Macbook Pro won't mount during target disk mode

I don't know what to do.
I was using Safari today when the whole computer froze. Nothing was responding, so I had to force shut down.
When I went to restart, I got a gray screen with the apple logo and a progress bar; the bar will take a while to fill, then the computer shut down completely. Happens every time now.
I tried booting in safemode and it didn't work; the command prompt details said "Incorrect number of thread records. (4, 29503)" and "Incorrect number of extended attributes (It should be 381007 instead of 381008)"....... What does that mean????
I tried booting the backup drive and running disk utility to diagnose the problem, and it said the disk is unable to be repaired etc.
Now I'm trying to salvage my important files by using the firewire target disk mode with another mac. My macbook pro won't even mount; disk utility said it can't be mounted and is damaged.
Please help--what do I do to save these files???

My workflow was like this:
Partitioned fresh hard drive into 2 partitions: 1 for OS clone, 1 for data recovery
Used Carbon Copy Cloner (an excellent tool) to clone working OS to 1st partition
Attached harddrive to malfunctioning MBA
Held Option on malfunctioning MBA and booted to cloned drive
Once booted, I used old-school Data Rescue II to salvage data from MBA internal drive to my data recovery partition. (Probably need a newer / better data recovery program, as this one changed file names, moved things around, was generally not that awesome...)
Used Disk Util from booted clone to format MBA internal drive.
Used Carbon Copy Cloner to clone to formatted MBA internal drive.
Shut down, disconnected external drive, MBA booted normally.
Think that's everything. I've been touting the excellence of Carbon Copy Cloner for a while now for backups. In my opinion it's much more thorough than Time Machine backups, as you don't need a functioning OS. You can boot to a clone -- time / life saving!

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Help: Windows XP on MacBook Pro Boot Camp Partition via Target Disk Mode

Firstly, let me lay out my situation. I have an old MacBook Pro (2,2) with a broken disk drive. It was dropped in its youth and can no longer read from or write to CDs or DVDs of any kind. I have just recently bought a new MacBook Pro to replace it (6,2) and am currently trying to convert the old computer into an XP machine through Boot Camp. I'd like to be able to do so without having to buy an external disk drive.
After a clean install of OS X (10.6.3) onto the old machine, I successfully partition 85GB of space (although I previously attempted the same with a 32GB file system to no avail as well) for XP to be installed upon. Because I cannot boot my XP install disk directly from the broken disk drive, I then close Boot Camp Assistant and shut down the computer. I start it up in Target Disk Mode to be accessed from the new MacBook (6,2).
Once the old MacBook is connected, I insert my XP install disk into the new MacBook (6,2) and boot from the disk. After allowing the XP (Professional) boot to load the install files, I arrow-key down to my 85GB partition (FAT32, named standard as "BOOTCAMP") on the old MacBook (2,2)'s hard drive and select it as the partition I would like to install to. This is where I am directed to a new boot window that tells me in a series of paragraphs that the XP installer cannot reach the selected partition for what seems to be a number of reasons. What it seems to be trying to say to me is that it cannot do a remote install of XP on a Target Disk Mode-connected machine, while not "knowing" that I am trying to do so. It's a similar message to the one that Boot Camp Assistant shows when one tries to create a Boot Camp partition on a machine that is being accessed via Target Disk Mode (Apple puts it much more clearly than Microsoft).
I'd be perfectly content, albiet slightly vexed, to conclude here that it is not possible, shuttle over to the nearest Best Buy, and purchase an external disk drive if it weren't for one thing: I tried the same thing two weeks ago with Ubuntu 10.10 and it installed perfectly on the Boot Camp partition I had created then (I have since wiped all and installed OS X cleanly on the laptop).
Here comes the point/questions:
If the Ubuntu boot disk can access the partition, why can't the XP boot disk?
Is there some way to convince the boot system that the drive is local, rather than being accessed via Target Disk Mode?
Is there an easy solution that doesn't even require that, and will allow me to install to the disk over a firewire connection?
If anyone's knowledgeable and/or brave enough to tackle this one, I'll be eternally grateful. Heck, I'll be grateful if anyone even attempts to tackle it.
Thanks,
-Alec Page

Windows XP will only install from the optical drive. Target Disk Mode does not work with Windows volumes. Windows will not install from any external device.

Cant seem to get my older Macbook G4 to mount in Target Disk Mode on my Macbook Pro.

I'm trying to solve a boot up issue with my Macbook G4, seems there's a kernal panic trying to boot up and when trying to boot from a hardware test cd, it shows an error that there's a 'No driver for this platform." error.
Did all the reset nvram/pram, tried to start up in safe mode with no luck. So I booted up in Target Disk Mode to my Intel Macbook, ran disk utility, repaired a couple errors, but the hard drive wont mount. It says "try running disk repair and mount again."
Any ideas what could be the issue?

