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

Similar Messages

Can new MacBooks connect to current iMacs in Target Display mode?

If so, does it depend on whether the iMac has a Retina display?

Click here and check the requirements. The source computer only needs to have a Mini DisplayPort or Thunderbolt port to be compatible.
(123738)

Blurry fonts in iMac in Target Display Mode

When I connect Macbook Pro retina with iMac using Thunderbolt to Thunderbolt cable, and use iMac in Target Display Mode the text and fonts are really blurry.
It is the same text in Macbook:
Text in iMac:
The resolution of iMac display is "Best for display", however, I have tried to change it without any success.
Does anyone has similar problem or anyone knows how to fix it? Thanks in advance!

I have found an interesting regularity. If I open window (let's say PDF file) in Macbook Pro and drag it to iMac, then everything is okey. Unless I resize it. Once I resize it, it becomes blurry/smooth again.
Why had this problem and how to fix it?
Changing the resolution in Macbook Pro can help, but 1) I need to change the resolution in Macbook every time when I connect external monitor 2) I cannot resize windows in iMac 3) if I change resolution in Macbook Pro items become really small, so it is hard to see something.
Please help!
OS: OS X Yosemite 10.10
Macbook: MacBook Pro (Retina, late 2013)

No sound on iMac in target display mode

I've got a late 2009 27" iMac running Yosemite.
When I connect either my MBP (Yosemite, late 2011 15") or my wife's rMBP (Mavericks, 2012 15") to the iMac using a mini Display Port cable and switch the iMac to target display mode using Cmd-F2, sound no longer works.
Previously, when the iMac was running Mavericks, the laptops would route sound to the iMac via HDMI audio (I think) on the mDP cable and sound would be output via the iMac speakers or headphones attached to the iMac. Since upgrading the iMac to Yosemite, sound no longer plays.
This occurs regardless of the laptop OS, Mavericks or Yosemite. The sound icon on the laptop get greyed out and shows that it is going to the "Color LCD" but no sound is output via the iMac.
Any thoughts?
Thanks

Humm... I might go TosLink between the iMac and the FastTrack and then run the USB connection to the MacBook Pro when your using it in Target Display Mode.
Or vise Versa, leave the USB connected to the iMac and use the TosLink connection for the MacBook Pro.
See > NewerTech CBLAOPTMT Toslink to Mini Toslink Optical... in stock at OWC

Brightness iMac in target display mode: who has it working in 10.6.8?

"With Target Display mode, you can use your iMac (27-inch, Mid 2010) or iMac (27-inch, Late 2009) with Mac OS X as an external display.": http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3924 . "Use the keyboard of the 27-inch iMac to adjust display brightness and sound volume and to control media playback of applications running on the 27-inch iMac in Target Display mode."
This used to work perfectly for me. But under 10.6.8, the brightness control stopped working. Sound and media control still work as expected. I posted before on this.
Now I know more people are experiencing this problem... I am looking for people who DO have it working under 10.6.8!
I'm looking for anything I can do to get it to work, maybe the info from people who have it working gives me some clues.
Lion is just around the corner. Please let me know if Lion fixes this problem for you.
Thanks!
Maarten

I'm using two 27" imacs and one of them is still on 10.6.8 one has been upgraded to Lion just now.
I thought it was the Lion update which caused this issue for me because I installed 10.6.8 on both of them today as well.
Now I can't adjust the brightness in target display mode on either 27" imac.... worse that that it sets it to full brightness too.
I don't know of I want to try to go back to before 10.6.8 with time machine, talk about gutted ?
can you use monitor calibration as a work around ?
I found TS3919 but it doesn't work BTW , it says to set the brigthness before entering target display mode..
Simon

Running Dual iMacs in Target Display Mode

When a 'slave' iMac is connected to a 'master' iMac via Target Display Mode, does the slave iMac go to sleep (and wake-up from sleep) in sync with the master iMac (just as if the slave was a Thunderbolt Display), or is it necessary to press "Command (⌘)-F2" on the slave every so often to keep the two machines operating via TDM?
There's a thread here http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1499682 that suggests that putting the master iMac to sleep will exit the slave iMac from TDM. Although point 15) on the Apple documentation states that the machines will stay in TDM after sleeping http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3924?viewlocale=en_US#15
It would be great to hear from anyone who is using two iMacs connected via TDM about any quirks or benefits of this set up versus an iMac with a Thunderbolt Display.
Thanks in advance

Click here and check the requirements. The source computer only needs to have a Mini DisplayPort or Thunderbolt port to be compatible.
(123738)

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.

