New 2013 MBA target disk mode doesn't work. "special build" workaround?

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New 2013 MBA target disk mode doesn't work. "special build" workaround?

I have a working hard drive from a damaged MBP.

I'm trying to target disk boot this drive on a brand new 2013 MBA. Despite both being the latest OSX this doesn't seem to work and as I understand it, it's because the new Airs have a "special build" of OSX with some add ons to support their new hardware. Is there some way to get that "special build" installed on my target drive so that it will boot? I don't understand why this build isn't available as a normal update. Isn't target disk booting a touted feature? Why intentionally break that functionality on the new air?

I can't use migration assistant because the target drive is a very full 750gb. Which is significantly over the capacity of the air SSD (obviously).

Any suggestions would be very appreciated.

MacBook Air, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.4)

Posted on Sep 9, 2013 10:15 PM

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Answer 1

Kappy

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Sep 9, 2013 10:19 PM in response to btfnk

You cannot boot an external drive into TDM. Only the internal drive. Why would you need to boot an external drive into TDM in the first place? Or are you not explaining things correctly and thoroughly?

TDM does not depend upon an OS X build.

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Answer 2

btfnk Author

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Sep 9, 2013 10:22 PM in response to Kappy

This is an internal drive from a now damaged MBP. It has been taken out of that now broken computer and put into an external enclosure.

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Answer 3

btfnk Author

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Sep 9, 2013 10:23 PM in response to btfnk

This method of TDM works fine on any MBP, but not on the new Air.

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Answer 4

Kappy

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Sep 9, 2013 10:30 PM in response to btfnk

I still have no idea what you are doing. You have an old drive placed into an external enclosure. You have a MBA. Why do you need to use TDM? Could you be more descriptive of your physical setup?

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Answer 5

btfnk Author

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Sep 9, 2013 10:42 PM in response to Kappy

I'm not sure it matters why I need to do this. Just take my word that I do. And supposedly I'm supposed to be able to, except for some unofficially acknowledged reason I can't on the new Air. Unless there is a work around which is why I'm posting here.

I have a now damaged beyond repair MBP. I have a nearly full and perfectly working 750gb hard drive from that MBP. I also have a new MBA. I have access to a MBP which can boot the old HD in TDM no problem and do updates etc. However I don't have permanent access to that machine, only temporary. I'd like to boot the old HD through TDM on the Air so that I can use it to finish up some client work over the next month or so until I am able to get a more permanent solution which would probably be buying a new MBP with a 750gb+ HD and using migration assistant from either the old MBP HD or my Time Machine.

Which brings me back to my original and still unaddressed question. Is there a work around to either get the MBA special build onto a target disk, or a work around that enables TDM to work without it?

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Answer 6

Sep 9, 2013 10:51 PM in response to btfnk

btfnk

I'd like to boot the old HD through TDM on the Air so that I can use it to finish up some client work over the next month

why would you need to have that 750gb HD bootable? .... Access of said data in a HD enclosure or HD dock attached to the Air thru USB allows you access to altering and expanding the data thru the same application which could be (whatever that APP is) installed on the Air. 😊

Countless people work / create / alter data on an external HD every second, ....and said HD is not a boot drive with a Mac OSX on it.

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Answer 7

Kappy

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Sep 9, 2013 10:52 PM in response to btfnk

Then again I'll ask: why don't you simply put the drive in an external enclosure and connect it to the MBA via USB port? I don't quite understand why you would need to use TDM to do this. You don't even need another computer.

Suffice to say TDM only works with the internal drive. If you boot the MBA into TDM it should work. But you will only be able to access the MBA's SSD in TDM, not the external drive.

BTW, I never asked why you were doing this. I only said I did not understand what you were doing. I asked if you would describe the physical layout which you haven't really done. I don't know which computers you are trying to connect via TDM. I don't know which computer has the old drive in it or as an external drive. I also don't understand why you can't use the 750 GB drive as an external drive connected to the MBA via USB.

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Answer 8

btfnk Author

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Sep 9, 2013 11:00 PM in response to PlotinusVeritas

Ok well that may be a possibility.

Except for one issue I can think of. The work I'm doing is audio mixing and production. I have countless (really countless) number of audio plugins as well as 4 major DAW softwares installed on that old HD.

It was my assumption that TDM booting from that old drive would allow me to continue work on projects without having to go through any new setup (except possibly some dongle software which I could imagine being linked to system ID or something like that). Where as simply running the old drive as a normal external HD would mean fully reinstalling all nessesary software onto the Air. Particularly all of the audio plugins (which is not just a drag and drop onto the new HD).

One of the main purposes of exploring this avenue is to avoid that set up time that would be required to run off the Air's fresh system drive. I really can't stress enough how much time this set up would cost me. I'd be better off just buying a new MBP that TDM would work on.

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Answer 9

Sep 9, 2013 11:03 PM in response to btfnk

The short of it being... you have some giant Gorilla sized applications you wouldn't dare fathom throwing on the macbook Air. (logically so)

😉

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Answer 10

Kappy

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Sep 9, 2013 11:05 PM in response to btfnk

If you want to boot from that drive, then connect it to the MBA by USB, then boot using:

Boot Using OPTION key:

1. Restart the computer.

2. Immediately after the chime press and hold down the

"OPTION" key.

3. Release the key when the boot manager appears.

4. Select the desired disk icon from which you want to boot.

5. Click on the arrow button below the icon.

Note that this will not work unless the version of OS X on that drive is the same as installed on the MBA.

I think you have confused OPTION booting with Target Disk Mode.

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Answer 11

btfnk Author

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Sep 9, 2013 11:06 PM in response to Kappy

Kappy, what you've described works on all MBP and older MBA (so I've been told) but not on the latest MBA.

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Answer 12

Kappy

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Sep 9, 2013 11:10 PM in response to btfnk

What is that? You mean how to OPTION boot? I'm unaware of any statement that it does not work on a new MBA. Do you have a reference for that I can look at?

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Answer 13

Sep 9, 2013 11:20 PM in response to Kappy

'Dohh!' 😐

https://jamfnation.jamfsoftware.com/discussion.html?id=7589

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Answer 14

Kappy

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Sep 9, 2013 11:20 PM in response to PlotinusVeritas

That's for the previous Mountain Lion release. Of course it won't boot from that. That's why he can't OPTION boot the 750 GB drive unless it has the same Mountain Lion version installed on the MBA. That's SOP.

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Answer 15

btfnk Author

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Sep 9, 2013 11:21 PM in response to PlotinusVeritas

Thanks PlotinusVeritas,

This confirms what I thought and what I had heard rumor of. Now if only most of that thread wasn't way over my head in terms of the solution.

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