How do I back up my MacBook Pro from an external hard drive if my macbook won't boot up from the white start up screen? HELP!

I went to the Genius Bar a week ago, and the guy helping me there was nice enough to help me save some money by telling me I could replace the bad hard drive my MacBook Pro had by myself. I bought everything I needed (hard drive, screws, external hard drive) and my computer won't boot past the white start up screen. It doesn't even show the Apple sign at the start up screen. How do I back up my computer so I can save all my music, school files, etc.? Could really use someone's advice on what to do! Thanks!

Ok, to be sure I understand what's going on. You were able to boot the Macbook from the existing "damaged" internal drive, and it has been backed up to the internal.
If that is correct, your internal drive is working. Just to be sure, try booting with the R key down. Then run Disk Utility to repair the internal drive. That drive may in fact be useable.
You should be aware that you cannot boot the MBP from a Time Machine back up.
Please post back so I am sure I am understanding the situation.

Similar Messages

  • I can not transfer files and data from macbook pro to my external hard drive, i can not transfer files and data from macbook pro to my external hard drive , so what should i do ?

    i have an external hard disk but whenever i tried to transfer any file or data from macbook to this ext.disk its failed before that i used to have another hard drive with same problem ,then i thought may  be this hard drive is not support mac then i bought a new one which supports mac but still i have same problem what should i do ?

    Ok.
    Go into Disk Utility, and make sure you select your external hard drive.
    There should be 4 tabs, one being erase. I have taken a screenshot to show you what it should be set to (obviously name it what you like), and set the format to Mac OSX Extended (Journaled) as per the example below & after double checking your in the right drive, you can hit erase. And you're done! *hopefully*

  • How do i back up my macbook pro to an external hard drive?

    how do i back up my macbook pro to an external hard drive?

    schmunzelmonster, greetings;  Your suggestion is a good one.  CCC does create a boot drive which as you point out can be most useful at times. Time Machine does not have that capability but it retains a history of activities and transactions that CCC does not.  CCC only retains information as of the last update.
    Neither individually is the 'perfect' backup solution individually, but if both are utilized it becomes that.  There is no harm in backup redundancy.
    My only complaint about CCC is that is is very slow in performing updates compared with Time Machine.  Just a nit on my part.
    Ciao.

  • How can I restore files from a time machine back-up of my iMac to an EXTERNAL hard drive connected to MacBook Pro. Using Migrat

    I would like to restore files from a time machine back-up of my iMac to an EXTERNAL hard drive connected to MacBook Pro. When I tried using Migration Assistant it only gives me my internal hard drive as an option to restore to. The internal hard drive on my macbook isnt large enough to store the files.

    Welcome to Apple Support Communities
    OS X can only restore data to the drive where Time Machine backed up files from.
    If you want to restore files from the Time Machine backup onto an external drive, your only option is to access to the Time Machine drive manually (open a Finder window and choose your Time Machine drive in the Finder sidebar), navigate through its folders and copy the files you want to the external drive

  • How can I backup my MacBook Pro to an external hard drive

    How can I backup my MacBook Pro to an external hard drive?

    Basic Backup
    For some people Time Machine will be more than adequate. Time Machine is part of OS X. There are two components:
    1. A Time Machine preferences panel as part of System Preferences;
    2. A Time Machine application located in the Applications folder. It is
         used to manage backups and to restore backups. Time Machine
         requires a backup drive that is at least twice the capacity of the
         drive being backed up.
    Alternatively, get an external drive at least equal in size to the internal hard drive and make (and maintain) a bootable clone/backup. You can make a bootable clone using the Restore option of Disk Utility. You can also make and maintain clones with good backup software. My personal recommendations are (order is not significant):
      1. Carbon Copy Cloner
      2. Get Backup
      3. Deja Vu
      4. SuperDuper!
      5. Synk Pro
      6. Tri-Backup
    Visit The XLab FAQs and read the FAQ on backup and restore.  Also read How to Back Up and Restore Your Files. For help with using Time Machine visit Pondini's Time Machine FAQ for help with all things Time Machine.
    Although you can buy a complete external drive system, you can also put one together if you are so inclined.  It's relatively easy and only requires a Phillips head screwdriver (typically.)  You can purchase hard drives separately.  This gives you an opportunity to shop for the best prices on a hard drive of your choice.  Reliable brands include Seagate, Hitachi, Western Digital, Toshiba, and Fujitsu.  You can find reviews and benchmarks on many drives at Storage Review.
    Enclosures for FireWire and USB are readily available.  You can find only FireWire enclosures, only USB enclosures, and enclosures that feature multiple ports.  I would stress getting enclosures that use the Oxford chipsets especially for Firewire drives (911, 921, 922, for example.)  You can find enclosures at places such as;
      1. Cool Drives
      2. OWC
      3. WiebeTech
      4. Firewire Direct
      5. California Drives
      6. NewEgg
    All you need do is remove a case cover, mount the hard drive in the enclosure and connect the cables, then re-attach the case cover.  Usually the only tool required is a small or medium Phillips screwdriver.

