CJMRDTECH

Q: Backup non bootable hard drive

I need to back and iMac with a non-bootable hard drive. I am looking for the easiest way to do this without having to take the hard drive out at this point. I am hoping there is a backup and/or clone software that will allow me to do this.

iMac, OS X El Capitan (10.11.2)

Posted on Jan 27, 2016 10:17 PM

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Q: Backup non bootable hard drive

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  • by chroot,

    chroot chroot Jan 28, 2016 2:06 AM in response to CJMRDTECH
    Level 4 (1,099 points)
    Jan 28, 2016 2:06 AM in response to CJMRDTECH

    Can you elaborate on non-bootable hard drive?  If the OS isn't booting due to an OS issue you can reinstall OS X through recovery.  If the computer isn't booting because of a hardware issue not related to the hard drive then you can use target disk mode with another Mac computer.  If the hard drive has a hardware malfunction then any data recovery may not be possible but you can still try using target disk mode.

     

     

    Share files between two computers with target disk mode - Apple Support

  • by Mike Sombrio,

    Mike Sombrio Mike Sombrio Jan 28, 2016 4:00 AM in response to CJMRDTECH
    Level 6 (17,234 points)
    Apple Watch
    Jan 28, 2016 4:00 AM in response to CJMRDTECH

    You should use Firewire Target Disk Mode Share files between two computers with target disk mode - Apple Support

    You can also try a recovery utility like DiskWarrior or DataRescue.

    If the disk has totally failed you may be out of luck unless you use professional data recovery services.

  • by rkaufmann87,

    rkaufmann87 rkaufmann87 Jan 28, 2016 5:41 AM in response to CJMRDTECH
    Level 9 (58,746 points)
    Photos for Mac
    Jan 28, 2016 5:41 AM in response to CJMRDTECH

    Unless I am missing something, your iMac already has the software installed. That would be Time Machine, all it needs is an External Hard Disk and to be formatted to Mac OS Extended (Journaled). If you don't know about Time Machine then please click Use Time Machine to back up or restore your Mac - Apple Support

  • by CJMRDTECH,

    CJMRDTECH CJMRDTECH Jan 28, 2016 8:50 AM in response to chroot
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 28, 2016 8:50 AM in response to chroot

    The hard drive will not boot. I have confirmed I can still see the drive so I should be able to get data off of it. Can I use time machine if I can't boot? Target disk mode would be great if I had another Mac with a FireWire port. All I need is to find a utility I can create a boot CD with so I can backup the data.

  • by chroot,

    chroot chroot Jan 29, 2016 1:36 AM in response to CJMRDTECH
    Level 4 (1,099 points)
    Jan 29, 2016 1:36 AM in response to CJMRDTECH

    "The hard drive will not boot" is not very definitive.

     

    Is the computer not booting because of a software issue?  If yes, then this can be resolved through either booting into safe mode to troubleshoot the normal boot or reinstalling OS X.  You can reinstall OS X without erasing your data.

     

    Is the computer not booting because there is a physical malfunction with the hard drive?  If yes, you may need professional data recovery as previously mentioned.

     

    Is the computer not booting because there are bad sectors which cannot be repaired by Disk Utility and require a reformat of the volume?  You can install OS X using recovery onto an external disk then boot from that.  Data recovery is not guaranteed from the internal disk if this is the case but always worth an attempt.

     

    Is the computer not booting because of hardware issue with the computer (not the hard drive)?  If yes, you will need to use the hard disk through Target Disk Mode with another Mac or remove it entirely and connect to a different Mac to retrieve data.

  • by Mike Sombrio,

    Mike Sombrio Mike Sombrio Jan 29, 2016 3:34 AM in response to CJMRDTECH
    Level 6 (17,234 points)
    Apple Watch
    Jan 29, 2016 3:34 AM in response to CJMRDTECH

    Often times a failing hard disk that will not boot can be accessed through Target Disk Mode. In order for you to back up your data TDM is probably his best option. Do you have any other Mac? A thunderbolt equipped Mac is also an option using a firewire adapter.