SOLVED Thunderbolt cable between iMac and Seagate external drive?

[Michael Devereux]

I've got a mid 2011 iMac computer running OS 10.13. It has some sort of thunderbolt port (thunderbolt 2, thunderbolt 3.....?). Can I connect to a Seagate slim portable drive (PN: 1E7AN4-501) also with some sort of thunderbolt port? Which cable do I need?

 

[Cory Cooper]

Hello.

The iMac (Mid 2011) has a Thunderbolt 1 (up to 10 Gbps). There are several versions of the Seagate Slim portable drives with that part number. What ports does it have - are they USB 3/USB-C/etc.? Can you upload a photos of the connections on that drive, as it may be easier to identify visually.

C

 

[Michael Devereux]

Hello.

The iMac (Mid 2011) has a Thunderbolt 1 (up to 10 Gbps). There are several versions of the Seagate Slim portable drives with that part number. What ports does it have - are they USB 3/USB-C/etc.? Can you upload a photos of the connections on that drive, as it may be easier to identify visually.

C

Thanks, Cory. The portable drive has a USB 3 port. Is there some sort of adapter to fit thunderbolt 1 to that port?

Michael

 

[Cory Cooper]

OK, thanks.

There isn't a way to convert between Thunderbolt 1 and USB 3. You can simply connect that drive to a USB port on the iMac, but it will only run at USB 2 speeds, as it is backwards-compatible.

C

 

[Michael Devereux]

OK, thanks.

There isn't a way to convert between Thunderbolt 1 and USB 3. You can simply connect that drive to a USB port on the iMac, but it will only run at USB 2 speeds, as it is backwards-compatible.

C

Thanks, Cory.