Dead screen and recovery mode

Question

strngr12 Author

Level 1

5 points

Dead screen and recovery mode

I have three problems:

1: My MacBook Air screen is dead and I have to operate in clamshell mode.

2: Because of problem one, one of my only two USB-C ports is used by an HDMI cable to my TV leaving me one port.

3: Every time I boot, it automatically boots me in recovery mode.

I have an external mouse and keyboard, but can only use one at a time. Because it's in recovery mode and that's the only screen I can get to, I cannot "select the apple menu and go to yada yada..."

The only thing I am trying to do is get the data from that comp to my new MacBook Air. I have it set to backup to a Time Machine disk, but I can't get to the desktop and hit "backup now" because I can only get to recovery mode.

I have no reason to believe there is actually anything wrong with the HD except that it only boots to recovery. I'm sure the data is fine. The only thing I know is bad is the internal monitor.

Does anyone know if there is some combination of booting directly to target mode or safe mode and forcing a backup or whatever to get to some state on the old MacBook that would allow me to migrate to the new one?

MacBook Air 13″, macOS 14.3

Posted on Apr 5, 2024 1:38 PM

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Answer 1

padams35

Level 4

3,613 points

Apr 5, 2024 5:48 PM in response to strngr12

Have you tried using a USB-C hub with HDMI and USB-A output? That is a $20-30 solution to not being able to connect everything at once.

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Answer 2

strngr12 Author

Level 1

5 points

Apr 5, 2024 7:58 PM in response to padams35

Yes, that's how I finally fixed it! Because I only had two ports and clamshell mode only works with power I had to keep switching between having a mouse and a screen it took a bit, but I was able to get it booted to the desktop by switching back and forth between the screen and the mouse.

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Answer 3

KiltedTim

Level 10

227,610 points

Apr 5, 2024 1:44 PM in response to strngr12

If it's in recovery mode, what makes you think there is any data on it to get in the first place? In all likelihood, any data that was on it is gone. If the drive and the data on it were "fine" it would not be booting into recovery mode.

This is the kind of situation that backups are for. You do have a backup, right...?

As for forcing a backup, you need to do that before something goes catastrophically wrong, not after.

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Answer 4

strngr12 Author

Level 1

5 points

Apr 5, 2024 2:08 PM in response to KiltedTim

I was able to boot up fine. The problem I had is that I only have two ports so I could not connect power and a keyboard and a mouse and a screen. You have to have power to clamshell, as you are probably aware.

In the end, I just kept switching back and forth with power and the screen and I was able to get to my desktop. As I mentioned in my post, I do have a backup, but I don't have it backing up every day so the backup I do have is a couple days old and a lot can happen in a couple days.

Thanks for the condescension, though. You should have probably read the whole post. Especially this part: "I have it set to backup to a Time Machine disk, but I can't get to the desktop and hit "backup now" because I can only get to recovery mode."

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Answer 5

KiltedTim

Level 10

227,610 points

Apr 5, 2024 3:08 PM in response to strngr12

It boots fine or it boots into recovery mode? Which one is it?

If you can't be clear in your description of the problem, you're not going to be able to get useful answers.

I read the entire post. You contradicted yourself.

I suggest you check your attitude the next time you seek out help.

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Answer 6

strngr12 Author

Level 1

5 points

Apr 5, 2024 8:04 PM in response to KiltedTim

"I suggest you check your attitude the next time you seek out help."

Also...

"This is the kind of situation that backups are for. You do have a backup, right...?

As for forcing a backup, you need to do that before something goes catastrophically wrong, not after."

even though...

"I have it set to backup to a Time Machine disk, but I can't get to the desktop and hit "backup now" because I can only get to recovery mode."

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