Can I use a Thunderbolt 1 to Thunderbolt 4 cable for direct file transfer in 'Target Disk Mode'?

Unfortunately, you can't just use a Thunderbolt 4 cable directly to connect a Thunderbolt 1 Mac to a Thunderbolt 4 Mac. Thunderbolt 1 and 2 use a Mini DisplayPort-style connector, while Thunderbolt 3 and 4 use USB-C connectors. So you’ll need a Thunderbolt 2 (Mini DisplayPort) to Thunderbolt 3/4 (USB-C) adapter, but there’s a catch: Apple’s Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter only works in one direction—it allows newer Macs (Thunderbolt 3/4) to access older Thunderbolt 2/1 peripherals, but it does not support Target Disk Mode from the older Mac into the newer one using this method.

Here are some alternate solutions:

• Use Migration Assistant over Wi-Fi or Ethernet.
• Use an external drive.
• Use File Sharing.