Copy files without Finder?

Jeffrey:

You can use Carbon Copy Cloner to clone your entire drive. Log in to CCC with your OS X password and set the Prefs to Repair Permissions and make bootable drive then you can use your FireWire drive as a boot drive until you get your new HDD.

Post back if you have further questions.

cornelius

PB G3 Pismo400, 100 GB 5400 Toshiba internal, 1 GB RAM Mac OS X (10.3.9) Beige G3 OS 8.6

Hello! I would point out however that cloning a BAD system yields a BAD unstable system. Tom

hi jeffery,

yes, you can copy files without using the finder. if the dock is running and you had the terminal.app in the dock you could use the terminal.app. it is also possible to copy files in single user mode. your best bet is to find another mac and use FireWire target disk mode .

If you end up with a boot drive, even if it is unstable, you could run repair software and maybe recover it. At the very least, it may be possible to recover the User Folder.

As it is we do not know if the OS is corrupt, if volume structures are messed up and/or if data is damaged. All we know is the "the hard drive is dying."

It is a bit of a crap shoot when you don't have all the information. There is no guarantee the safe mode or target mode will work any better than cloning. One pays one's money and takes one's chances.

cornelius

PB G3 Pismo400, 100 GB 5400 Toshiba internal, 1 GB RAM Mac OS X (10.3.9) Beige G3 OS 8.6

cornelius,

How does one start CCC when the Finder is not running?

mark

Mark:

You got me there. That presents a real challenge. Almost any solution hinges on the Finder being there.

Here is another possibility, maybe. If your internal HDD is failing, go ahead and replace the HDD. Install whatever OS you want to, so you have a finder. Place your old HDD in an Firewire enclosure, and if there are any files that are recoverable you can now do so. Of course, there is the possibility that your old HDD may be in too bad shape to work with it. You will then have to consider the option of using a data recovery service.

If that makes sense to you the details can be refined as you go along.

Good luck.

cornelius

PB G3 Pismo400, 100 GB 5400 Toshiba internal, 1 GB RAM Mac OS X (10.3.9) Beige G3 OS 8.6

Jeffrey:

Thanks for posting back and sharing your solution. Glad you were able to get your issue taken care of.

Good luck.

cornelius

PismoG4 550, 100GB 5400 Toshiba internal, 1 GB RAM; Pismo 500 OS (10.4.4) Mac OS X (10.3.9) Beige G3 OS 8.6