Mac Harddrive faliure

[McHanhan]

The hard drive in my (almost) 4 year old macbook pro failed, tonight. I've never had a HD failure but from what I've heard from others it seems pretty typical (loudish clicking). That's the bad news. The worse news? My last full time machine backup was july 2008. Last partial backup (email and documents) was Feb 2009.

I know, I know. There's no excuse for no backups. In my defense, Time Machine stopped working for me - after HOURS it would always give the same error.

- Running disk utility from the osx install DVD, trying to "repair" the drive ends in a failure.
- Trying to create a hard drive image on the external ends in a failure.
- Neither of these facts are surprising, because this is a hardware and not software issue.

ANYWAY, here's where things get a little weird -

...BUT, I can physically navigate the Hard Drive's menu trees, via disk utility. I can go into my documents, I can do into Applications, etc. The files are THERE. Tantalizingly close. Disk utility just doesn't have the ability to copy individual files. You either have to make a backup of the FULL drive, or make no backup at all.

So what I need is some sort of mac bootup tool (or terminal command line?) that will let me copy INDIVIDUAL folders and files from my failing HD, onto my external.

I'm pretty convinced that the majority of my HD's data is intact and accessible... there is just no default tool on the OSX boot disk that allows you to copy individual folders. I've given up on a full recovery, but if I could back up documents, email, address book other essentials... it would be a HUGE load off my shoulders.

 

[Revolutionary]

<img src=http://i43.tinypic.com/x458vs.jpg>
Be carefull or this will happen.

 

[Vie]

Tried a disc bootable Linux distro and a large usb hard drive?

 

[Snork Maiden]

My girlfriends Macs HDD "failed" about 2 days ago (actually the thing was intact, but it required a clean OS install and so the files had to be taken off), and I ran into the "getting at my files" conundrum.

I know this isn't quite the answer to your question (I actually know bollocks all about OSX) but my solution was to take the HDD itself *out* of the Mac and hook it up to my PCs motherboard - I got a trial of Macdrive which let my Windows machine read the OSX HDD. It was fairly easy to just grab everything I needed from the drive and then replace it in the Mac.

Getting the drive out was a snap, and I don't think its much harder in older MacBooks as long as you have a screwdriver set. Hardest part is plugging it into a PCs mainboard, but I'd assume the connectors to the PSU *should* be there, and a quick Google of "connecting laptop HDD to desktop" gives you an easy how too of plugging the drive into a PC.

Of course this assumes you have a full desktop PC available

EDIT:

Tried a disc bootable Linux distro and a large usb hard drive?

Actually this is a much easier method

 

[Eagle Est1986]

*Sigh*

Why oh WHY do people get the drive to use a Mac...

Because they're good. I haven't had a problem with mine in 3 years. My PC had a problem nearly every week. So go away fanboy, unless you're going to contribute.


OP, my cousin had this, don't think he actually managed to solve it himself, have you tried taking it to your nearest Apple shop? The Genius bar might be able to help.

 

[cynicalandbored]

Y'know, it probably would've been better to google the problem then get advice from forums that're actually about Macs. It'd mean less of the Mac bashing you're certain to get here...

That's my only advice to be honest. You'd do better elsewhere. Here's not the place. Good luck with it though. It really sucks to lose that much stuff. If you use SuperDuper as an alternative to Time Machine you'd probably be better off by the way. It's less likely to go mental, you can boot from it just as easily, and it's customisable.

 

[Vie]

*Sigh*

Why oh WHY do people get the drive to use a Mac...

Because they're really well built look great and run linux just fine.

Well there's no way I'm using OSX - it feels like going back to the early 1990's with how cackhanded its interface is.

 

[Kaboose the Moose]

Unless I am thinking of a different OS, doesn't Mac's comes with Timemachine and isn't Timemachine designed to do automatic backups? So can't you just to mount it to another computer and just copy the files over by hand?

 

[McHanhan]

Tried a disc bootable Linux distro and a large usb hard drive?

I don't follow wouldn't that just override my exisiting hard drive.

 

[Horticulture]

Tried a disc bootable Linux distro and a large usb hard drive?

I don't follow wouldn't that just override my exisiting hard drive.

