Can I use a Thunderbolt 1 to Thunderbolt 4 cable for direct file transfer in 'Target Disk Mode'?

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Can I use a Thunderbolt 1 to Thunderbolt 4 cable for direct file transfer in 'Target Disk Mode'?

Hi,

I have a MacBook Air 13 Inch (Early 2014) with a Thunderbolt 1 port. I am thinking of buying a MacBook Pro M4 (2024) with Thunderbolt 4 ports.

If I want to transfer files directly from the 2014 MacBook Air to the new MacBook Pro M4 using Target Disk Mode, what kind of cables or adapters can I use? I am having trouble finding the solution.

As a reminder, the Thunderbolt 1 port looks like this. On the other hand, a Thunderbolt 4 port looks like a USB-C port.

Thank you!!!

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

MacBook Air 13″, macOS 10.14

Posted on Apr 12, 2025 3:09 PM

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Answer 1

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Tesserax

Level 10

157,902 points

Apr 13, 2025 9:38 AM in response to yinsdianao

Unfortunately, you can't just use a Thunderbolt 4 cable directly to connect a Thunderbolt 1 Mac to a Thunderbolt 4 Mac. Thunderbolt 1 and 2 use a Mini DisplayPort-style connector, while Thunderbolt 3 and 4 use USB-C connectors. So you’ll need a Thunderbolt 2 (Mini DisplayPort) to Thunderbolt 3/4 (USB-C) adapter, but there’s a catch: Apple’s Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter only works in one direction—it allows newer Macs (Thunderbolt 3/4) to access older Thunderbolt 2/1 peripherals, but it does not support Target Disk Mode from the older Mac into the newer one using this method.

Here are some alternate solutions:

Use Migration Assistant over Wi-Fi or Ethernet.
Use an external drive.
Use File Sharing.

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Can I use a Thunderbolt 1 to Thunderbolt 4 cable for direct file transfer in 'Target Disk Mode'?

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