If I reinstall the Mac OS on a MacBook will my document files be erased in the process?

Question

If I reinstall the Mac OS on a MacBook will my document files be erased in the process?

If I reinstall the Mac OS on a MacBook will my
document files be erased in the process?

During a recent
software update via the Internet, the power cord detached from the
computer. There is no battery in the device, so updating must have been
interrupted too suddenly. When reconnecting power, the computer tried to
boot unsuccessfully. The screen went black/gray with detailed error
messaging in ASCII type - a scary place to be in the Mac world (see screen
image below). A dialogue box instructed me to hold down
the Power button for several seconds and restart the computer to
fix the problem. That didn't resolve the problem. I figured
the OS may have been corrupted and decided to use the install disks
to get the MacBook back into operation. It occurred to me, perhaps too
late, that this installation process may actually wipe out existing data
and files on the machine, which wouldn't be good since there's no
backup.

I'm hoping to learn
whether the OS is merely reinstalling in a disk
partition and formatting hasn't destroyed all the documents.

After running Install Disk 1 of 2, I got this screen image again:

It's not clear whatI should do next.

If anyone's got some suggestions, please reply.

Thanks!

MacBook, Mac OS X (10.5)

Posted on Mar 25, 2015 3:08 PM

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Answer 1

Kappy

Level 10

361,741 points

Mar 25, 2015 3:12 PM in response to funnyuaskedme

Formatting destroys all data on a drive. If what you see on the screen is occurring immediately after you restart the computer, then it's safe to say the drive is likely toast. Take it in to see about whether the drive is functional or needs replacing.

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Answer 2

Mar 25, 2015 3:36 PM in response to Kappy

Is reinstallation of the OS equivalent to formatting the drive?

If the drive is toast and has to be replaced, is the data lost forever?

Thanks for the information, Kappy!

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Answer 3

Kappy

Level 10

361,741 points

Mar 25, 2015 3:52 PM in response to funnyuaskedme

No. If an OS X version already exists, then reinstalling simply overwrites file in the current system. If the drive has no OS X system installed then it will be automatically erased before installation.

If the drive is toast the data may or may not be lost forever. This is a big "no one knows for sure." Of course it is gone if you are required to exchange the bad drive for a good one. But if you replace the drive and keep the old one, then you can put the old drive in an enclosure and make an attempt to recover data if it is recoverable. See the following:

General File Recovery

If you stop using the drive it's possible to recover deleted files that have not been overwritten by using recovery software such as MAC Data Recovery, 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. Two free alternatives are Disk Drill and TestDisk. Look for them and demos at MacUpdate or CNET Downloads. Recovery software usually provide trial versions that enable you to determine if the software would help before actually paying for it. Beyond this or if the drive has completely failed, then you would need to send the drive to a recovery service which is very expensive.

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.

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