Vie's suggesting that you start your computer from a Linux CD [http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu] the same way you would use the recovery disc (hold 'c' at boot). Rather than installing Linux, you'll boot up from the CD and run linux from there while you copy the recoverable files from your MacBook's hard drive to your external.

 

[Thaius]

Huh, I like how everyone finds out that a Mac failed and acts like it's more common than on your average Windows computer. Get a life, guys.

 

[Abedeus]

Was going to suggest it. Get a bootable Linux, either on CD or USB, and use it to copy files.

And don't use Macs. Seriously, with all its flaws, I'd take Windows over Mac any day.

 

[Omegatronacles]

The hard drive in my (almost) 4 year old macbook pro failed, tonight. I've never had a HD failure but from what I've heard from others it seems pretty typical (loudish clicking). That's the bad news. The worse news? My last full time machine backup was july 2008. Last partial backup (email and documents) was Feb 2009.

I know, I know. There's no excuse for no backups. In my defense, Time Machine stopped working for me - after HOURS it would always give the same error.

- Running disk utility from the osx install DVD, trying to "repair" the drive ends in a failure.
- Trying to create a hard drive image on the external ends in a failure.
- Neither of these facts are surprising, because this is a hardware and not software issue.

ANYWAY, here's where things get a little weird -

...BUT, I can physically navigate the Hard Drive's menu trees, via disk utility. I can go into my documents, I can do into Applications, etc. The files are THERE. Tantalizingly close. Disk utility just doesn't have the ability to copy individual files. You either have to make a backup of the FULL drive, or make no backup at all.

So what I need is some sort of mac bootup tool (or terminal command line?) that will let me copy INDIVIDUAL folders and files from my failing HD, onto my external.

I'm pretty convinced that the majority of my HD's data is intact and accessible... there is just no default tool on the OSX boot disk that allows you to copy individual folders. I've given up on a full recovery, but if I could back up documents, email, address book other essentials... it would be a HUGE load off my shoulders.

A friend of mine had a similar issue.

He recommends that you try refridgerating the drive. I have absolutely no idea what good that will do, but he swears it fixed his long enough for him to back up his critical files

*Sigh*

Why oh WHY do people get the drive to use a Mac...

Quite possibly because Macs are superior to PC's for video and photo editing, 3d design, and just about everything that isn't game related.

 

[Eagle Est1986]

Oh please. If I was going to be a fanboy for anything it certainly wouldn't be for Windows. Just because I prefer it to a mac doesn't make me a fanboy, it just makes you look like a sodding troll.

Sod off.

THERE'S my contribution.

Haha, I'm the troll? Ok then.
Look, I understand that not everyone has the same opinion on everything, so I really couldn't care less if you don't like macs. But why bother coming into mac thread just to bash them? The thread title isn't "What do you think about macs" Or "Mac vs Windows" so why waste your time? Or are you just trying to get that post count up?

 

[Nihilism_Is_Bliss]

just don't take it to the apple store. they'll say they wont wipe the hard drive while fixing it, but really...they will.

and yeah, almightywabbit, eagle has a point. nevertheless, i can't believe you guys are flaming over something that small

 

[tk1989]

*Sigh*

Why oh WHY do people get the drive to use a Mac...

Because they're good. I haven't had a problem with mine in 3 years. My PC had a problem nearly every week. So go away fanboy, unless you're going to contribute.


OP, my cousin had this, don't think he actually managed to solve it himself, have you tried taking it to your nearest Apple shop? The Genius bar might be able to help.

Oh please. If I was going to be a fanboy for anything it certainly wouldn't be for Windows. Just because I prefer it to a mac doesn't make me a fanboy, it just makes you look like a sodding troll.

Sod off.

THERE'S my contribution.

Cmon dude, you take a cheap shot at Macs and then as soon as someone makes a fair rebuttal you start going over the top.

Just because you don't like macs doesnt mean shit. If you dont have something to contribute to the topic then stop trolling.

 

[Snork Maiden]

Just be careful there are a few Apple Jihadists there that firmly believe anything Apple is incapable of failing, and may call you a liar, but thankfully they are a minority. There are plenty of knowledgeable people there that can help you. Why would you ask that question here though? Asking a console-tard a technical question is like asking a cockroach the meaning of life.

This is the reason I would always shy away from using Mac Forums. They are probably the least helpful place on the internet at times.

