Transferring media from an older MacBook Pro to a somewhat newer MacBook Pro using Target Disk Mode

There is no adapter that can add Thunderbolt capabilities to that old 15” Mid 2010 .MacBook Pro. If the newer MBP only supports the use of Target Disk Mode over Thunderbolt connections, the logical conclusion is that you cannot use Target Disk Mode at all.

Copying files to an external drive with a USB interface, and then moving that drive to the newer MBP, is likely to be your best option.

As I understand the current state of macOS, Tahoe no longer supports FireWire at all.

So rather than use a kludge of cables that may probably won't work to access the data on that old MBP, it would be much easier to simply use an external USB drive to shuttle the data to your newer Mac.

One variation of this would be to remove the drive from the old laptop - a simple task - and use a drive adapter cable to connect it directly to the newer MacBook Pro.

if you don't care to spend over US$100 for adapters you will use once, there are other approaches that can be used ti transfer the data, provided that older computer can run any version of macOS. There are two main contenders.

One is to connect a USB drive and copy the files onto it. USB-2 speeds are very comparable to the speed of Rotating Magnetic drives. USB-2 at 480 M bits/sec (48 M Bytes/sec) compared to 50 M bits/sec for typical drives. the drive would not slow down noticeably.

if you can get both computers onto the internet at the same time, without re-cabling, you already have a Highway (using Wi-Fi and/or Ethernet) that can be used to Share files from the older Mac to the newer Mac (and/or the reverse as well). This Highway is through the Switch functions of your Router, and the data is NOT sent onto the internet.

When you turn on File Sharing on the older Mac, its shared volumes can be seen as an external 'network' drives on the other Macs on your network. the credentials to access those shared files are the ones needed to READ those files on the old Mac.

Set up file sharing on Mac

EDIT: D.I. Johnson types way faster than I do. After posting, I see that they have provided another inexpensive solution that does NOT require your Mac to be able to run MacOS -- remove the Internal SATA drive and access it directly with that little non-enclosure adapter.

Use adapters to connect FireWire 800 to Thunderbolt 2, and then Thunderbolt 2 to Thunderbolt 3.

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A MacBookPro6,2 can't use USB for Target Disk mode, and won't have any Thunderbolt ports.

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You may be able to use a USB to USB-C cabe according to Apple's support document, unless the newer MacBook Pro is not running macOS 11 or later. If its running something earlier you will need a thuderbolt connection.

click here ➜ https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/transfer-files-mac-computers-target-disk-mode-mchlp1443/mac

• Connect the two computers with a USB, USB-C, or Thunderbolt cable.