Bhowland Author

Level 1

10 points

Data transfer: Mac Pro (2013) with no display to Mac Studio M4 max in disk target mode

Need to transfer data from my old Mac Pro Late 2013 (with no display, bad graphics card) to my new Mac Studio M4 max. I've been told I will need to start up old Mac Pro in disk target mode and connect to new Mac Studio with a Thunderbolt cable in order top transfer data from old Mac with no display. My thunderbolt 5 cable will not fit my old Mac Pro. I was told I need a Thunderbolt 4 to 2 cable. I cannot find that anywhere, I'm beginning to think that does not exist. What do I need to connect Mac Pro2013 to Mac Studio?

Earlier Mac models

Posted on Sep 12, 2025 01:03 PM

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Grant Bennet-Alder

Level 10

138,827 points

Posted on Sep 12, 2025 01:13 PM

this is the article about Target disk mode:

Transfer files between two Mac computers using target disk mode - Apple Support

This is the US$50 adapter you need for ThunderBolt 3 <-> Thunderbolt-2, but you also need to find or buy a ThunderBolt-2 cable:

https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MYH93AM/A/thunderbolt-3-usb%E2%80%91c-to-thunderbolt-2-adapter

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Top-ranking reply

Grant Bennet-Alder

Level 10

138,827 points

Sep 12, 2025 01:13 PM in response to Bhowland

this is the article about Target disk mode:

Transfer files between two Mac computers using target disk mode - Apple Support

This is the US$50 adapter you need for ThunderBolt 3 <-> Thunderbolt-2, but you also need to find or buy a ThunderBolt-2 cable:

https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MYH93AM/A/thunderbolt-3-usb%E2%80%91c-to-thunderbolt-2-adapter

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Sep 12, 2025 11:02 PM in response to Bhowland

Another possibility might be to pull the blade SSD from the 2013 Mac Pro and put it into one of these external USB enclosures:

Other World Computing – OWC Envoy Pro 1A USB 3.2 (10Gb/s) Bus-Powered Portable External Storage Enclosure for Apple SSDs from most 2013 to 2019 Mac Models and select OWC SSDs

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Bhowland Author

Level 1

10 points

Sep 12, 2025 01:59 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Thanks. Wow...not looking good for finding a thunderbolt 2 cable. This is incredibly depressing, Mac has always been so easy to use.

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Sep 12, 2025 05:07 PM in response to Bhowland

Using Apple Remote Desktop or Screen Sharing requires that you allow screen sharing or Apple remote desktop on the Mac being shared.

Any chance you left screen sharing or ARD ON?

Turn Mac screen sharing on or off - Apple Support

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Sep 12, 2025 03:10 PM in response to Bhowland

Use Apple Remote Desktop to do the transfer.

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Sep 12, 2025 05:18 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

can you run Recovery? can you access Terminal from Recovery?

if you can, you may be able to enable or change preferences to allow File Sharing.

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Sep 12, 2025 10:59 PM in response to Bhowland

Were you keeping backups of the 2013 Mac Pro?

Would transferring data from a backup be an alternative to transferring it from the machine itself?

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Data transfer: Mac Pro (2013) with no display to Mac Studio M4 max in disk target mode

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