Can a Mac Pro boot off a MacBook Pro in Target Disk Mode?

Summary: "Are you able to boot a Mac Pro off of a Mac Book Pro in Target Disk Mode?" OR "Will a Mac Pro boot off an OS X install that was made on a MBP?"
Details:
I'm finishing a music project that was created on a PPC G5 Quad computer and going to a studio in Santa Monica to complete the final mixdown. My 3rd party software plug-in configuration is unique, and the studio doesn't have all of the software instruments that I do on their 8 core mac pro. My G5 software installation is mirrored to my MacBook Pro, but the MBP doesn't have enough CPU power to play the project back.
Is it feasible to have the studio's 8 core Mac Pro boot from my MacBook Pros hard drive? Essentially, we'd be using my OS and software on their powerful CPU / hardware. I figure, since they are both Intel builds of OSX, this should be do-able.
I don't have access to the Mac Pro until I show up to start working.
Thanks for any input / suggestions!

The MacBook Pro boots fine in 10.5.8, and loads the Logic project without any faults. The only issue is that a CPU shortage occurs when you attempt to play the sequence.
Like you suggested, I performed separate UB installations of all the needed software on the MBP solely so I could move Logic projects from one computer to the next without a hitch. (Actually, DropBox does this for me). Migration assistant was not employed in this process due to the PPC / Intel issues you noted.
I didn't need to mention the G5 as it appears to have caused some confusion based on Kappy's reply, but I did want to explain my work flow thoroughly.
It sounds like booting the MacPro from my MBP is feasible. I'll mark this topic 'solved' and head over to the studio tonight. I'll post here any anomalies from the session (if any).
THANKS~!

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Hi all,
I am trying to set up two macs to run off of the same monitors/keyboard/mouse/etc. I know about KVMs, but they are too expensive for my current setup.
I want to know if it's possible to run a 2006 Mac Pro in target disk mode connected to a brand new MacBook Pro 13" via a firewire to thunderbolt converter.
I would need to access the files, but also run the applications from the Mac Pro on the MacBook Pro.
Would such a setup work? Would I have to reboot each time I wanted to switch machines? Would there be a significant lag in the Mac Pro's performance?
Any tips or links to articles/etc. would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Nick

Hi Niel,
Thanks for the speedy response.
I should have clarified that I know that I can access the drive like a firewire drive. I'm more curious as to whether I can either:
1. use it's applications in target disk mode (based on your answer -- No, unless all the necessary system components are identical between the two computers).
2. Boot from the Target Disk computer as if it were a separate drive of my main computer. If so, since this is Firewire and not SATA, will I notice a severe loss of processing power?
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My Mac Pro's partition has become corrupt, and will not boot. After trying to resolve the issue, it would seem the only solution is to reformat the computer, and start again.
Nonetheless, I would still like to back it up. I have a MacBook Pro, a firewire cable, and an external hard drive connected to my MacBook. The partition is showing on the MacBook. However, Time Machine cannot back it up - It only sees my MacBook's partition.
Is there any program I can use, or heck, anyway with just Mac OS-X on the MacBook I could use to back up the Mac Pro partition?
Also, when I format the Mac Partition, I assume the Windows Partition will also be formatted? The Windows XP partition is working fine at the moment.
Message was edited by: Christopher.Foss

to be on the safe side. I would back up both partitions. that being said, if you try to erase the mac partition it shouldn't erase the pc partition. if that fails you could try deleting the mac partition and then re-adding it.
But if the drive is really scrambled you may have to re-partition the whole drive; witch would erase every thing.
You could try using disk utility to copy the drive as a disk image:
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1553 explains how to do this in section "Instructions for backing up to an external hard disk via Disk Utility"
if disk utility fails you could try:
you could try carbon copy cloner
http://www.bombich.com/
or
Super Duper
http://www.shirt-pocket.com/SuperDuper/SuperDuperDescription.html
Message was edited by: TeenTitan