IMac 27" Target DIsplay Mode + Answer to Windows 7 Boot Camp Install

First, I'd like to address the handful of complaints I've come across about installing Windows 7 via Boot Camp on the new 27"iMac.
The issue of the screen going blank when almost done has an easy albeit annoying answer. Simply connect the iMac to an external display, I used a small vga lcd with the Mini DisplayPort to VGA adapter. When the iMac's screen goes black the external lcd will continue, and when Windows 7 starts up it will download the updated ATI drivers. From there alls well.
Second, my problem.
Target Display Mode is a great feature. It worked great when I first used it, and it works great now except for the fact that the Command+F2 button combination stopped working. I have to manually unplug my MacBook Pro in order to get my iMac's original screen up. At first Command+F2 would allow me to switch back and forth, and now it does nothing.
Any suggestions?

Well, the usual first things to try for a display-related issue are
Reset PRAM
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1379
and of that does not help, reset SMC
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1543
which is basically unplugging the iMac from power and reconnecting it following the precise procedure.
Note: After resetting PRAM, you should go to System Preferences +Startup Disk+ pane to make sure your internal drive is selected (highlighted) as the startup disk.

Disable sound on imac in target display mode

Have a question about disabling the sound.
I have a MacBook Pro connected to my iMac by the thunderbolt cable. I enable the target display mode on iMac with a script for disabling some configurations on iMac ( including the bluetooth for mouse and keyboard steal ).
I set the sound output in the MacBook Pro to the iMac DisplayPort.
The problem is now i have both outputs on iMac speakers. i want to disable all sound from iMac but keep the output from MacBook Pro on iMac speakers.
Is this posible?
Thanks.

Humm... I might go TosLink between the iMac and the FastTrack and then run the USB connection to the MacBook Pro when your using it in Target Display Mode.
Or vise Versa, leave the USB connected to the iMac and use the TosLink connection for the MacBook Pro.
See > NewerTech CBLAOPTMT Toslink to Mini Toslink Optical... in stock at OWC

Audio on iMac in target display mode.

Here's my problem:
I have a macbook pro with retina display that is hooked up to an imac via thunderbolt. The imac is in target display mode so that I can use it as a second monitor. I have some external speakers attached to the imac which I use when I'm using the imac by itself. I'm trying to make it so that I can use these speakers when in target display mode.
When in system preferences I can set the sound output to the imac but the audio plays through the internal speakers instead of the external. Anyone know a way to make this work?
Thanks in advance!

Humm... I might go TosLink between the iMac and the FastTrack and then run the USB connection to the MacBook Pro when your using it in Target Display Mode.
Or vise Versa, leave the USB connected to the iMac and use the TosLink connection for the MacBook Pro.
See > NewerTech CBLAOPTMT Toslink to Mini Toslink Optical... in stock at OWC

Why can't Disk Utility wipe my old iMac in Target Disk Mode?

I want to donate my old iMac G3 with all my personal data removed.
As all my old start up disks are long gone I went online and followed advice to wipe it remotely. I connected the G3 via FireWire to my 15" MacBook Pro (late 2008, running OSX Lion 10.7.5) and restarted the G3 in Target Disk Mode. I opened Disk Utility, selected the drive (not the iMac partition), selected Erase, renamed the drive and chosen the 7 pass option. And waited...
After leaving it overnight, I awoke to find it was still preparing. I then Skipped that stage (it gave me the option) and left it for 24 hours. It was still skipping, so I had to Force Quit Disk Utility. The G3 is perfectly fine, and Disk Utility works as I just erased a memory stick as a test.
What's going on?

You need to do the following:
Drive Partition and Format
1. Open Disk Utility in your Utilities folder.
2. After DU loads select your hard drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. Click on the Partition tab in the DU main window.
3. Under the Volume Scheme heading set the number of partitions from the drop down menu to one. Click on the Options button, set the partition scheme to GUID then click on the OK button. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Partition button and wait until the process has completed.
4. Select the volume you just created (this is the sub-entry under the drive entry) from the left side list. Click on the Erase tab in the DU main window.
5. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Security button, check the button for Zero Data and click on OK to return to the Erase window.
6. Click on the Erase button. The format process can take up to several hours depending upon the drive size.
Only use a single-pass to zero the data. Any more is overkill and will take many hours to complete.