  • Every time I try to back up my Macbook Pro with an external hard drive using Time Machine, I receive the error of "the disk does not have enough space". I have a 500GB hard drive and only 120GB Macbook. It worked fine before the latest Maverick's

    Every time I try to back up my Macbook Pro with an external hard drive using Time Machine, I receive the error of "the disk does not have enough space". I have a 500GB external hard drive and only 120GB Macbook. It worked fine before the latest Maverick's update. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

    My guess would be it has created an entirely new backup of your drive when you upgraded to Mavericks.
    See Here: http://pondini.org/TM/1.html
    And here: http://pondini.org/TM/9.html
    Peruse the whole site. There is a lot of information there.

  • How to transfer data from macbook pro to an external hard drive, im using (WD 1TB 3.0) ???. I cannot copy anything from my mac to it not a single file.

    how to transfer data from macbook pro to an external hard drive, im using (WD 1TB 3.0) ???. I cannot copy anything from my mac to it not a single file.

    ok - since you'll be sharing it with a PC - connect it to your windows pc - then format from there - instead of NTFS format - choose exFAT.
    or, you can read the link below on how to do it in dos mode.
    http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-files/how-can-i-forma t-external-drive-in-exfat-not-in/0f6bf19a-19d6-4470-ae05-53ddf26bb476?msgId=1860 eae3-3488-4eea-8326-f87b89d9851b
    once you've formatted it - you can now use it in both your macbook and windows computer.

  • Just baked up my macbook pro to an external hard drive. my computer died on me and i plugged it in and rebooted it ,started time machine and finished backing up but. just wondering if thats good or should i delete and restart

    just baked up my macbook pro to an external hard drive. my computer died on me and i plugged it in and rebooted it ,started time machine and finished backing up but. just wondering if thats good or should i delete and restart

    I wouldn't trust that backup.
    Make sure the system is connected to AC and Do Over.

  • How do I transfer an imovie from an external hard drive to my macbook pro iMovie 9

    How do I transfer an iMovie from an external hard drive to my macbook pro iMovie 11?

    The easiest way would be to just attach the external drive to the MacBook Pro. iMovie should see it next time you open iMovie.
    If you are going for portability, you can attach the external drive to the MacBook Pro. Then open iMovie.
    Then click VIEW/EVENTS BY DISK. You should see your external drive listed in the Project Library and the Event Library.
    To make a COPY just drag the icon for your project to the icon for the external drive in the Project Library List.
    To MOVE it, hold down the command key while you drag.
    If you want to edit the project, you will also want any Events, Photos, or Music referenced in the Project. To get those, click on the Project to select it (it is now on the MacBook Pro) and click FILE/CONSOLIDATE MEDIA.

  • Window 7 on macbook pro not recognising external hard drive

    Hello
    I have windows 7 installed on my macbook pro.My new external hard drive,western digital black caviah 2.5' 1tb with cradle is not recognised.I want to use it to back up my windows side of my macbook pro.Does anybody have any ideas?
    Thanks
    John

    canofsoup,
    in Windows 7
    press start, find computer > right click on computer and then  in the drop down menu select manage
    in the Computer Management window:
    Select> Disk Management by click on it in the left menu
    Right click on your External Drive > select mark partition as active
    Format and enjoy
    Cheers,
    Sidonsoft

  • How can i back up my itunes library onto an external hard drive?

