Can I retrieve my files from a MacBook that won't start up?

How can I retrieve my files from a MacBook that won't start up and doesn't have a working SuperDrive?

Do you have a white or black plastic MacBook or a MacBook Pro?
Here's a cheap SATA external hard drive case on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Vantec-NexStar-2-5-Inch-External-Enclosure/dp/B002JQNXZC/r ef=pd_cp_pc_0

Similar Messages

How can I move AVCHD files from my MacBook Air to my Mac Pro?

While on the road, I will be putting my AVCHD video on my MacBook Air. This will free up space on the SD card and enable me to export clips to iWeb, etc. But when I get back to my desk, I'll want to put all of that AVCHD content onto my Mac Pro for more thorough editing and long term storage. What is the best way to move the unedited AVCHD files (events) from one computer to the other?

Jim,
There's a few ways you can do this but here's a method thats simple which also provides you with a backup of the movies contained on your SD card.
Try creating a disk image from your SDHC card from your Cam. You'll need an SD card reader and when you connect to your MBA you can create a .dmg file from disk utility.
Once you've done that you can launch imovie and then double click on your .dmg and imovie will prompt you if you want to add the movies to your library.
When you get back home you can follow the same procedure by copying over your .dmg. No need to export from imovie on your MBA to your MP. The added benefit is that you have a complete backup of your SDHC card in the .dmg which you can backup to DVD.
Hope this helps.
M

Why can't I transfer files from my MacBook Pro to my external HD?

Hello,
I was transferring files from my macbook to my Buffalo HD-PNTU3 when it was accidentally removed improperly; Once I plugged it back in I could no longer transfer any files the cursor would turn into the round banning icon and wouldn't take the command.
After reading some posts in the community I tried repairing disk permissions in Disk Utility but it was in vain. Any propositions?
Thank you in advance,
Likolette

Hello Likolette,
Thanks for using Apple Support Communities.
From your post I see that you're unable to move files to your external hard drive ever since it was unplugged before being ejected. To start troubleshooting this issue, I'd like you to please repair the disk using Disk Utility.
Disk Utility 12.x: Repair a disk
Cheers,
Alex H.

I can't print pdf files from my macbook air

Hi, I am unable to print pdf files from the internet using my macbook air - I have the latest Adobe Reader, but still no help.....thoughts??

Back up all data.
Triple-click the line of text below to select it, the copy the selected text to the Clipboard (command-C):
/Library/Internet Plug-ins
In the Finder, select
Go ▹ Go to Folder
from the menu bar, or press the key combination shift-command-G. Paste into the text box that opens (command-V), then press return.
From the folder that opens, remove any items that have the letters “PDF” in the name. You may be prompted for your login password. Then quit and relaunch Safari, and test.
The "Silverlight" web plugin distributed by Microsoft can also interfere with PDF display in Safari, so you may need to remove it as well, if it's present.
If you still have the issue, repeat with this line:
~/Library/Internet Plug-ins
If you don’t like the results of this procedure, restore the items from the backup you made before you started. Relaunch Safari again.

Why can't I add files from my MacBook Pro to my external hard drive?

I re-named my external hard drive on my PC, and now I cannot add files from my Mac to the hard drive. How can I add files again? Do I need to reformat my hard drive?

Since you mention you used the external harddrive with your 'PC', I assume that it was NTFS formatted. By default Mac cannot write to NTFS only read it.
To make sure: go to. Disk Utility (while the drive is mounted), select the drive and look at 'Format'. That should tell you the format type of the drive.
If you are looking for third party solutions, try:
http://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/24481/ntfs-3g
http://www.paragon-software.com/home/ntfs-mac/
However, know that they are not supported by apple and won't be the best solution. The best cross platform solution would be to reformat the drive with exFat (you can do this through disk utility), just make sure you backup your data before doing this. Both Windows and Mac can write to exFat and it does not have file size limitations as Fat32.

