Complete Computer Shutdown Attempting Target Disk Mode

benbarrett · 28 Jul 2014

I have an Asus k55A laptop which originally came with Windows 8. I installed Windows 7 Ultimate x64 in a separate partition as well as upgraded the original OS to 8.1 (like anything they do is going to make Windows 8 better). I mainly run Windows 7.

Recently, I obtained a Mac iBook G4. This computer has no operating system on it, and all attempts to use a disc to install one have failed. I even tried installing via USB. After searching on the internet, I learned that a Mac can be made functional using a function called Target Disk Mode, which in essence turns the laptop into a giant external hard drive. These pages even said this would work using a Windows PC, so long as the PC had a program that could read Mac formatted drives, such as MacDrive. I have that and TransMac on my PC, but not a Firewire port. I bought a USB wire off ebay that has adapters to connect just about any kind of port, including old Firewire 400 and USB 2.0.

So I booted the Mac into Target Disk mode, started up my laptop, plugged one end of the wire into the Firewire port on the Mac, plugged the USB end into the Asus and... poof. The laptop went dead. All attempts to get it to turn back on have failed. I honestly do not know what happened. I have removed the battery, held the power button for 45 seconds, looked for a reset button of some kind (there doesn't appear to be one). I'm not sure what's going on.

Can someone give me some idea what might have happened and if there's any way to fix it? I'd hate to think that my computer is shot, as I really need it.

Thanks.

-Ben

windude99 · 29 Jul 2014

benbarrett said:

I have an Asus k55A laptop which originally came with Windows 8. I installed Windows 7 Ultimate x64 in a separate partition as well as upgraded the original OS to 8.1 (like anything they do is going to make Windows 8 better). I mainly run Windows 7.

Recently, I obtained a Mac iBook G4. This computer has no operating system on it, and all attempts to use a disc to install one have failed. I even tried installing via USB. After searching on the internet, I learned that a Mac can be made functional using a function called Target Disk Mode, which in essence turns the laptop into a giant external hard drive. These pages even said this would work using a Windows PC, so long as the PC had a program that could read Mac formatted drives, such as MacDrive. I have that and TransMac on my PC, but not a Firewire port. I bought a USB wire off ebay that has adapters to connect just about any kind of port, including old Firewire 400 and USB 2.0.

So I booted the Mac into Target Disk mode, started up my laptop, plugged one end of the wire into the Firewire port on the Mac, plugged the USB end into the Asus and... poof. The laptop went dead. All attempts to get it to turn back on have failed. I honestly do not know what happened. I have removed the battery, held the power button for 45 seconds, looked for a reset button of some kind (there doesn't appear to be one). I'm not sure what's going on.

Can someone give me some idea what might have happened and if there's any way to fix it? I'd hate to think that my computer is shot, as I really need it.

Thanks.

-Ben

When you try to power on the laptop, does it have any lights come on? Do any lights come on when you plug it in? Did the computer make any popping sounds (or any other types of sounds) when it shut off? Have you tried booting the computer off of the A/C adapter without the battery?
Something must have shorted, and it may have damaged something.

logicearth · 30 Jul 2014

It is very possible you killed your laptop, Firewire outputs more power then USB is designed for. And most likely that cheap cable you bought was just a stupid scam. USB to Firewire would never work.