target disk mode and windows

Question

Level 1

55 points

target disk mode and windows

i just got my replacement macbook (specs below) delivered and am wanting to transfer my files from my dell pc running windows xp sp2 to the macbook. i got it in to target disk mode to transfer the files like i have been told will work with windows, but when all that my pc sees is a drive h that says "Please insert disk into drive h" like its a memory card reader without the memory card in it. am i missing something or does target disk mode not work with windows? i have started transfering the files over the network with ethernet but its taking forever cuz i have over 60gigs to transfer. thanks in advance for any help or tips.

macbook rev a 2.0ghz black 1gb ram 120gb hdd, Mac OS X (10.4.6)

Posted on Jun 13, 2006 9:01 PM

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Answer 1

cdgarc1

Level 2

195 points

Jun 13, 2006 9:22 PM in response to Bob Smith17

You might need to use a program like MacDrive6 so that XP will see the Mac drive.

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Answer 2

Kappy

Level 10

362,007 points

Jun 13, 2006 9:24 PM in response to Bob Smith17

Your PC cannot read Mac hard drives. You would need to install special software on it that enables reading a Mac drive. Unfortunately, I don't believe Windows supports a Target Disk Mode since Macs can read PC drives.

I don't know what you plan to transfer from your PC, but the only thing that would be useful would be your compatible data files.

This may help you with alternatives: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=75320.

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Answer 3

Bob Smith17 Author

Level 1

55 points

Jun 13, 2006 9:45 PM in response to Kappy

i am transferring all my documents, with 26gb of music, a lot of videos i have made and thousands of pictures and documents for school and activities im involved in at school. whats wierd is the guy at the apple store told me i could connect the macbook to my pc in target disk mode and itll "just show up as an external hard drive to drag and drop things into," maybe he misunderstood me or i him. im gonna be there tomorrow so ill ask them about solutions for this and let you know what they say, but the macdrive6 looks promising. any other ideas much appreciated, thanks.

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Answer 4

Jun 13, 2006 9:54 PM in response to Bob Smith17

You'll have to decide if it's worth $50 for for what might be a one-time shot. Did you get your MacBook at the Apple store? Usually they'll help you move your files right there at the store if you buy a new Mac.

-Doug

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Answer 5

Kappy

Level 10

362,007 points

Jun 13, 2006 9:57 PM in response to Bob Smith17

You could do that with two FW enabled Macs. You could do it with Windows but you would need software to read a Mac drive.

This site lists some products you might look at: http://www.macwindows.com/disks2.html.

Apps I've heard of are MacDrive and TransMac.

Of course an Ethernet network between the two is cheap (and slower.) If you have an external FW or USB drive you could transfer your files to it. You would need to format the drive FAT32. The Mac should be able to read the drive and let you transfer the data from the drive to your Mac.

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Answer 6

Bob Smith17 Author

Level 1

55 points

Jun 13, 2006 9:58 PM in response to Douglas McLaughlin

ya i just saw the price, theres gotta be a cheaper way, and no, i cto'd mine from apple online store. the macdrive would be worth it though with bootcamp for sharing files between the two partitions, i just wish windows would get some sense and be able to read the hfs or whatever format the apple journaled drives are in, macs can read the windows partitions. anyway, macdrive would be good for keeping my music files on the mac partition and still being able to play them in windows by changing the music folder location. right now im just using ethernet, four times slower than firewire 😟. thanks for the ideas, keep em comin.

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Answer 7

cdgarc1

Level 2

195 points

Jun 13, 2006 10:04 PM in response to Bob Smith17

It was worth the 50 bucks when I tripped over the fricken iBook adapter and my iBook took a leap from the table. I had to get all of my notes off for school and music... All the good stuff. It's an investment. Thank god for the new mag safe crap or whatever.

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Answer 8

Bob Smith17 Author

Level 1

55 points

Jun 19, 2006 7:01 PM in response to Bob Smith17

windows cant view the macosx parititioned hard drive even through target disk mdoe because ntfs file system that windows uses doesnt know how to read it. short term solution i used was to just do it over 10/100 ethernet, but took forever to trasnfer 60+gigs of data and files.

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