How to use Firewire Target Disk Mode

**Ameeryan** · 13-02-2010

Hi,

I just got an Dell Inspiron 5160, and plan on using it after exchanging hard drives. I've been wondering how to get my data on it, without resorting to Ethernet. The machine has 4 pin FireWire (i.Link) on the back. I have a 4-pin to 6-pin FireWire cable. There is no Firewire Target Disk Mode. I see nothing in the BIOS for either FireWire port. How do I solve this???

**JIII** · 13-02-2010

Mode of FireWire Target Disk works exclusively on PATA and SATA internal drives. The Target Disk Mode only connects to the main PATA drives Ultra ATA bus. It will not connect to Slave ATA, ATAPI or SCSI drives. Make sure your software and firmware is updated. Make sure the FireWire cable is properly connected and working.

**WMBrown** · 13-02-2010

To use FireWire target disk mode, try the following steps :

1. Make sure that the target computer is turned off.
2. If you are using an Apple portable computer such as a PowerBook or MacBook as the target computer, plug in its AC power adapter.
3. Use a FireWire cable to connect the target computer to a host computer. The host computer can be powered on.
4. Start up the target computer and immediately press and hold down the T key until the FireWire icon appears. The hard disk of the target computer should become available to the host computer and will likely appear on desktop. (If the target computer is running Mac OS X v10.4 Tiger, you can also open System Preferences, choose Startup Disk, and click Target Disk Mode. Restart the computer and it will start up in Target Disk Mode.)
5. When you are finished copying files, locate the target computer's hard disk icon on the desktop of the host computer and drag it to the Trash or choose Eject (or Put Away) from the File menu.
6. Press the target computer's power button to turn it off.
7. Unplug the FireWire cable.

**Icarusul** · 13-02-2010

Make sure no other FireWire devices connected. Make sure you hold down T when booting. Check the keyboard connection. Make sure the keyboard is connected directly to the computer and not through a screen or a hub. If possible, use a wired or wireless keyboard from Apple.

**Michael25** · 13-02-2010

Ensure that Open Firmware Password is not enabled on your mac pc. According to the operating system version you have, you may need to download the software Open Firmware Password. Once the target computer has been booted as a FireWire hard dive and is available to the server computer, you can copy files to or from that volume.