Target mode with TB and USBc

[apanacci]

Hey guys, anyone know if you can get Target Mode working if one mac has usb/tb and the other has usbc, thanks !

[mikehalloran]

USB-C is not a protocol; it's a port.

Most but not all Macs with USB-C ports have Thunderbolt. Neither does USB-C mean Thunderbolt 3.

Target Mode works over FireWire and TB but it's almost never needed anymore. There's nearly always another way.

Instead of hinting at how you want to do (whatever), tells us what you're trying to accomplish.

[apanacci]

Hey Mike, thanks for responding. My daughter wants to wipe her computer and reinstall Catalina. Her partner has a Mac also. I was going to get him to download Catalina and then wipe her computer and then install the OS. I just wondered how target mode would work with the new ports. I am still on 2009 Mac pro,s FW. Feeling my age here !

[mikehalloran]

Hey Mike, thanks for responding. My daughter wants to wipe her computer and reinstall Catalina. Her partner has a Mac also. I was going to get him to download Catalina and then wipe her computer and then install the OS. I just wondered how target mode would work with the new ports. I am still on 2009 Mac pro,s FW. Feeling my age here !

Again, the ports aren't the issue; the protocol is. In any case, you don't want or need Target Mode for this.

Does she have a backup? If so, what? If not, is this a clean install?

[apanacci]

Hey Mike she has no BU and it is a clean install. It is her friends computer that was given to her. I will get her to make a BU when she wipes the HD and reinstalls the OS. Trying to think of the best way to wipe the drive and install Catalina for her. Trying to teach her how to do this. THanks again !

[mikehalloran]

Wipe the drive is easy. Set up a 16GB USB stick installer and boot from it. Use Disk Utility to erase all the volumes, then install the Mac OS.

Depending on the Mac—which you still haven't told us and it makes a difference, you may need to do additional steps before that will work.


Download the correct complete installer. When it tries to run (or tells you it's too old to run on your Mac), Quit. The installer will now be found in your Applications folder. Leave it there.

Insert your 16GB or larger USB external stick/drive*. Change the name to MyVolume. This is important or the following Terminal Commands will not work. This process will erase, reformat and rename the drive to that of the OS installer. Terminal will tell you when done.

Launch Terminal from /Applications/Utilities and enter the command below (copy & paste) and then your password when prompted.

sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Catalina.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/MyVolume --applicationpath /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Catalina.app


Insert the USB Installer into the Mac you wish to install. Shut down. Hold the Option key on startup. Select the installer drive. After it boots, you may have to run Disk Utility from the Installer to update the drivers or reformat/erase the drive if downgrading the OS before the installer works. Quit Disk Utility and run the Installer.



*Some recent inexpensive USB sticks will show a correct installation and are visible in an Option boot but will not work—you'll get the circle with the line across. If you encounter this, use another brand of USB stick. Older and expensive ones always work. The $5.99 cheapo from Best Buy doesn't.