If you can access the drive you can copy your files to a backup drive. If you have another Mac you can connect it via Firewire cable, then boot the defective computer into
Target Disk Mode. Boot the other computer normally. If the drive is working it should appear on the other computer's Desktop. You can then copy your files to a backup drive or to the other computer.
If the above isn't possible or the drive isn't accessible then you can resort to file recovery:
Basics of File Recovery
If you simply put files in the Trash you can restore them by opening the Trash (left-click on the Trash icon) and drag the files from the Trash to your Desktop or other desired location. OS X also provides a short-cut to undo the last item moved to the Trash -press COMMAND-Z.
If you empty the Trash the files are gone. If a program does an immediate delete rather than moving files to the Trash, then the files are gone. Recovery is possible but you must not allow any additional writes to the hard drive - shut it down. When files are deleted only the directory entries, not the files themselves, is modified. The space occupied by the files has been returned to the system as available for storage, but the files are still on the drive. Writing to the drive will then eventually overwrite the space once occupied by the deleted files in which case the files are lost permanently. Also if you save a file over an existing file of the same name, then the old file is overwritten and cannot be recovered.
If you stop using the drive it's possible to recover deleted files that have not been overwritten with recovery software such as
Data Rescue II,
File Salvage or
TechTool Pro. Each of the preceding come on bootable CDs to enable usage without risk of writing more data to the hard drive.
The longer the hard drive remains in use and data are written to it, the greater the risk your deleted files will be overwritten.
Also visit
The XLab FAQs and read the FAQ on Data Recovery.
If recovery software doesn't work, then you would have to send the drive to one of the various data recovery services. They may be able to restore your files but it will be costly.
