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Using iMac as a display for Macbook Pro

I'm trying to connect a Macbook Pro to an iMac so that I can use the larger display.

My understanding was all I needed was a Thunderbolt to Thunderbolt cable and then using Command F2 on the iMac, it would display the content of the Macbook screen.

Unfortunately nothing happens when I hit Command F2 on the iMac.

Both pieces of hardware are 2014/2015

Is there something I'm missing to get this working?

Posted on Jul 5, 2015 8:34 PM

17 replies

markwmsn

Level 6

15,023 points

Jul 28, 2015 6:06 AM in response to FinPark

FinPark wrote:

[...] But how to connect a mini display port cable to my MacBook Pro? The Macbook only have Thunderbolt.

As the first line of the table woodmeister50 quoted shows, for a "iMac (27-inch Late 2009)" target you use a "Mini DisplayPort to Mini DisplayPort" cable plugged into a "Mini DisplayPort or Thunderbolt" port on the source Mac. A Thunderbolt port will accept a Mini DisplayPort connector and "step down" to use just Mini DisplayPort signals. (Mini DisplayPort is a subset of Thunderbolt. More accurately, Thunderbolt is a superset of Mini DisplayPort.)

Or is it possible to use the Thunderbolt Connector to plug in the mini display port?

No. A Mini DisplayPort port won't understand a Thunderbolt cable, but the other way around works. The connector are physically the same but electronically different.

FinPark

Level 1

1 points

Jul 28, 2015 7:13 AM in response to markwmsn

Thanks markwmsn,

you make my day. That i can use the mini display port adapter for both ends was the missing part.

Using iMac as a display for Macbook Pro