I download confidential info & save to a secured flash drive; how can I delete the file from "downloads" after that?

I am a mental health professional. My supervisor emails me confidential information as Word documents, which I download using Firefox. When the download is complete, I open the document and save it to my secured flash drive. I would like to then delete the file from my computer, so the flash drive has the only copy, to protect my clients' privacy. The only directions I can find are for deleting the entry from the downloads list, but not the file itself.

There is technology known as RMS which you could set series of policies like only members in the company could access certain documents and if someone copy them and attempt to run them in another PC or outside company, it won't work. Take a look at:
http://blogs.technet.com/b/rms/archive/2013/08/29/the-new-microsoft-rms-is-live-in-preview.aspx
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd277361.aspx

HELP!!! Can I get back files from a folder that has been copied over?

I had a file in the trash with the same name as a file on my desktop. I accidentally started copying it from the trash to my desktop. It erased some of the files I had on my desktop in that folder that were very important, before I could stop it from copying. Is there any way to get the files back? They had been on my desktop for a few months. I'm thinking that maybe they are stored somewhere on the computer. I tried a search but came up with nothing. I usually back up to a external hard drive but I didn't this time and I'm paying for it now!

When a file is erased, the space on the drive that the data occupies is not necessarily erased. It is just unallocated, so that other new data can use it. However, until that new data overwrites that same physical space on the drive, your old data may still be recoverable.
To do this, you need to use a data recovery tool. There are tools that specialize in data recovery, such as
http://www.prosofteng.com/products/data_rescue.php
and other tools have a have multiple functions, including data recovery
http://www.micromat.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=202&Itemid=107
If you want to try recovering the data using such a tool, you should stop using the Mac (or use it as little as possible). Any use of the Mac will make it more likely that the space occupied by the old data will be overwritten. If that happens, the portion that is overwritten will not be recoverable.
This is a good example of when Time Machine (part of Leopard and Snow Leopard) would be extremely helpful. It does backups to an external drive automatically, in the background, once per hour that the Mac is active. You just set it up and then forget about it. You can get any file back that you accidentally erase, even an older version of it.

How to access restricted files from hard drive that won't boot

My Macbook Pro (10.9.3) wouldn't boot up. I'd get the gray spinning progress indicator along with a gray progress bar which would get about 10% through and then restart.
I booted into recovery mode and run Disk Utility to repair the disk and got a message saying can't repair, back up your files.
So I took the HDD out and mounted it as an external drive on my Mac Mini (10.9.3). I got a message saying it's read only and I should back up my files. I can browse to my users directory and see all the base folders (Movies, Music, Docs, etc), but there's a red no entry icon on all the folders and accessing them through Finder shows they are empty.
I browsed the files through Terminal as super user and can see the files. I can also copy the files through Terminal. However, after copying a test directory some of the files are read only and others are still no access.
So the question is, how do I back up these files and maintain permissions?
Thanks!
PSA: Go do a backup. Don't feel my pain.

In the Finder, drag the folders to another drive. You'll be asked for an administrator password.
(108686)

How do I get files from an App that won't send via Email??

Hey Apple Community, this is my first post.
I got an App from the App Store called "Recorder Pro" from a developer called "David Bajada". I'm using this App for recording my commentaries for my YouTube channel from my iPad. The problem is, it's 60 minutes long, and it won;t send by Mail when I click the "Share" button. Now, I know there has to be some sort of way to get that Audio file off my iPad. Is there any programs or software that can do this for me? Or is it embedded to the iPad and can't be taken off/used?
Please help,
Thanks

The App I have only has a "Share" button; which is linked to the "Mail" App that's on the iPad. Problem is, that's the only way of sharing the file, through the Mail App. The problem is, the file is too big and long to share via mail. There has to be some someftware to extract that audio file from that App because it only supports sharing through Mail

How do you eject a CD stuck in the drive from an imac that won't start?