TS3775 imac 2011 target display mode

i am trying to use my mid 2011 imac as an external display for a pc. i have a graphics card in my pc that supports mini display and hdmi. if i get a thunderbolt to hdmi cable, will this do the trick?

Hi, sorry, your PC needs thunderbolt, I don't think even Mini DisplayPort works...
The mid 2011s & up need Thunderbolt!???
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3775

IMac Retina 5K (2015) with 1xTDM iMac (2011) and 1x Dell External Display possible?

I have 1 x 27" iMac Retina 5K (2015), 1 x 27 " iMac (mid 2011) and a Dell P2715Q. I'd like to know if it's possible to run the 2011 iMac in Target Display Mode and my Dell as a secondary display from my 2015 iMac? My desired configuration is the 2015 iMac running two external displays. The 2015 iMac has an AMD Radeon R9 M295X 4GB Gfx card and both iMacs are running Yosemite 10.10.1
I have verified that running the 2011 iMac only via TDM works. Also running the Dell as an external Display only works (either at 4K resolution or the same resolution as the external iMac (2560x1440) via SwitchResX). With the Dell running @ 2560x1440, trying to put the 2011 iMac into TDM, causes a slow grey screen, then some display artefacts when coming out of TDM. Going in and out again appears to refresh the screen. But it doesn't seem to work.
I was wondering if anyone else has a similar configuration working and if so what settings or configuration changes to make?
Thanks!

I stopped by the Apple Store yesterday, and they were nice enough to try the Screen Sharing solution with me.
Indeed, we were able to share the screen of a MacBook Pro and display it on the iMac Retina 5K over a Thunderbolt Bridge network. (should also work over WiFi)
As I expected, (based on the native resolutions) the MBP window maxed out at about 55-60% of the height and width of the 5K display.
I didn't try experimenting with lower resolutions on the 5K.
I'd actually be OK with that solution except as we increased the font sizes, (e.g. 48 pt) we noticed a *lot* of ghosting around the characters.
I will have to try it again at normal font sizes and decide if that is something I can work with all day long.
Otherwise, I am leaning towards buying last year's iMac, which kinda' grates me the wrong way.
Thanks,
n8

Target Display Mode iMac 27 mid 2011 with Mac Mini 2011 bootcamp

Hello,
I can't seem to use Target Display Mode with Bootcamp.
My configuration:
Imac 27" mid 2011 with osx 10.8.4
Mac Mini Server 2011 with osx 10.8.4, bootcamp 5 and Windows7
Both are connected via Apple genuine Thunderbolt cable (2m).
When I boot the Mac Mini into OSX then Target Display Mode works perfectly and I can see the osx installed on the Mac Mini on the iMac display.
However, when I reboot the Mac Mini into Bootcamp (windows7 x64) I can't put the iMac in Targt Display Mode and get to see Windows 7 on my iMac screen.
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3924#8
The following article says that this should work, however once I reboot osx on the Mac Mini the iMac leaves Target Display Mode immediatly and will not return to Target Display Mode.
Any advice? I contacted Apple Support and a Sr. Enginner said it should be supported and he's checking with a higher tier.
Thanks

Yes, it does.
(110549)

Target Display Mode: Lenovo T420 DisplayPort to iMac (2nd screen) does not work

Configuration:
- Laptop Lenovo T420, DisplayPort, Windows 8.1
- DisplayPort cable, Adapter to Mini DisplayPort
- iMac (Intel, 27-inch, Mid 2011) as 2nd screen, connected via Mini DisplayPort Adapter, Mavericks OSX 10.9.1
Problem:
- iMac does not start Target Display Mode
- Even cannot be forced via Cmd + F2 or Cmd - Shift - F2
Test:
- Lenovo via DisplayPort cable to 2nd screen works fine
- Can switch between PC only, Duplicate, Extend display
Question:
- What is wrong?
- What can be done to idenify the root cause?
Kind regards, Marcel.

Hello Marcel,
It sounds like you are wanting to use the iMac in Target Display mode with your PC. Target Display mode is a feature that is supported from one Mac to another Mac according to this article:
OS X Mavericks: Use another Mac as a display
http://support.apple.com/kb/PH14264
Target Display Mode lets you use a Mac as the external display for another, “primary” Mac.
Thank you for using Apple Support Communities.
Cheers,
Sterling

Using Macbook 2015 with old iMac in target display mode?

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