fiddycent

Q: Easiest way to extract data from dead Macbook Pro?

I figured if anyone could help, it would be you guys. I would imagine a large majority of you are more computer savvy than anyone I know. My MBP crashed almost a year ago, I opened it one morning to find it wouldn't turn on. It doesn't properly boot, it just sounds different. The screen stays black and the light on the front isn't the same, I think it kind of goes in and out.

 

Anyway, unfortunately I've given up on getting the Mac back, but I really need the stuff that was on it. I heard I could put this hard drive in a new MBP when I get one, but that probably won't be anytime soon. What would the cheapest and/or easiest way to retrieve my data? I was hoping a friend could somehow open its files and put it on an xhd? Something tells me it's not that easy though. Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated

MacBook Pro

Posted on Feb 20, 2012 3:19 PM

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Q: Easiest way to extract data from dead Macbook Pro?

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  • by shldr2thewheel,Helpful

    shldr2thewheel shldr2thewheel Feb 20, 2012 3:24 PM in response to fiddycent
    Level 7 (25,881 points)
    Feb 20, 2012 3:24 PM in response to fiddycent

    fiddycent wrote:

     

    I heard I could put this hard drive in a new MBP when I get one

     

    Not  necessarily.

     

    What would the cheapest and/or easiest way to retrieve my data? I was hoping a friend could somehow open its files and put it on an xhd?

     

    Remove the hard drive and put it in an external hard drive enclosure, turning it into an external hard drive!  I have this one and it works great: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817106115

  • by eww,Helpful

    eww eww Feb 20, 2012 3:30 PM in response to fiddycent
    Level 9 (52,994 points)
    Feb 20, 2012 3:30 PM in response to fiddycent

    This won't be what you want to hear, but if your old machine "sounds different," one possibility is that it doesn't work because the hard drive itself has failed. In that case you may or may not be able to recover data from it. But what shldr2thewheel has suggested is certainly the first step toward learning the condition of the drive and the data on it.

  • by fiddycent,

    fiddycent fiddycent Feb 20, 2012 3:31 PM in response to shldr2thewheel
    Level 1 (1 points)
    Feb 20, 2012 3:31 PM in response to shldr2thewheel

    That was fast! Really, is it that simple and cheap? So I can just put my hard drive in there, plug it into any computer and see everything again?

  • by Shootist007,

    Shootist007 Shootist007 Feb 20, 2012 3:33 PM in response to fiddycent
    Level 6 (16,660 points)
    Feb 20, 2012 3:33 PM in response to fiddycent

    Plug it into any Mac computer as the drive is in a format a Windows PC can not read.

  • by shldr2thewheel,

    shldr2thewheel shldr2thewheel Feb 20, 2012 3:33 PM in response to fiddycent
    Level 7 (25,881 points)
    Feb 20, 2012 3:33 PM in response to fiddycent

    Assuming the hard drive is functional, yes.  But it is the cheapest alternative I know of to find out.

  • by fiddycent,

    fiddycent fiddycent Feb 20, 2012 3:39 PM in response to shldr2thewheel
    Level 1 (1 points)
    Feb 20, 2012 3:39 PM in response to shldr2thewheel

    Thank you all very much! At the very least, I'll know if the problem was my hard drive or not. I'll definitely give this a shot, thanks for the suggestion in hd enclosures. If this doesn't work, and the problem is in my hd, are there still other ways of getting my files, however expensive?

  • by shldr2thewheel,

    shldr2thewheel shldr2thewheel Feb 20, 2012 3:44 PM in response to fiddycent
    Level 7 (25,881 points)
    Feb 20, 2012 3:44 PM in response to fiddycent

    fiddycent wrote:

     

    are there still other ways of getting my files, however expensive?

    yes.  here is one option, but they are VERY expensive: http://www.drivesaversdatarecovery.com/

  • by Shootist007,

    Shootist007 Shootist007 Feb 20, 2012 3:45 PM in response to fiddycent
    Level 6 (16,660 points)
    Feb 20, 2012 3:45 PM in response to fiddycent

    Yes if the drive has failed there are ways to get your files. But as you suspect it is VERY expensive. Or maybe I should say it can be very expensive.

