Can I hook an old G3 Mini to my Intel iMac to use as a hard disk?

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bellfromfl Author

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Can I hook an old G3 Mini to my Intel iMac to use as a hard disk?

Can I hook my old G3 Mini to my Intel Imac to use as a spare hard disk?

Posted on Feb 24, 2013 5:31 AM

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Answer 1

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a brody

Level 10

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Feb 24, 2013 6:24 AM in response to bellfromfl

There is no such thing as a G3 mini. A G4 mini yes. Use Target Disk Mode if that's what you have:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1661

Note, the Mac Mini may not be able to boot the machine without rendering itself unbootable on its own. The problem is many Intel Macs operate better when formatted with GUID formatting, which PowerPC Macs do not support. But as a data repository the Mac Mini is quite capable.

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Answer 2

bellfromfl Author

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Feb 24, 2013 6:35 AM in response to bellfromfl

The Mini is running Tiger. My iMac Intel 27 is running OSX 10.7.5. My idea is to plug the mini cable into a URS outlet on the Mac, then to click on it, hoping that the Mac will act as the Monitor. Will I harm anything? The Mini has blue tooth and I think WI FI, but it is old--maybe 5 years?

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Answer 3

a brody

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Feb 24, 2013 6:36 AM in response to bellfromfl

URS? Do you mean USB? USB does not support direct Mac to Mac data transfer. Only Firewire, WiFi, and ethernet do. Thunderbolt can be adapted to Firewire with Apple's Firewire Thunderbolt adapter. Firewire 800 can be adapted to 400 with a 9 pin to 6 pin Firewire cable.

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Answer 4

bellfromfl Author

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Feb 24, 2013 6:58 AM in response to a brody

Duh. Usb oofcourse. My mac does not have firewire or thunderbolt, nor does the olde Mini. I have a cable which is a ? Vssomething or other which plugged in to a HMTL on the back of my Sony Bravia TV which i used as a monitor. (It didn't work very good, because of the resolution.) It screws on to the back of the Mini as an adaptor. I suppose that wouldn't work either.

The trouble is I have no monitor for the Mini now that it is replaced on the TV by my ITV. I was hoping I could avoid pulling everything apart by plugging into my Mac, but now I think that won't work either

To use it as a hard disk, I have to erase all the old stuff, and now I can't see to do that either. I am beginning to think that the old cable to the TV is going to have to be installed, so that I can maintain the unit. After all, it is nothing but a box!

Maybe if I took It to the Geek Squad they could guide me. What is your advice.

By the way, thanks for you help! C

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Answer 5

a brody

Level 10

83,011 points

Feb 24, 2013 7:48 AM in response to bellfromfl

All iMacs have Firewire until the newest one that are less than a cm thick, which switched to Thunderbolt alone. Even the 2011 version had Thunderbolt and Firewire 800. The old Mac Mini G4 has Firewire, only it was Firewire 400. You just don't know how to identify them:

The image above shows two Firewire 400 ports labelled Firewire, and one Firewire 800 port.

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