How-To: Install Bundled Apps to another MacBook Pro using Target Disk Mode

Recently, I replaced the dead hard drive on my wife's computer. All the data was previously backed-up so all I needed to do was reinstall the original OS. Oops! Those disks disappeared over two years ago...perfect, right? No poblem, I already had the boxed install DVD for Snow Leopard and installed the core OS. But what about those bundled applications? Aha! That is the marketing coup Apple doesn't really talk much about. You see, you get the entire suite of Apple branded apps with the original install disks but not with a boxed OS install disk. It's just something that you have to find out for yourself...the hard way.
My requirement: restore all the iPhoto data to the reimaged machine running Snow Leopard. But that data has no application that can read it. Solution - Reinstall iPhoto from another source.
So I developed this workaround I hope the rest of you find amusingly simple, wildly helpful
Here's how I restored iPhoto on my wife's computer:
1) Get two Laptops side by side. In our case we both have macbook pro 2008 computers (Wife's and Mine)
2) Power both down and direct connect a firewire 400 cable (or 800 if you have it) between the two
3) Start the Wife's laptop in Target Disk Mode: Press "T" immediately after engagin the power button, hold it down until you see the "fanned" firewire symbol floating across a grey screen - it's quite large, about the size of your hand making a "stop" gesture
4) No start the Mine laptop by pressing the "option" key (two keys to the left of the space bar)
5) You will presented with a pair of hard disks to boot from, choose the Wife's laptop hard drive
5a) you'll notice now that the Mine laptop is booting the OS system files of the Wife's laptop (Her desktop, her preferences, etc...)
6) On the Mine laptop, insert the original Mac OS Install Disk (#1) that came with the Mine laptop (usually any OEM install disk will work, though)
7) Double-click on the DVD icon on the desktop when it mounts and look for a shortcut that reads, "Install Bundled Applications Only"...launch it
8) Now choose install bundled applications but make sure to press the "Customize" button in order to specifically choose which OEM software you want. In our case, just iPhoto
9) Follow the installer prompts all the through to completion and exit (you will be prompted to insert disk #2 along the way).
10) Remove the install disks, power down
11) Power down the Wife's laptop too
12) Disconnect the Firewire cables from both laptops
13) Power up the Wife's laptop normally
14) Launch the FInder and drill down to Applications. Look for iPhoto and launch it
15) iPhoto will either pickup the "iPhoto Library" that was previously restored after reimaging with Snow Leopard or you may be prompted to manually associate a library with iPhoto.
16) Once complete, you'll se all the restored pictures and data from when before the original hard drive crashed. Wife will be pleased and you'll look like a Genius
This is a really handy trick for troubleshooting a lot of install and restore related issues.
Hopefully you'll find other uses for it too.
Good Luck,
TheHighSierras

I think the problem is that you can't install an older OS X version onto a system running a newer OS X version. So I would try the following:
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     2. Create an external bootable USB thumb drive with the Mountain Lion OS on it (do a search on the web for this - for example see http://www.macworld.com/article/1167857/how_to_make_a_bootable_mountain_lion_ins tall_drive.html
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Now your Mac system will have both a Mountain Lion install as well as the Yosemite install. You won't be able to use Migration Assistant to move things from Yosemite to Mountain Lion because it will see that you're "going backwards" and won't allow you to.
Have a good backup of everything before starting in case there are problems.
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Hi, Allyson. Welcome to Apple Support Communities.
Sometimes we all forget the exact procedure, and miss a step.
Please be sure that hasn't happened to you by checking out the instructions for using FireWire Target Disk Mode.
There are troubleshooting tips there for when it isn't working, too.

Won't boot, recognise superdrive or startup in target disk mode

I've been trying to help a friend with his iMac G4 that crashed. Of course he hasn't backed up his hard drive in years. I've searched the forums and have tried several methods to get his machine running or at least recover his data but with no luck.
Here's what happens:
When I turn on his computer I can hear repeated clicking which eventually stops. The screen comes up grey and eventually a flashing icon appears, alternating between a folder with a Finder icon and a folder with a question mark.
Here's what I've tried:
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I've tried booting holding down the mouse button but the superdrive tray doesn't open.
I've booted into Open Firmware and typed "eject cd". The system pauses for a long time then gives me the message "can't OPEN the EJECT device".
I've manually opened the superdrive tray, loaded a disc, then booted while holding down the "c" key. I can hear the drive spin, but the computer doesn't boot from the disk. I've tried loading a Tiger DVD, a DiskWarrior CD and an OS 9 CD.
I've tried removing the Airport card and additional RAM.
I've tried resetting the PRAM.
I've tried resetting the PMU.
I've booted into Open Firmware and typed "reset-nvram" then "reset-all".
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When you can't boot from any method it usually signals that one of 2 things (maybe both) have failed:
Motherboard
Hard drive - Some hard drive failures lock up the ATA controller so badly that the Mac can't boot from any device.