     

    With most of the data recovery companies they want so much down before they even look at the drive. And then more IF, and I mean "IF", they feel they can get the data off it. But they do not guaranty that they will be successful.

     

    What happens when you push the power button?

    Does the system come to life at all?

    Is there anything on the screen, any lights?

  • by fiddycent,

    fiddycent fiddycent Feb 20, 2012 4:10 PM in response to Shootist007
    Level 1 (1 points)
    Feb 20, 2012 4:10 PM in response to Shootist007

    shldr2thewheel: Right on. It's good to know there are options. However, if it comes down to something like that, I'll just have to wait until I make a lot more than what I make now. I could care less about most of the stuff, I just want all of the videos I've taken on Photo Booth. My best friend died last year and it has some of the best times of my life on there.

     

    Shootist007: I'm at work now and it's been over 6 months since I've even tried to turn it on. From what I remember, the boot noise doesn't go 'up' like normal. It used to make two noises really fast, the latter being higher. I'm sure there's a much better way to describe it but I sure can't think of it. The system does come to life, but it doesn't do anything. The fans turn on, the LED light slowly flashes, but the screen does nothing. I also seem to remember the sound of it being on being a lot quieter, like it wasn't actually on. I'm sorry if this isn't enough to work with.

  • by Howlerr,

    Howlerr Howlerr Oct 23, 2012 11:03 PM in response to fiddycent
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 23, 2012 11:03 PM in response to fiddycent

    My macbook pro has exact the same problem ! This morning I turned it on, and it reacts the same as you discribe it. I tried to charge my iphone to check the usb, but no result, my iphone doesn't charge anymore. My mbp does get hotter as it seems that it is alive, but there's no output on the screen or whatever... Can someone help ? If it has really died, then I also want to recover my data !!

  • by shldr2thewheel,

    shldr2thewheel shldr2thewheel Oct 23, 2012 11:13 PM in response to Howlerr
    Level 7 (25,881 points)
    Oct 23, 2012 11:13 PM in response to Howlerr

    this post hasnt been looked at in 8 months.  Start a new thread.

  • by Owenpool,

    Owenpool Owenpool Jul 22, 2013 8:11 AM in response to fiddycent
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 22, 2013 8:11 AM in response to fiddycent

    Hi friend,

     

    If not late for you, You can easily recover your hard drive.Sometimes hard drive get corrupted due to virus attacks, scratches on the hard drive, formatting/reformatting the hard drive or many such reasons.In such situations the file will not get open easily. Hence by using a good hard drive recovery software,you can easily recover your corrupted data and save the files on you computer back. Hard drive recovery software is a very effective tool and provides complete recovery of corrupted data.

    For more information you can check the link: http://goo.gl/wQW0Ur

    You can easily download the free trial version of the software.

  • by Csound1,

    Csound1 Csound1 Jul 22, 2013 8:33 AM in response to Owenpool
    Level 9 (51,231 points)
    Desktops
    Jul 22, 2013 8:33 AM in response to Owenpool

    Owenpool wrote:

     

    Hi friend,

     

    If not late for you,

    It's been a year and a half, it's too late.

  • by MrJavaDeveloper,

    MrJavaDeveloper MrJavaDeveloper Jul 23, 2013 6:14 PM in response to Howlerr
    Level 1 (64 points)
    Jul 23, 2013 6:14 PM in response to Howlerr

    Howlerr, if your system isn't charging devices connected to the USB port it sounds like it's a regulation failure to me. I would recommend taking it either to an Apple store if there's one nearby or someone that's qualified to work on the unit. They can take your drive out if the unit is shot.

     

    There's no point buying drive recovery software or testing software for any unit that won't even power up.

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