Target Display Mode - Connecting pre-Thunderbolt Macbook Air to Thunderbolt iMac.

I want to use Target Display Mode in order to display my late-2010 Macbook Air (pre-Thunderbolt) to a Thunderbolt-based iMac. Is there an adapter solution to connect, say, a mini display port + USB port on the MB Air to the iMac Thunderbolt port, such that TDM would work?

Depends upon the situation. Take a look at this blog:
http://blog.macsales.com/10899-target-display-mode-and-thunderbolt

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HT3924 Target display mode connects but only displays desktop background, no files or command lines

I have connected my early 2014 MacBook to a late 2012 imac and connected them via Thunderbolt cable. Pressing Command F2 causes the screen on teh iMac to change to teh MacBook background screen, but does not display any desktop files or command lines. Any ideas how to fix this?

Hi tdmone,
Welcome to the Support Communities! The resource below may help you with the Target Display Mode options for connecting your Macbook and iMac:
Target Display Mode: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) - Apple Support
http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT3924
The table below shows iMac computers that support TDM, the required cables, and the port of the computer to which you are connecting the iMac.
iMac Model
Cable Supported
Port on Source Computer
iMac (27-inch Late 2009)
Mini DisplayPort to Mini DisplayPort
Mini DisplayPort or Thunderbolt
iMac (27-inch Mid 2010)
Mini DisplayPort to Mini DisplayPort
Mini DisplayPort or Thunderbolt
iMac (Mid 2011)
Thunderbolt to Thunderbolt
Thunderbolt
iMac (Mid 2012 and later)
Thunderbolt to Thunderbolt
Thunderbolt
Are you connecting via the Thunderbolt ports on both computers?
How do I enable TDM?
Make sure both computers are turned on and awake.
Connect a male-to-male Mini DisplayPort or ThunderBolt cable to each computer.
Press Command-F2 on the keyboard of the iMac being used as a display to enable TDM.
Note: In Keyboard System Preferences, if the checkbox is enabled for "Use all F1, F2, etc. keys as standard functions keys," the key combination changes to Command-Fn-F2.
Can I use a third-party keyboard or older Apple keyboard to enable TDM?
Some older Apple keyboards and keyboards not made by Apple may not allow Command-F2 to toggle display modes. You should use an aluminum wired or wireless Apple keyboard to toggle TDM on and off.
I hope this information helps ....
- Judy

Use iMac in Target Display Mode with a Power Mac G4

I would like to connect my Power Mac G4 MDD (Model = http://support.apple.com/kb/SP63) to the new iMac (27 inch, Mid 2010) in Target Display Mode. That is, I want the new iMac to be the display for my Power Mac G4. Has anybody done this (including using the iMac 27 inch, Late 2009, which can also do this)? In a general sort of way, this sort of thing is described on this support page: http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3924.
The problem: The iMac requires a Mini Displayport connection. The PowerMac has ADC and DVI-I display connections and also came with an adapter for converting DVI-I to VGA. How can I convert/adapt to get the appropriate Mini Displayport connection?
Gefen makes a converter (http://www.gefen.com/kvm/dproduct.jsp?prod_id=8913) that will convert DVI-D to Mini Displayport, but the description explicitly says that it will work with DVI-D only while my PowerMac has DVI-I. I know that these are two different, incompatible connections.
Is there another converter that works with DVI-I? Or is there a way to adapt from DVI-I to DVI-D? Or how about a VGA or ADC to Mini Displayport converter?
Thanks.

japamac-
Thanks so much for your reply. You're right on target for what I'm looking for and that article is VERY helpful! If you don't mind, I do have a couple more questions/clarifications.
1) First, I think that I didn't read the Wikipedia reference concerning DVI (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DigitalVisualInterface) closely enough. It includes the following paragraph. If I understand it and what you said, it shouldn't be a problem to connect the male DVI-D of the converter into the female DVI-I socket of my Power Mac. Right?
+The long flat pin on a DVI-I connector is wider than the same pin on a DVI-D connector, so it is not possible to connect a male DVI-I to a female DVI-D by removing the 4 analog pins. It is possible, however, to connect a male DVI-D cable to a female DVI-I connector. Many flat panel LCD monitors have only the DVI-D connection so that a DVI-D male to DVI-D male cable will suffice when connecting the monitor to a computer's DVI-I female connector.+
2) I'm not clear on the difference between the Altona AT-DP200 and the Gefen converter. The Gefen converter is somewhat less expensive, so I'm trying to figure out what the downside is. The article you mentioned says that the ATP-DP200 "doesn't scale images", but that seems to only be an issue if I'm trying to connect other devices (PS3, Blu-ray), not if I just want to connect my Power Mac.
The description of the Gefen converter includes the following drawbacks:
+The only major drawback to Gefen's solution is no support for VGA devices or HDCP. A minor gripe would be the fact that the Gefen device only accepts one input resolution and only outputs one resolution (1920 x 1200 at 60 Hz). These limited options aside, the Gefen device looks like it could do the basic trick of transforming a DVI signal to Mini DisplayPort so that you could use your 27" iMac for a few more purposes, provided that the input signal carries the required 1920 x 1200 resolution.+
I'm not clear on what the practical impact of those limitations would be. I don't think the the lack of support for VGA devices or HDCP is an issue for my application. But I'm wondering about the statement that it only accepts one input resolution and outputs only one resolution (1920 x 1200) and the need for the input signal to carry 1920 x 1200. I take it, first of all, that the Power Mac can supply that input resolution. And, what is the impact of the device only having that resolution output to the iMac screen? That is, how would that look on the screen, ugly or okay? Finally, would the Altona device provide a better looking output on the iMac screen because it can apparently handle different resolutions? The manufacturer's description says, "Resolutions: all resolutions up to 1920x1200 (It is Important to select one of the resolutions that display
is capable of displaying, refer to your display’s users manual)."
Thanks again.

