Target Disk Mode issue

I tried to use new Intel iMac, the host, (with OSX 10.6.2) to access hard disk in old iMac G5, the target, (with OSX 10.4) using a Firewire cable (800 at Intel iMac and 400 at G5 iMac). I can get the Firewire floating icon running at G5's monitor, but I cannot get the G5 hard disk mounted at Intel iMac.
Here are what I found:
1) At the Intel iMac, I can see the Target Disk Mode is on under "Hardware Overview" "Firewire."
2) Firewire icon is not floating all the time. Sometimes, it stops moving.
3) If I have target iMac to stay on and restart the host with the Firewire cable connected, the boot process at the host will slow down and cannot get past log in window.
4) Tried disconnect and reconnect cable, and the hard disk still cannot be mounted.
Since I cannot boot the G5 by itself (with its hard disk only or Tiger disk), I thought Target Disk mode was the solution for me to get the files out of the old iMac. At the moment, it is not working, please suggest solution.

Simon (UK) wrote:
Tried to use new Intel iMac, the host, (with OSX 10.6.2) to access hard disk in old iMac G5, the target, (with OSX 10.4) *using a Firewire cable (800 at Intel iMac and 400 at G5 iMac).*
I would question this method of connecting?
Try using an external hard drive and SuperDuper or CarbonCopy Cloner to clone to it. Then use that 400 drive, which probably has 800 also, to connect directly to your new Mac and then transfer via Migration Assistant. If you already set a home folder make sure it is identical to the Home folder you are transferring from or else it will create a second user.
-mj

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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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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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I have a PPC Mac Mini running Leopard. It stopped booting last week. It goes to the point where the Apple appears and then stops. No moving ring at the bottom of the screen.
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2) Put it in Target Disk mode and ran Tech Tool Pro. Checked volume/file structures and sectors. Nothing found.
3) Reset PRAM.
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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 ...
If you have an extra firwire external drive free, that you can partition with APM (Apple Partition Map) and format, then you could use your original install disc or Leopard install disc to install a bootable version of OSX on that external.
Boot from the external, and then download the latest combo update for Leopard and install it on the internal drive. Hopefully that will fix the the internal enough to make it bootable.
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Thanks in Advance!! ANY help is appreciated. I'm at wits end here.
Details
-I have a mid 2012 macbook pro connected with the mid 2012 imac that I'm running on target disc mode via thunderbolt cable (I also tried a 2013 air- same issues)

Before you spend a lot of money with a professional recovery service, look over these links:
http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201583
http://www.thexlab.com/faqs/trash.html
Ciao.

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Try moving smaller groups of files. I' guessing that you don't have a backup huh?

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Boy, I love these forums, and I love Macs (most of the time). I was so convinced this was hardware but it seems (fingers crossed) to be fixed. Yay!
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I figured I'd need to reinstall 10.4 (and, if it worked, go through the whole update drag to get back to 10.4.10). Before I did that though, on a whim, I tried quitting the installer and selecting the normal G5 system as the startup disk. Restarted and voila -- there it was, all back to normal, everything sweet and no data lost!
I didn't even need to repair the disk. Disk verify shows no problems. Even repairing permissions was just a couple of minor changes. I'm amazed. And delighted.
I might be jumping the gun and there might still be a hardware problem that will repeat the original failure and I'll find all the fans going full blast and nothing working again tomorrow but, if Murphy is having time off, for the moment I'm back in business.
I would love to figure out what caused the problem in the first place. I suspect a big power surge overnight did it but I have no idea exactly what it did to cause these symptoms.
My grateful thanks guys.

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

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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).
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<hr>
Does anyone have any ideas, as a co-worker told me he was able to TDM a G3.
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By other computer, do you mean the White Macbook? So I should basically put the SL DVD in the White Macbook, restart with the C key held down? Is that right?
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Hi, and a Warm Welcome to Apple Discussions and the Power Mac G5 Forum!
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