elaborate and possibly silly tech query

[dubdobdee]

i have an imac g3 of which the screen is massively dysfunctional (and a CD is trapped in the CD port)

i just got given -- by work -- an office-discarded imac g4 (with no manual, and no keyboard)

A: plainly i should simply transfer everything -- is there a neat way to do this? (firewire slaving?)
B: switching the keyboard from one to another is not arduous but it is boring
C: in the interim the g3 is my wireless hub, but i am a bit reluctant to change this till everything else is moved
D: so is there a way i can use the screen of the g4 to function as a readable screen for the g3 (firewire slaving won't let me use the web or emails on the g3)
E: i guess i am asking about setting up a mini-network -- the problem currently being that the ethernet ports i would want to utilise seem to be occupied by the wireless stuff

Comments

[jauntyalan.livejournal.com]

transferring work via firewire is a doddle if you have firewire ports on both (i believe that should be true) and a FW cable - oh you MUST.

start up one mac with 'T' held down (for Target mode) and the mac becomes an external FW hard disk. then you can push or pull all the files from one to the other

HTH

[dubdobdee.livejournal.com]

will this transfer settings/preferences etc also? or do i have to reprogramme all of those?

(i guess i wanted to learn about the mini-networking thing anyway, i have never done this) (even if it is a silly way to solve my actual problem)

[jauntyalan.livejournal.com]

sort of. it's a bit tricky. You are probs better re-setting up 'system preferences'.

In theory your 'user preferences' can transfer if you copy your Home "Library" folder to the new machine into your new user Library folder.

that can be a bit fiddly though cos you may need to make sure the 'you' identity on the new mac owns those transferred files. To do that you T(arget mode) the old mac, log in as you on the new mac and pull the Library folder across. make it replace the Library folder on your new mac and LOG OUT. then back in.

[jauntyalan.livejournal.com]

as you are setting up a new mac, can i make one big recommendation though.

make TWO logins

one is an 'admin' ie has 'allow user to administer this computer' ticked in the account setup
one is YOU and is NOT an admin.

when you work on the mac normally log in as you
when you need to work on setting up the mac log in as the admin

most ppl work on macs as an admin user all the time and it is a REALLY BAD IDEA.