 

[Gildan Bladeborn]

A friend of mine had a similar issue.

He recommends that you try refridgerating the drive. I have absolutely no idea what good that will do, but he swears it fixed his long enough for him to back up his critical files

Your friend wasn't pulling your leg - in cases where a drive is physically failing, getting it cold via refrigeration can often allow it to function for long enough to pull the data you want off of it. We've used that trick a couple times at work - sometimes it won't help, but since it's broken now, what do you have to lose?

 

[Insideout Ink Demon]

Tried a disc bootable Linux distro and a large usb hard drive?

I don't follow wouldn't that just override my exisiting hard drive.

Vie's suggesting that you start your computer from a Linux CD [http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu] the same way you would use the recovery disc (hold 'c' at boot). Rather than installing Linux, you'll boot up from the CD and run linux from there while you copy the recoverable files from your MacBook's hard drive to your external.

I recommend Ubuntu version of linux. Following Horticultures instructions, I think you'll be give the option of "Run Live Version" you should then have access to all your files via Ubuntu operating system.
You never know, you might become a Linux fan.

http://www.ubuntu.com/

 

[DemonicVixen]

*Sigh*

Why oh WHY do people get the drive to use a Mac...

Because they're good. I haven't had a problem with mine in 3 years. My PC had a problem nearly every week. So go away fanboy, unless you're going to contribute.


OP, my cousin had this, don't think he actually managed to solve it himself, have you tried taking it to your nearest Apple shop? The Genius bar might be able to help.

Oh please. If I was going to be a fanboy for anything it certainly wouldn't be for Windows. Just because I prefer it to a mac doesn't make me a fanboy, it just makes you look like a sodding troll.

Sod off.

THERE'S my contribution.

Cmon dude, you take a cheap shot at Macs and then as soon as someone makes a fair rebuttal you start going over the top.

Just because you don't like macs doesnt mean shit. If you dont have something to contribute to the topic then stop trolling.

Wow i cant believe im actually going to say this, and yes he's going to kill me for it but tough considering i'll tell him to his face tomorrow...

I agree with him that he is aloud to give his oppinion, asked for or not, its expected and many escapists do it for other things (example, Xbox, PS3 etc or even the games). I also agree with him that his oppinion doesnt make him a "fanboy", he's purely saying that as far as he is concerned, many people have had problems with Mac and he belives Windows is so much easier and better to have and so its his chosen choice and he is *ahem* recomending it in a very bad way (I honestly cant say anything on this because i've only ever had windows but i have to say i have heard so many bad things about the Mac).
Granted he shouldnt have risen to the bait having been called a "fanboy"... even i know not to bother (else to edit the post and add a contribute, which i shall be adding my contribute in 2mins) and obviously we can see where its ended him which i think is a damn shame considering his nice track record. This is why i say dont bother posting when your in bad moods or else prepare to be killed.

To be honest (dont flame or kill me for saying this because i've seen so many threads with these sorts of things and this one has now had two people put on probation for it), yes it wasnt asking for oppinions but you can always bet someone will tell you that the Mac is rubbish for what ever reason, or that they prefer something else. There is no point reporting them etc as in some way, like i said, there are loads of threads where people have had malfuncions and asked for help and loads of true "fanboys" have come on and cursed without any hassel for their non-contributing. Yes this time i think someone's love of sarcasm has gone too far and im not backing him up for it, im merely saying, the probation was rather harsh for them both just because they both put down that they dont like the Mac. But seeing as im not a mod (thank god coz ive enough stress), i cant tell you what to do, i can only say that sometimes things are a bit over the top... i've actually said it once before on one of my first threads, that its sometimes best to over look the odd people telling their opinions because its not fair to probation only some of them and not the rest... had you's put them on probation for any further posts, then that i could understand (although, Almightywabbit's was harsher then aDuck's comment so i guess he did get what was coming to him... pity he never listens to me when he's in a bad mood, best to leave him to get on with it and face consequences later...anyway...


OT: I had a friend who had to wipe his Mac after what sounds like a similar problem. He lost everything but at least it was working again. Turned out to be some sort of virus (i think thats what he said) or it might be a good idea before trying anything, to consult a professional rather then escapists. I had my friends tell me to wipe my comuter when all it needed was a kick in the teeth (ok so i kicked it and it worked again).