Using iMac (Target Display Mode) as an External Display for MacBook Air

I have a Mid 2010 iMac with a 2 thunderbolt ports. I now have a brand new MacBook Air (2012 Core i5 1.8GHz with 8GB RAM) with a thunderbolt port. I have a Belkin Mini Displayport Cable to connect the two. I want to use the iMac as an external monitor for the MacBook Air. I cannot seem to get this to work. Can I do this? Do I have the right cable?

You can do it but you need a thunderbolt cable to connect the two. Then just hit CMD F2 on the iMac and it will enter Target Display Mode.

MacBook Air to iMac Target Display Mode not working

I would like to connect my MacBook Air (13") with my iMac (27") to use the latter as an external display with Target Display Mode.
I followed instructions from a number of posts (http://support.apple.com/kb/PH14264), and connected the two with thunderbolt cable and hit Command-F2 -- the iMac goes black and MacBook stays the same. One post suggested dragging windows over to the iMac as an extended display, and I was able to drag Safari totally off-screen, presumably onto the other display, but the iMac still appeared black
Other issue is that hitting Command-F2 again doesn't do anything. I could only get the iMac out of TDM when I unplugged the thunderbolt cord.
I have a brand new Macbook Air and iMac along with new thunderbolt cable (all purchased at Apple Store in 2014). Would appreciate any help, thanks!

Additional twist to this...
Tried to troubleshoot and reset the System Management Controller (SMC) per http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3964
When I hit Command-F2, one window from my MacBook will display on the iMac (it was Safari a few times, Outlook once), but neither keyboard/mouse can DO anything in that screen. That window also disappears from the MacBook. And I can only return after unplugging thunderbolt (not command-F2).
Help please

TS3775 Hi I am trying to connect my mba mid 2011 with an imac 27" 2011 with target display mode tdm. When I am using a thunderbolt cable nothing will work. When I use a minidisplay cable, both screens turn blue but eventually nothing happens. What is the

Hi I am trying to connect my mba mid 2011 with an imac 27" 2011 with target display mode tdm. When I am using a thunderbolt cable nothing will work. When I use a minidisplay cable, both screens turn blue but eventually nothing happens. What is the problem

Your answer is likely in Target Display Mode: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) - Apple Support If you are familiar with this document, please re-read it and I suspect you may find something you either missed or are doing incorrectly.

Transfering a few files from iMac to MacBook Air with Thunderbolt. Which do I put in Target Disk Mode?

Transferring a few files from iMac to MacBook Air with Thunderbolt. Which do I turn on first in Target Disk Mode? The one receiving the files or the one that has the files?

I would put the destination computer into TDM

I have a late 2010 MB Air (mini display port) and a new 2013 iMac (thunderbolt) which I would love to use as an external display. I suspect that target display mode won't work.Any ideas for how to achieve this?

According to the TDM support page, this isn't possible. I tried it with a Mnidisplay port to minidisplay port cable without success. Its a shame that thunderbolt doesn't appear to be backwards compable as I could have achieved this with an older iMac.
Cheers

You are correct....it will not work. Please carefully read Apple's Target Display Mode: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Target Display Mode - Thunderbolt to Mini DisplayPort?

I have a MacBook Pro which has a Mini DisplayPort and I connect this to the Mini DisplayPort on my 27" iMac and use Target Display Mode.
I am interested in the MacBook Air but there is no longer a Mini DisplayPort and I want to be able to go into Target Display Mode on my iMac. Is this going to be possible ie can I connect the Thunderbolt port on a MacBook Air to the Mini DisplayPort on my iMac and go into Target Display Mode? If possible, are the cables available yet?
Thanks
Tony

Yes, you can use the Thunderbolt port (which doubles as a Mini DisplayPort).
And yes, the cable (Thunderbolt/Mini DisplayPort) is available.
You can probably use your existing cable for Target Display Mode, just not for connecting Thunderbolt devices to your MacBook Air.

