Daniel Hess
Level 1 (0 points)

Q: Using an external display with a 2006 iMac?

(Scenario in paragraph one, question in paragraph two)

 

I've got a problem trying to get data off an old iMac, and don't see an obvious solution... I have an old 2006 iMac that's been unused for years, and the display quit working about a year ago. I'm trying to just get the data off that computer, but my current 'main' computer's a MacBook Air that doesn't have an Ethernet port, so direct connection is out. I could try to move a couple hundred GB over wifi, but the wifi in the old iMac is an old wifi standard that takes forever, and tends to error out when transferring data over hours of time (I've tried).


 

Thus my question: The old iMac has a mini-DVI-out port, but the challenge is how to switch to an external display, when I don't have a display to navigate through settings? Is there a keyboard shortcut, or something? I've looked online, but can't find any solutions. I've got a mini-DVI-to-VGA cable, and a VGA-capable monitor, but when I plug the Mini-DVI into the iMac, to the VGA, nothing happens. I'm guessing I need to go to preferences, and select video-out? But that's impossible (as far as I've tried) with a display to navigate on the iMac.

 

Some miscellany: Someone suggested Command-F2 for something monitor-switching-related, but that did nothing. Someone at work thought that the signal from the DVI out might not work with the Gateway FPD1760 I'm trying to use as an external display...


 

Any suggestions/help would be appreciated!

iMac (17-inch Late 2006)

Posted on Apr 12, 2014 3:19 PM

by Kappy,Solvedanswer
Kappy Kappy
Level 10 (271,850 points)
Desktops
A:

You'd also have a backup drive. So we're left with:

 

If the iMac has a Firewire port:

 

Get a Thunderbolt cable with a Firewire port adaptor. Connect the two via Firewire cable, then use Target Disk Mode to transfer files. With Firewire 400 it's faster than USB and Ethernet plus more reliable than by network connection. Of course you'll still have to buy something.

Posted on Apr 12, 2014 3:47 PM

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Daniel Hess

Q: Using an external display with a 2006 iMac?

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  • Helpful answers

  • by Kappy,

    Kappy Kappy Apr 12, 2014 3:22 PM in response to Daniel Hess
    Level 10 (271,850 points)
    Desktops
    Apr 12, 2014 3:22 PM in response to Daniel Hess

    Take out the hard drive, put it in an external enclosure that supports USB, then access it from your MBA.

  • by Lyssa,

    Lyssa Lyssa Apr 12, 2014 3:24 PM in response to Daniel Hess
    Level 6 (17,893 points)
    Apr 12, 2014 3:24 PM in response to Daniel Hess

    Hey Daniel -

     

    When you connect the iMac to a monitor, do you see anything on the monitor?

     

    Any idea what version of OS X is on that machine?

     

    It came with 10.4.x and could go to 10.6 or 10.7 depending on which model it is.

     

    ~Lyssa

  • by Daniel Hess,

    Daniel Hess Daniel Hess Apr 12, 2014 3:41 PM in response to Kappy
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Apr 12, 2014 3:41 PM in response to Kappy

    Kappy: I could do that, but that'd require me to buy something, take the iMac apart, etc. I'd probably just transfer the data over the air in chunks, if it came to that... Not a bad idea though.

  • by Kappy,Solvedanswer

    Kappy Kappy Apr 12, 2014 3:47 PM in response to Daniel Hess
    Level 10 (271,850 points)
    Desktops
    Apr 12, 2014 3:47 PM in response to Daniel Hess

    You'd also have a backup drive. So we're left with:

     

    If the iMac has a Firewire port:

     

    Get a Thunderbolt cable with a Firewire port adaptor. Connect the two via Firewire cable, then use Target Disk Mode to transfer files. With Firewire 400 it's faster than USB and Ethernet plus more reliable than by network connection. Of course you'll still have to buy something.

  • by Daniel Hess,

    Daniel Hess Daniel Hess Apr 12, 2014 3:47 PM in response to Lyssa
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Apr 12, 2014 3:47 PM in response to Lyssa

    Lyssa: I know it had the latest OSX it could run, I think it was 10.6?  The other monitor never even flickers, just says 'No Signal'...

  • by Lyssa,

    Lyssa Lyssa Apr 12, 2014 3:50 PM in response to Daniel Hess
    Level 6 (17,893 points)
    Apr 12, 2014 3:50 PM in response to Daniel Hess

    I hear Command + F1 will trigger the Mirror Displays option. Won't hurt to give that a try.

     

    Failing that, I think Kappy has the right idea - you either need to get the drive out of the machine, buy an adapter, or do the transfer over wifi.

     

    ~Lyssa

  • by Daniel Hess,

    Daniel Hess Daniel Hess Apr 12, 2014 5:02 PM in response to Daniel Hess
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Apr 12, 2014 5:02 PM in response to Daniel Hess

    So the various 'F2', 'Command-F7', etc, etc, didn't work. But I did find a simple solution: I used my Fiancé’s MacBook Pro that has an Ethernet port, connected via Command-k, and transferred about 40GB so far. Pretty painless, and I can get dthe data to one of my multiple-TB external drives from her computer. Using her computer hadn't entered my mind...

     

    Disappointing that I couldn't get the video out to work, but at least I'm getting the data off. I'm going to try the 'firewire/Target mode' idea later, when I need to erase the drive, etc.

     

    Thanks for the help!