can I use my late 2006 mac mini as an external drive for my late 2012 mac mini?

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Level 1

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can I use my late 2006 mac mini as an external drive for my late 2012 mac mini?

I have a (late 2006) Mac mini that I would like to use as an external drive for my (late 2012) Mac mini. Is this possible and can anyone suggest what cables would be needed. I am aware that the ports are very different i.e firewire and thunderbolt. Thanks in advance!

MacBook/Mac Mini, Mac OS X (10.4.11)

Posted on May 2, 2015 3:14 AM

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Answer 1

lllaass

Level 10

210,411 points

May 2, 2015 3:22 AM in response to trinistar

- You can boo the old Mac in Targe Disk Mode and connect the two via FireWire (FW) You will need a FW 400 to FW 800 cable or a FW 800 or FW 400 cable and appropriate adopters

How to use and troubleshoot FireWire target disk mode - Apple Support

- Use the old Mac normally and setup Disk Sharing and access the old Mac via the network. The old Mac's disk will show up under Devices on the new Mac. One you set up the old Mac yo do not need mouse or keyboard or monitor. You can also setup Screen sharing and actually use the old Mac from the new Mac.

- Remove the HD from the old Mac and place it in an external USB enclosure of dock and connect it to the new Mac

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