just4Lance
Level 1 (29 points)
Mac OS X

Q: MacBook Pro

Hello,

trying to help one of my students.

She has a 2007 MacBook Pro, that refuses to boot normally, but will start in "safe" mode.

We would like to recuperate her photos before reinstalling OS X as we'd like to do a clean installation.

After booting in safe mode, it still refuses to boot normally - => apple logo, then blank grey screen.

In "safe" mode, I understand there is no access to USB - so how to save her iPhoto library?

In "safe" mode, there is NO WiFi available, so how to download and install whatever OS X will run happily on a 2007 MBPro?

I have Mountain Lion on a CD, but there is no CD reader on her MB.

 

I have a 2015 MBpro available, if some sort of file sharing could be done between the two MBs.

 

Thanks for any wisdom.

 

Ozfrog

MacBook Pro with Retina display, OS X El Capitan (10.11.3)

Posted on Jun 12, 2016 12:51 PM

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just4Lance

Q: MacBook Pro

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  • by K Shaffer,

    K Shaffer K Shaffer Jun 12, 2016 3:24 PM in response to just4Lance
    Level 6 (14,289 points)
    Desktops
    Jun 12, 2016 3:24 PM in response to just4Lance

    If the failed computer can be started in Target Disk mode and you have a FireWire cable

    to run between that and another with FW ports, the subject computer can be accessed

    and seen as an External FW hard drive by a healthy computer; this one started normally.

     

    How to use and troubleshoot FireWire target disk mode - Apple Support

     

    Another option would be to use an iFixit guide and remove the hard disk drive from the

    failed computer, then use a universal USB wire kit with power adapter, to access that

    drive, from a healthy computer; and save the content desired to another media/drive.

     

    A product such as this example may be found in a computer store; this one has advantage.

     

    • NewerTech Universal Drive Adapter USB3.0... (this from OWC)

    https://eshop.macsales.com/item/NewerTech/U3NVSPATA/

     

    You should be able to access content from the computer, if it can be started in Safe mode.

    The saved content later may require the user account password to access it, but a copy

    may be able to be 'migrated' into a new re-installation later. Safe mode boot, can be helpful

    to resolve startup issues. Can the computer be started in Recovery and that version of

    Disk Utility, used to see if it can repair the subjects hard disk drive? It may need new HDD.

     

    {The Mountain Lion? disc would have no bearing; the last retail shipped DVD OS X was

    Snow Leopard 10.6.3. Lion 10.7 had shipped with special USB installer (MB/Air). The

    systems which are available from App Store as download, don't do well saved to DVD

    and generally won't work as a universal install disc. Not sure what you have, there.}

     

    Good luck & happy computing!

  • by leroydouglas,

    leroydouglas leroydouglas Jun 12, 2016 3:29 PM in response to just4Lance
    Level 7 (22,920 points)
    Notebooks
    Jun 12, 2016 3:29 PM in response to just4Lance

    just4Lance

    Hello,

    trying to help one of my students.

    She has a 2007 MacBook Pro, that refuses to boot normally, but will start in "safe" mode.

    I have Mountain Lion on a CD, but there is no CD reader on her MB.

     

    If you have the original install DVD you can boot off it (holding the D key) and use the DiskUtility to Repair Disk

     

    It is a little confusing. She has a MacBook or a MacBook Pro?  She has no Superdrive or it is broke??

    She is running Lion? then use the Lion DVD to boot.

  • by OGELTHORPE,

    OGELTHORPE OGELTHORPE Jun 12, 2016 5:05 PM in response to just4Lance
    Level 9 (52,147 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jun 12, 2016 5:05 PM in response to just4Lance

    The simplest and most economic method is to take out the HDD from the 2007 MBP, install it in an inexpensive generic enclosure, connect it to your 2015 MBP and copy the data to the new mac or another external HDD.  This of course assume that the HDD in the 2007 MBP is functional.

     

    Ciao.