15 inch early 2011 Macbook Pro to Mid 2010 27 inch Imac Target Display Mode

Hi Guys
I have a early 2011 15" Macbook Pro with thunderpolt port aswell
as a Mid 2010 27" iMac with MiniDisplay port.
I am trying to use the iMac as a second screen for my Macbook.
Both has Mountain Lion on them.
I have both Thunderbolt to Thunderbolt aswell as miniDisplay to MiniDisplay
cables.
I can't get target display mode to work.
The thunderbolt cable doesn't work at all.
The MiniDisplay does seeem to work to an extend but not completeley.
When i plug in the MiniDisplayPort cable to both machines then
the Macbook pro screen becomes blue which means secondary monitor detected.
iMac screen becomes blank. Sometimes i have enough time to see in system preferences that
the Macbook pro actually has a secondary monitor.
But just as it turned blue on the Macbook pro and black on the iMac. It turns blue again
and the iMac returns to it's Desktop.
The exact same happens when i Press Command + F2 on iMac keyboard.
Any help or ideas?

I have a 13"macbook air and a Dec. 2012 iMac 27". Out of the blue it stopped working in Target Display Mode. Switching cables doesn't help, and the iMac and MBair are connect to power. I can see the iMac screen in Share Screen mode on the MB air.
This seems to be an issue, I have encountered eg. in MacRumours:
Jan 11, 2013, 10:17 AM
#5
martinm0
macrumors 6502
Join Date: Feb 2010
I have the same issue with my 2012 27" iMac (3.4, 680MX). When I initiate Target Display mode the iMac goes black and never comes back up. On the laptop I can see the display in Display Preferences, but its as if the backlight doesn't come on in TD mode. (I even did screen sharing into the laptop and can see both displays there.
Anyway, called Apple and they determined its an issue and I have to send in for a replacement.
Anyone else with a 2012 iMac (21.5 or 27), can you please test out Target Display mode and let us know if things are working or not?

Using Macbook 2015 with old iMac in target display mode?

Opinions about the new 12 inch Macbook 2015 aside, I am wondering if I can use my 27 inch iMac mid-2011 in Target Display Mode.
I also had trouble finding "daisy chain" solutions to this. Ex. An accessory that will allow me to charge the Macbook while also providing a thunderbolt port in order to output the display into my iMac.
Am I just being too impatient? I have a feeling I will need to buy a load of different adapters just to try and work with the new Macbook's USB C...
Just for more information, I'm currently using my 15 Inch Macbook Pro Retina Mid-2012 connected to my 27 inch iMac in target display mode through a thunderbolt cable. I'm just hoping I can have this simple setup also work with the new Macbook 2015..
Thanks.

Yes, that model supports Target Display Mode. You will have to wait for Apple to provide adaptors for such use.
Target Display Mode- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Target Display Mode 2011 & Later iMacs

Daisy-chaining thunderbolt in target display mode

If I connect an imac 27" (which has two thunderbolt ports) to my retina MBP via target display mode, can I use the thunderbolt gigabit ethernet adapter on the imac and get network on my macbook via "Daisy-chaining"?
It's a shame that there are no cheap thunderbolt hubs available so I'm hoping for this so I can use two displays and still have ethernet.. The option is maybe using the USB to ethernet adapter but I'd rather not.

Target Display Mode is not the same as Target Disk Mode. The latter is done using Firewire. The former is only currently usable with a 27" iMac with a Thunderbolt port. Target Display Mode is for using the iMac's display with another computer that has a Thunderbolt port.

Apple Mini DVI to DVI Adapter to connect Win7 tower to iMac / Target Display Mode

I currently run Windows on bootcamp on the iMac (Mid-2011), although the tasks I perform (3D modelling, rendering and such) cause the Mac to get very hot, and as a result hae a slight burn mark on the LED LCD screen.
I am buying a Windows machine, and am to uninstall bootcamp and use the Mac purely for OSX, but use the iMac screen as a monitor for the tower using Target Display Mode. My issue is - the Windows 7 tower only has DVI output. And as I understand, the Mid-2011 iMac only supports Target Display Mode via a thunderbolt cable.
My question is - Will the Apple Mini DVI to DVI adapter allow me to connect the DVI-only tower to the iMac? Thanks in advance x

Oh, I should mention also that the iMac is the 27" model. Mid-2011 3.4Ghz Intel Core i7 with 4GB RAM and 1TB Harddrive. And ATI HD5450 1GB Graphics.

HT201343 I need to get external connection cables for macbook air to imac - is this just a thunderbolt to standard usb?

My screen is busted and i need to backup information/ upgrade system to icloud drive.
To do this, i need to use an imac display - can i connect this with the standard thunderbolt to usb cable?
I do not have apple tv, and may not work since i cant see the screen on laptop.
Thanks,

You need to connect the Thunderbolt cable to a Thunderbolt port or Mini DisplayPort to use Target Display mode; the iMac model also needs to support video in. Click here for more information.
You need to connect the Thunderbolt cable to a Thunderbolt or FireWire port to use Target Disk mode. When in this mode, the computer can be treated as an external drive.
If the connection involves USB at any point, it won't accomplish anything.
(116521)

Using Mac Pro in Target Disk Mode Connected to MacBook Pro

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?
Nick

Target Display Mode - Connecting pre-Thunderbolt Macbook Air to Thunderbolt iMac.

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