Does the MacBook 2015 support target disk mode?

Will the new MacBook support using the only port it has USB-C to thunderbolt for target disk mode booting?
thanks

Kappy wrote:
Target Disk Mode is only usable on Firewire. If Apple provides a USB-C to Firewire adaptor then you could use TDM.
Not true: You can access Target Disk Mode through Thunderbolt ports.
I don't know enough about USB-C to know whether TDM is possible: certainly TDM isn't possible on USB-A ports. We'll all have to keep reading the reviews once the hardware is released.

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Can a MB Pro be used in target disk mode via USB instead of Firewire?
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Perhaps because it's called FireWire Target Disk Mode, and is not designed to be implemented via USB.
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FW400 or FW800 are will work, just not USB.

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Hi,
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I have an iMac, and it was running great until I started it up in target disk mode to transfer info to my new laptop. Now it won't start up, and when I started it up from the install DVD to repair the disk, the hard drive didn't appear at all (and couldn't be repaired). Any advice? It seems like it must be the result of the target disk startup - the timing is too perfect and I didn't have any problems before.
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Hopefully you have AppleCare. If so, call Apple to see if this if you are afflicted with the dreaded motherboard problem.
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I just received a MBP which I today intended to use to pull a netrestore image off our lab server. The latter is a Mac Pro with 2 RAID 1 arrays. I started the Mac Pro in target disk mode, hooked it up to the MBP and was expecting to see the RAID volumes to show up in the finder. Unfortunately nothing happened. I then started the disk utility only to find out that the volumes are shown but are not accessible.
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I used the same MBP as a target disk mode slave today and that, too, worked.

Hello BK:
Welcome to Apple discussions.
This knowledge base article will, perhaps, give you more information:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=58583
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I am scheduled to take my Macbook Pro in for the NVidia Warranty repair and need to back up the hard drive (I know, I know...). I can't get the Macbook to boot at all b/c of the NVidia issue, except in Target Disk Mode.
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I know I could pay for backup, but I'm cheap. So I'm trying to find a workaround.
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(48277)

HELP! Macbook won't load into Target Disk Mode

basically long story short i had about 100 mb of memory left on my 200gb macbook pro. i was trying to save a word document when everything froze, i manually restarted the computer and thats when all **** broke loose
heres what happened
-weird sounds coming from computer
-the computer takes about 5-10 min to get to the login prompt
-takes another 5-10 min after login to load desktop wallpaper
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heres what ive done so far.
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+checking catalog file+
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so my last option is trying to get info off of my computer using target disk mode...i have a spare macbook that im using as a host for the macbook pro...
i bought a firewire cable today from the apple store
i followed the directions step by step on the apple website
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-i turned the host computer on (target computer remianed off)
- held the T button right as the computer started
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[img]http://www.didntyouhear.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/04/firewire_logo.jpg[/img]
what am i doing wrong!? ??
someone PLEASE HELP!

ok i figured it out however...
everytime i try to click on my harddrive or folders in the harddrive the host computer freezes as does the target computer...
im using a macbook as the host computer to my macbook pro target...
after performing target disk mode on the target computer and connecting the two computers via firewire...
i can see my target drive on my host desktop....
omg and when i clicc on my targe drive i see all my old folders!!! yay!! that means my old files arent lost forever!
the only problem is when i try to access the folders i get the colored pinwheel
and its very slow..... nothin will load and then my host computer freezes and i have to forcequit...i didnt even get to begin transferring the files before the host computer would freeze....as this would happen the fans on the target computer would be whirring up and the floating firewire logo screensaver on the target computer would also stop floating from left to right..
what gives?

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When I boot the macbook pro in target mode, it's not showing up in the finder on my mac.
From the Finder menu bar, select
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You must be very keen on those config files. You are going thru a lot of work to get them. But if you must ...
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Can a Mac Pro boot off a MacBook Pro in Target Disk Mode?

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