data recovery

http://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-1689

Note, Powerbooks do not have Intel CPUs, and do not have SATA drives. They use Parallel ATA/IDE drives.

Old G4 Mac Minis are the same way. So be sure you have a Powerbook and not a MacBook.

Any recovery tool you would get would have to be able to boot 10.5.8 or earlier. 10.6 and later will not work on a machine named Powerbook, or a G4 Mac Mini.

To properly identify your Mac, see this tip:

http://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-6413

Looks to be an older thread somehow made to appear more recent.

If the 'older hardware owner' cannot use the App Store, due to vintage

or obsolete status OS X 10.5 and ancient 10-12 y/o Mac, there's some

other methods to recover files depending on what is damaged.

If a rotational hard disk drive has failed to mechanically function, that

is another matter. If some files have been 'erased' but not removed

or not overwritten via secure erase multiple over-writes, one can try

these types of free-ware recovery tools. The can find file-types even

if the structure of the storage drive has failed. Can be used for flash

or other memory, and best to have separate drive for recovered files.

Test Disk or Photo Rec:

http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk

http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/PhotoRec

You can search and recover file types from some failed drives. Other

kinds of failure may involve repairing the hard drive itself; a few of the

components such as circuit-boards or connections may fail. Then one

has to get another known-good similar drive to use as parts.

I'm curious why this old a thread had come up. Usually when Locked

old threads appear ahead of more recent content: see eMac G4.

Anyway, I saw the original thread dates -- only after adding an edit.

So wrote even more...! 😝

It is very risky to Download an app from anywhere but the Mac App Store

Same app = safe source > https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/uflysoft-data-recovery/id476892563?mt=12

If you're asking if there is something that can connect either ATA or SATA drive to another system, see this from OWC or this.

If both drives are dead .... there are services that will, for a royal price, recover the data for you.

Powerbooks can't connect to the App Store. You need a minimum of Mac OS X 10.6.6 which only runs on Intel Macs.