    I can seem to figure out how to back up my Itunes library onto my external hard drive. Any advise?

    A quick search provides the answer, see the following:
    http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1751 for backing up to an external drive.
    http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1382 for backing up to optical media.

  • Trying to copy ANY file from my MacBook Pro to an external hard drive spins for 45 minutes then fails. I hate this computer and WISH I never would have wasted my money. Any ideas? WD My Passport 2TB Drive, had to buy a program to make the POS write

    Trying to copy ANY file from my MacBook Pro to an external hard drive spins for 45 minutes then fails. I hate this computer and WISH I never would have wasted my money. Any ideas? WD My Passport 2TB Drive, had to buy a program to make the POS read files. Copies that would take seconds from a Windows based machine never complete. I have to close the transfer or shut off the machine half the time. Worst computer I have EVER owned, crashes non-stop, constantly freezes, and seems like EVERY operation is more complicated with this thing. Literally, my 1997 Compaq was FAR MORE reliable and user friendly.

    This is one of the messages I keep getting; The Finder can’t complete the operation because some data in -- File Whatever -- can’t be read or written.(Error code -36)
    I have copied things to the hard drive in the past, but it has always been incredibly slow, and now just seems to freeze and fail

  • I deleted my back up files from my external hard drive and my trash won't empty. I get an error code -22. Can anyone tell me how to fix this?

    I deleted my back up files from my external hard drive and my trash won't empty. I get an error code -22. Can anyone tell me how to fix this?

    JLCruz wrote:
    I deleted my back up files from my external hard drive ...
    If this is related to Time Machine Backups...
    See here  >  Should I delete old backups?  If so, How?
    From Here  >  http://pondini.org/TM/FAQ.html
    If the TRASH still won’t Empty...
    See Here  >  http://pondini.org/TM/E6.html

  • I have stored everything on my Macbook pro in a external hard drive (Time Machine)  Now that we have "wiped the machine" I am told I can start it over and load ontent--apps, docs, etc from the hard drive, just plug it in, find the time machine and what?

    I have stored everything on my Macbook pro in a external hard drive (Time Machine)  Now that we have "wiped the machine" I am told I can start it over and load ontent--apps, docs, etc from the hard drive, just plug it in, find the time machine and what?    I need to know what to highligh, what to click on. 

    hirogliffix,
    take a look at this Apple page — in particular, the “Restoring data from Time Machine backups” section and its “Restoring your entire system from a backup” subsection.

  • How can I back up multiple itunes libraries to an external hard drive?

    How can I back up multiple itunes libraries to an external hard drive? I have tried dragging them across but they all open up as the primary library.

    See this -> https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-2682

Maybe you are looking for

  • How can I remove my old phone number from my iPhone?

    I want to sell my old iPhone 5 (Sprint), and I want to get everything off of it. Obviously I'd restore it and remove everything first, but how do I get the 'My number' to change from my current phone number (which was ported to T Mobile and is with a

  • ICloud on iPhone 4, iPad 2, and iPod/Calendar issue

    Quick question - I just need confirmation on this actually: I have read and been told that I cannot use iCloud with OSX 10.5.8.  However, can someone please explain why I can enable iCloud on my iPhone 4, and can add a calender event and actually see

  • I can't burn a DVD! please help.

    Hello, I have a presentation that I need to have by Tuesday.. I was going to burn it onto a DVD in iDVD. I have made the whole presentation and it looks quite nice if I do say so myself. So once I finished I tried to burn it, and as soon as it just g

  • ICal error  "server did not recognize your user name"

    I recently was added to the MobileMe calendar beta, and now my iCal calendar doesn't sync with MobileMe. iPhone works fine. Error message when I launch iCal says "server did not recognize your user name" Any thoughts, suggestions would be appreciated

  • Unexpected end of file, photoshop will no longer start up

    Hi, I have been using CS6 for several years now and all of a sudden I get this message when I try to open PS, so I do not even open a file, I just try to open PS: Followed by this: I have de- and reinstalled photoshop but I still get this message. Co