Thank you jeffd55,
I followed the steps in the article you attached to your reply and it worked perfectly. I should add that I followed exactly these steps previously EXCEPT that I had a portable 2 Tb USB 3.0 external drive attached to my 2014 MacBook Pro previously, as my new MacBook Pro has a much smaller capacity than my old 2007 MacBook. But today I didn't attach the external drive and the 2007 MacBook's HDD appeared on the 2014 MacBook Pro's desktop as promised. I don't know if or why the external drive should make a difference; I'm just very pleased it worked!
Thank you.

Can a dead MacBook Pro be used as a target disk?

I have a Santa Rosa MacBook Pro, 15 inch display, with 250 GB and nVidia GeForce 8800 GT. A few weeks ago I left it to sleep, and the battery eventually drained (the blinking ceased). Now, if I plug in the charger, the light is always green (so are the little LED lights near the battery panel). If I hit the power on button, it doesn't respond.
I've resetted the PRM, and taken the battery out for 10 minutes and so on but it hasn't helped.
Would this call for a change in battery? I described it to a member of the Apple team at the Apple store (since I didn't have my laptop at the time we went to the mall) and he said it didn't sound good, but that's all he said.
It has once been in repair for a faulty logic board which Apple covered under an extension program, but that was a year and a half ago. Besides that it was working like a dream until this happened.
I have no warranty and I'm especially worried about the data I might lose because the external HD that Time Machine used died a few days ago.
I was thinking of using the MacBook Pro as a Target Disk, and connect it to my working Apple MacBook. But won't the MacBook Pro have to be switched on?
Please help! I would like any suggestions, detailed walkthroughs so I can atleast save my data.
Thanks!

...If I hit the power on button, it doesn't respond...
Yes, the computer must be able to at least turn on in order to work in Target Disk Mode. Your only option would appear to be to remove the drive from the Macbook, then put it into an external case so you could use it as your would any other external drive.
...the external HD that Time Machine used died a few days ago....
Oh dear, Murphy seems to have taken a large interest in you. While it won't help you now, for the future, what I always recommend to my clients is to have "at least 3 copies". Basically, this is the original, one "normal" backup and another backup that's stored offsite in a firesafe. In addition to dead hard drive like you had, offsite is insurance against theft or damage to building and contents. And firesafe for obvious reasons, but that is at your discretion depending on the importance of the data. But even if you don't go offsite, at least manually make another copy of your documents, iTunes Library, iPhoto Library, etc. on to another hard drive, flash drive, CD, DVD, etc.

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
-takes about 40 min for it to load anything on the dock and then nothing will load after that none of my desktop icons u cant access any programs..the computer will continue to make weird noises during this time.
heres what ive done so far.
-reset pram (didnt work)
-harddrive test (Did both standard and extended ...test results came back fine nothing seemed to be wrong)
-i tried to use disk utility to repair disk and it said:
+"checking extents overflow file+
+checking catalog file+
+invalid node structure+
+rebuilding catalog b-tree+
+the volume macintosh HD could not be repaired+
+error: the underlying task reported failure on exit+
+1 hfs volum checked+
+-1 volume could not be repaired because of an error+
+repair attempted on 1 volume+
+-1 volume could not be repaired"+
-tried the fsck option and it told me basically the same thing
-tried booting in safe mode ...computer wont boot into safe mode it will just shut itself off
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
-i connected the firewire cable, both computers were off.
-i turned the host computer on (target computer remianed off)
- held the T button right as the computer started
- then i got a grey screen with a big firewire logo floating around from left to right
[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?

MacBook Pro won't mount *2nd* DVD until after reboot.

MacBookPro5,1, Intel Core 2 Duo, 2.53 GHz, 4G ram, Mac OS 10.6.8
This MacBook Pro will not mount more than 1 DVD without a reboot in between discs!
These are commercial movie DVD's in excellent condition.
I can mount and watch one commercial DVD with no problems, but when I eject that disc after viewing and insert another commercial disc, it will not mount. I can hear the drive spin up, then spin down, then spin up again, etc... eventually the Finder takes over and says that I've inserted a blank disc and do I want to ininialize?
Eject command does not work while this spin up/spin down loop is occurring. If I Shut Down before the Finder finally recognizes there's a disc in trouble, then reboot and hold the trackpad button, the disc will eject. If I then trash all DVD preferences, the disc will mount and eject on command.
Inserting another disc will result in failure to mount! Etc...
Any ideas?

