thinking in terms of reusing the storage space, you might conclude that a new drive is a better alternative.

Jun 12, 2023 3:44 PM in response to Harpo2416

Based on that partial model ID ("iMac10"), it appears that you have a Late 2009 iMac – either the 21.5" model, or the Core i5 variant of the 27" model. Those used DDR3 RAM.


You can't use that RAM to upgrade any Apple Silicon Mac. All of them use newer types of RAM – and none of them (with the possible exception of the Mac Pro tower) support RAM expansion of any type.


You might be able to give the RAM to someone else with an old Mac or PC that needs that specific type of RAM, but the RAM won't be worth much. Or you could pull it and use it as an interesting-looking paperweight …


HDD question……

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