How to Hook a MacBook to an iMac
Apple's MacBook laptops and iMac desktops both come with FireWire and Thunderbolt connectivity ports. These ports can be used to connect a MacBook to an iMac if you want to use one of the computers as an external display or if you want to transfer files between the computers.
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Instructions
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Connecting to Transfer Files
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1
Plug one end of the FireWire or Thunderbolt cable into the FireWire or Thunderbolt port on the side of the MacBook computer. The FireWire port is marked by a "Y" shaped symbol, while the Thunderbolt port is marked by a lightning bolt symbol.
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2
Plug the opposite end of the FireWire or Thunderbolt cable into the FireWire or Thunderbolt port on the back of the iMac computer.
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3
Click the Apple icon in the menu bar of the computer that you want to appear as a disk on the other computer. Select the "System Preferences..." option from the Apple menu.
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4
Click the "Startup Disk" option beneath the "System" heading and click the "Target Disk Mode..." button to restart the computer in Target Disk Mode. When the computer finishes restarting, it will be connected to the other computer and will appear as a disk on the other computer's desktop.
Connecting for an External Display
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5
Plug one end of the Thunderbolt cable into the Thunderbolt port on the side of the MacBook computer. The Thunderbolt port is marked by a lightning bolt symbol.
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6
Plug the opposite end of the Thunderbolt cable into the Thunderbolt port on the back of the iMac computer.
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7
Press the "Apple" key and the "F2" key simultaneously on the computer that you want to use as the external display. The computer's display will then be switched to an external display of the other computer.
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References
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