My Imac won't start. Its stuck on the Apple screen with the little gear going around. Other discussion have suggesting trying to boot directly from the install disc, which I want to try but can't because when it crashed there was a DVD in the optical drive and I now cannot remove it.
Any suggestion on how to remove it as a first step to fixing the start up screen issue!

Here is a collection of ways to eject a stuck CD/DVD from your Mac.
How to Eject CDs or DVDs From Your Mac Even When They Are Stuck
Tom
http://macs.about.com

I can't permanently delete files from my macbook

I looked at my disk utility and then used an app to tell me what files are taking up the most space. As I'm looking back there are a whole bunch of files that I uninstalled and deleted. Those files are still listed as taking up space. When I search in spotlight the files aren't listed on the computer at all but are still ''taking up space''. These files were like adobe trials, apps, music, and videos that I no longer wanted on my laptop. I'm still confused as to how they are still listed there. How do I get rid of these files???

Did you empty the trash after deleting the files?
Disk Space – Free Up (2)

Can i retrieve a file from timeMachine after a clean OS install

I'm having a lil dilema. I need to do a clean install on my system due to a few devices that i accidently erased while configuiring my audio settings.
anywho, I just need to know:
I have been backing up my files with Time Machine on to a Western Digital Network HD on my Home Network. If i do a final back up and then Install a clean copy of OSX Lion [Format My system HD], will I be able to restore my personal files using time machine back up I have on my Network HD?

This Process did not help! After both holdng the Command + R the driver was not available.
And after formating my HD and reinstalling Lion [v10.7.3] the driver was STILL not available
Below is the screen I see.
HELP PLEASE!!!

Is there a way to recover your files from a computer that won't work anymore?

if my computer stops working, is there a way to recover the files?

I've been in the same situation once.
Here's what I did:
Went to Staples and bought an external hard drive enclosure.
Took the hard drive out of the dead computer then installed it in the enclosure.
From there I hooked it up to a working computer via usb port then copied the files that I needed from it.
Assuming that your hard drive is not dead/toasted, then you can recover the data you need through this procedure.
Hope that helps.

MacBook that won't start up!!!!!! Reformated...Need a Genius. PLEASE HELP!

Okay, so there is this MacBook from ****. Or more like China...either way, disregarding my sarcarism, and my spelling, I originally hooked my MacBook Pro up to my friend's MacBook, launched it in Target Disk Mode, got the files I needed off of the MB, then I used Disk Utility to re-format the MB's hard drive. I then inserted a Mac OS X installer disk that came with a third friends MB. I held down the "C" key and it was able to read the CD and run the installer, HOWEVER-when I got to the part in the installation process where you select the destination volume, the MB's Hard drive (which has been re-formated) has this red stop sign error. The error says that Mac OS X cannot start up from this volume. This error is not a matter of space because Mac OS X requires 15.6 GB on space, but the HD says it has 55.8GB free...I am stumped. Any help you have for me would really be appreciated.

Try simply rebooting from the CD. Failing that, re-run Disk Utility from that installation CD and make sure it's formatted to Mac OS Extended (Journaled).
Matt

Another MacBook that won't start up

My white MacBook (early 2007) has just lost the ability to start up, at least intermittently. Doesn't get past the initial grey screen with the initial spinning indicator. In Single User mode, never gets through the messages; it freezes and I can't get to a command line. In Firewire Target mode, my other computer can see that the MacBook is there but can't mount its drive.
It has been acting strange for a while, but this is the worst it's ever been. It has now twice, when I did get it to start up and was using it, just frozen - no kernel panic screen, but a spinning cursor and no ability to get control of the machine.
It's clearly a hardware issue at some deep level, but that's all I know. Might be the hard drive, might be USB which has been acting funny for some time and did give some weird messages during one Single-User Mode startup I tried.

Took it in for repair. Turned out to be the hard drive (as I rather suspected). Hard drive replaced for free under AppleCare.

Can I retrieve my files from a MacBook that won't start up?

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