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Removing data from Macbook pro

My 2020 Macbook pro is water damaged and won't turn on. How do I get the data off of it before I trade it? Thanks,

MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 11.4

Posted on Mar 23, 2022 5:16 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Mar 23, 2022 6:47 PM

First off, hold the power button down 30 seconds without any power attached.


Then plug in the power and tap the power. If not so much as a whisper comes from it, take it to Apple. If it tries to start up, immediately hold


command-option-shift-R and don't let go until you get feedback on the screen.

4 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Mar 23, 2022 6:47 PM in response to plantgal55

First off, hold the power button down 30 seconds without any power attached.


Then plug in the power and tap the power. If not so much as a whisper comes from it, take it to Apple. If it tries to start up, immediately hold


command-option-shift-R and don't let go until you get feedback on the screen.

Mar 23, 2022 5:47 PM in response to plantgal55

I would never attempt to trade a water damaged machine. A: the storage on the computer is directly on the logicboard. B: if it won't boot as a result of the water damage, there is little likelihood the machine has much value, since the entire logicboard will have to be replaced. You are better off trying to make a claim if your homeowner's insurance will cover it, or if you have AppleCare+ protection with an accident protection. You could try internet recovery to see if it will at minimum let you erase it with internet recovery's Disk Utility. command-option-shift-R. Short of that, only a service center can get direct access to the drive to erase it.

Removing data from Macbook pro

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