I should have updated this ages ago. Sorry.
The solution to the problem was to remove the DVD drive, take the cover off it and clean the lens in the reader mechanism. Just Google up the disassembly directions for your particular Mac model.
Downhillracer1's solution, compressed air blown in through the disc slot is certainly easier and might do the trick if all you've got is a spec of dust on the lens, but if it's a problem with some kind of film deposited, opening it up and cleaning the lens is more thorough.
My DVD drive now reads and burns with no problem.

Mac won't startup after Target Disk Mode

Hello all, i recently purchased a G5 Imac and attempted the Target Disk Mode for transferring files from my old G4 PowerPC Quicksilver. It took a very long time to get the disk to mount itself during this process but when it was there i did all my transfers and when done, ejected the disk. Without the firewire attached i have now restarted the PowerPC model and was stuck on the blue screen of death after the usual startup. After doing some CMD+V, CMD+S, CMDOPT+OF, CMDOPT+PR i have now been apparently made it even worse because now it just sits on the gray screen with the Apple. I can't seem to find my original discs for the PowerPC but have the new ones that came with the G5 readily available but doubt they work due to the intel differences but i could be wrong....any help folks? Thank you kindly in advance

i've changed out the battery to no avail. I have always had a secondary HD in my case and i was able to find my disks that originally came with my mac and installed a fresh version of the OS on the secondary. Everything seems to work fine there except now i'm running on a system 7 years old and the auto-updates aren't giving me any options to move closer to today's technology. as far as my main HD, i believe it is dead and that is the problem from the get go so i assume that i'm screwed there and will have to start fresh with this secondary HD now my main.

Won't go into Target Disk Mode

Help,
I have an iMac that is several years old, OS X v. 10.3.9, has never had any trouble. I recently bought a new MacBook Pro and have been trying to move files over from the iMac, but I cannot get the iMac to boot up in Target Disk Mode.
I reboot, hold the "T" key, etc., and the FireWire symbol comes up, but then it just slowly bounces around the screen while the machine whirs away, and I don't get any further.
Open Firmware Password is not activated; I've run software updates.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

Hi,
A while back I tried what you have and also, the Panther OS G4 would not show up on the Tiger OS G4, although the Panther OS was in Target Disk Mode with the floating icon.
The connection was per instructions, both on line and step-by-step per the Tiger OS, but no disk showed up even after a few hours of wait.
What I found is that my Panther OS G4 Firewire socket was 'mushy' (it moved fairly easy from slight finger pressure on the plug-in end... it was not 'firm' like my USB socket was. So I tried a Firewire external drive I have, that did work before, and it too, did not show-up (although it did start it by being plugged in). Everything I tried with that Firewire socket on the Panther Computer was not there... although these did work on the Tiger Computer.
Since the Firewire is soldered onto the motherboard I have come to the conclusion that one or more of the connections are disconnected... perhaps not the power one, as the external items react to the plug-in, but there is no 'communication' after the fact.
Perhaps this is what has happened on the iMac end for you. And yes, I have used that Firewire plug many many times and not always with TLC in the past, as it is a laptop.
Now I use a Firewire 400 to Firewire 800 (either direction works, depending on what plug works on which item) for what I have and do... as to repair it would be more then a new computer and the Panther computer is an '05 model (but still used daily for what it does).
Maybe you can check how 'solid' your iMac feels when it is plugged in with the Firewire, compare it to other connections... do it gently though, but if it is loose you will know by the 'mushy give' it has.

Old G5 won't start in target disk mode.

I'm trying to migrate from my old G5 (2003) to a 'new' (second-hand) G5. When I run Migration Assisstant on the new one and it asks me to start the old machine in target disk mode the old machine won't boot up. I have wireless keyboard and have tried pressing 't' on start up to no avail so I have also tried rebooting via the 'Start Up' pane of System Preferences. When I do this it boots up to the blue screen with yellow firewire logo then after less than a second it powers down.
There are no other firewire devices plugged in and as far as I can tell all the firmware etc is up to date (Software Update runs every week)
Grateful for anyone who has any ideas.
Matt.

Hi Matt-
No chime is significant.....
It would be best to reset the PRAM on the old G5. This is best done with a wired keyboard, though you can try it with the wireless (may not work). Hold the CommandOption+PR keys and startup. Hold the keys until you hear the second startup chime, then release. The machine should then continue on to boot normally.
After the PRAM reset, the Startup chime should be restored, and, hopefully, so will Firewire Target Disk mode.

Mac Mini won't Boot after Target Disk Mode

We just bought a new iMac and used target disk mode via firewire from our older Mac Mini running OSX 10.4 to transfer data. Now when we go to restart the mini, the grey screen appears with apple logo and it seems to try to boot up but after a long time alway just ends up with a blue screen. I don't think I "ejected" the mini properly from the imac after the target disk mode transfer. Could the mini be stuck in target disk mode? I've tried to restart in different modes eg. safe mode, pram by holding down keys on start up but doesnt make a difference at all almost as if the keyboard isn't registering (and its a wired keyboard). Any ideas???
Thanks

Try starting up from the Recovery Partition holding the Option (Alt) key and see if you can Repair your Macintosh HD, as per > OS X: About OS X Recovery

Pismo with Tiger won't go into target disk mode

I recently upgraded my Pismo to Tiger and can't seem to boot into firewire target disk mode. The computer restarts and gives me a terminal screen that reads: "can't OPEN DISK" and then goes on to say "Welcome to Open Firmware. To continue booting, type "mac-boot"..."
I tried zapping the pram, but that did nothing. Does anybody have any suggestions?

MacUser,
When booted in 10.4.8, select Target Disk Mode in the System Preferences > Startup Disk and see what happens.
If no success, try resetting Open Firmware (from Apple docs):
Boot into Open Firmware by holding down the 'Command-Option-O-F' keys from a cold start while the chime is being played. You will see a command-line screen...enter these commands:
1. At the Open Firmware prompt, type: reset-nvram
2. Press Return.
3. At the Open Firmware prompt, type: reset-all
4. Press Return.
Example:
0 > reset-nvram
Press Return
0 > reset-all
Press Return
The reset-all command should cause the computer to restart. If this occurs, you have successfully reset the Open Firmware settings.

MacBook Pro won't mount mxf card reader

Hi - I have a brand new MacBook Pro. I need to import some footage on MXF cards. I usually use Content Browerser to do this. I have a card reader and thunderbolt cable which work on another MacBook Pro. But it will not mount the card reader at all. I can't see the files or device. Is there something else that I need to install for the card reader to be able to show up?

sorry SxS cards with mxf files obviously... I've downloaded and installed the SxS card reader drivers and UDF drivers and download and install the FCP X integration plugin
and it won't mount

Macbook pro won't boot from any disk

I have a Macbook Pro 17" with 10.6.8 installed but won't bootup. It stays on the logo and spinning gear screen and won't proceed from there. I have tried to reboot from a Snow Leopard install disk but it won't recognize it and haven't been able to startup from another computer using firewire connection. I am so puzzled?

Sounds like a hardware issue.
Run through this list of fixes and checks.
Step by Step to fix your Mac

MacBook Pro won't mount internal HDDs

I have a mid-2012 MacBook Pro that has been awesome for me, until last weekend, when it stopped booting up. I get the grey screen with folder icon and flashing question mark. I booted up in Internet Recovery, but the OS couldn't write the backup to my HDD. I went into Disk Utility, and saw the disk, but Disk Utility couldn't repair it or erase it.
So then I shut down the computer, and restarted in Internet Recovery again. This time, Disk Utility didn't even see my internal HDD. I replaced the HDD with a spare I had, and same result: Disk Utility does not see an internal HDD. Now I don't know what to do.
I don't live close to an Apple Store/Genius Bar, so I'm hoping someone can give me a little advice before I commit half a day to a Genius Bar appointment.

Thanks, Brody.
Do you that that will work, even though switching the HDD didn't make any difference in my inability to mount an internal HDD?
John

New MacBook Pro, Won't mount ANY media in superdrive

I just bought a new MacBook Pro on Wednesday (6.20). I have spent a whole day transferring my info over, and today put in a CD to rip and found that the CD wouldn't mount.
I tired blank media, DVD's, CD's, everything and nothing will mount. It will be sucked in the drive, think for about 6 seconds and spit it out. Restarts haven't worked, I tried to run the Hardware Test, but I can't keep the disc in, so no hardware test. I once put the disc in and shut down quickly, then restarted holding down "d", yet it just spit the OS X dvd right back out when it started up.
I can't take this back to the Apple store till monday. Are there any ways to look at this, or will I just be sending my brand new computer to Apple Care 5 days after I bought it?
MacBook Pro 2.4gHz Mac OS X (10.4.10)

Yes, Please Let me know how it goes. I just left for business with the new MBP and realized the problem so I can't make it to AS till monday. I did call though and of course they said it would go to the Genius Bar.
I asked for the manager and let him know the problem, and kindly told him that I was going to leave the AS on monday with a working MBP. He said, if the drive was dead, he would just swap it out for a new one.
I am not sure how I am going to switch my apple care (since I already registered it)
Hope this helps, and I hope you get you problem solved without loosing the machine to apple care 4 days after the purchase.
MacBook Pro 2.4gHz Mac OS X (10.4.10)

Macbook Pro won't mount during target disk mode

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