How to back up files from a MacBook to an XP PC

Hi
I am a non-professional but reasonably competent PC fixer for friends and family, within the MS Windows product set thus far.
A friend's son has dropped his MacBook and now has the '?' question mark on boot.  He has taken it to an Apple Genius, who after a bit of failed feagling with recovery disks, has confirmed it is 99.9% likely to be the Hard Drive (particularly as there is occasionally clicking, likely from the actuator) and has been (a) quoted an astronomical figure to fix and (b) has asked me to have a look.
It's got a standard 2.5" SATA drive and I have a bit of kit to turn a drive removed from a PC / Lappie into an external USB drive, which I typically use first and foremost in my other 'bad HD' related repairs to retrieve any data not corrupted by bad disk sectors.
I've connected the SATA from the MacBook to an XP notebook and can see the drive in Control Panel / Computer Management / Disc Management as a 'Healthy (GPT Protective Partition)', but cannot view it via any Explorer based functions, i.e. I cannot get the data off of it.
New ground for me and Google not offering anything illuminating; I can't assign it a Drive Letter so what, if anything can I do via XP to retrieve and back up the data as an external drive, or do I need to plug it as an external USB into another Mac?
Many thanks in advance for any information / pointers anyone can provide.

Apple format is not readable by Windows (is by late Linux distros), unless you use an application like MacDrive. Even so, do not hasten to install it, because many Apple apps and formats get corrupt in Windows. Your friend has, in fact, 2 problems: 1. he has no backup of his data (very bad and frequent behavior) 2. his disk is dead (and now finds how bad is to not have a backup).
A good backup of mac data is done to another disk formatted as HFS+ (mac os extended journaled). If you still think backing up unto a Windows PC is the only solution, then you must first ARCHIVE (zip or dmg) data on a mac, transfer archive to a PC, after replacing disk and installing the new system, move data back and unarchive it.
As Allan Eckert already wrote, this is not something recommended, but I tried to expose why. Now, with a larger horizon, you may choose best method. Tell your friend that he/she must purchase two disks: one to replace the dead one, one to be used as an external backup disk in an enclosure. At least from now on, he/she can avoid such situations.
In fact, all PCs, macs or Windows PCs, should be now sold together with an external backup disk, having at least the capacity of the internal disk. This should become the current sell policy of ALL computer manufacturers.

Similar Messages

  • I just installed Lion and I am using iCloud, but I can't figure out how to back up files from my MacBook using iCloud

    I just installed Lion and I purchased space on iCloud.  I can't figure out how to use iCloud to back up files from my MacBook.

    Basic Information About Moving From MobileMe to iCloud
    Apple IDs and iCloud
    Creating an iCloud account- Frequently Asked Questions
    Frequently asked questions about the MobileMe transition and iCloud
    MobileMe services that no longer sync after moving to iCloud
    MobileMe- About moving to iCloud
    iCloud- Backup and restore overview

  • How do i save files from my macbook to an external hard drive

    Ive always been a PC user until recently when i purchased a macbook pro. I have an external hard drive that i used to back up all my files including word documents & mp3's etc. I now want to use the same hard drive to back up files from my macbook but i dont want to make a copy of the entire drive (like with time line) i just want to save individual files. When i go to do this, a light grey circle appears with a 'cross out' and i am unnable to copy/save the file. In the past (with PC) all i have had to do is drop and drag to perform this function. I have attempted to make an alias, copy and paste etc to overcome the problem but nothing thus far has worked.

    Your external drive is formatted NTFS which OS X can read from but not write to. You can either install third-party software on the Mac to enable writing to the drive or repartition and reformat the drive for exclusive use with the Mac. If you don't need to move files between a Mac and a PC, then I would recommend the latter solution.
    Tuxera NTFS 2012.3.2
    NTFS for Mac OS X 9.5.3
    To repartition:
    Drive Preparation
    1. Open Disk Utility in your Utilities folder.
    2. After DU loads select the external hard drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. Click on the Partition tab in the DU main window.
    3. Under the Volume Scheme heading set the number of partitions from the drop down menu to one. Click on the Options button, set the partition scheme to GUID then click on the OK button. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Partition button and wait until the process has completed.
    4. Select the volume you just created (this is the sub-entry under the drive entry) from the left side list. Click on the Erase tab in the DU main window.
    5. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Security button, check the button for Zero Data and click on OK to return to the Erase window.
    6. Click on the Erase button. The format process can take up to several hours depending upon the drive size.

  • How do i copy files from my macbook pro to my hard drive? These files were previously started on my old dell.

    how do i copy files from my macbook pro to my hard drive? These files were previously started on my old dell.

    More then likely that external drive is formatted the Windows NTFS format which Mac OS X can Read but it can not Write to that format. So you would need to copy all the data off that drive, to either a Windows PC or to your Mac, thenn use the Mac to format it for the Mac OS. Which would be Mac Extended (Journaled) with a Partition Table of GUID.
    If you want to use that drive on both Mac and PC then you would need to format it either FAT32 or exFAT.

  • How do i copy files from my macbook pro to a usb drive

    how do i copy files from my macbook pro to a usb drive

    Connect USB drive to your MBP, format as "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)" with a single GUID partition using Disk Utility and copy away.
    Clinton

  • How can I send files from my macbook pro to my iPad air using airdrop

    how can I send files from my macbook pro to my iPad air using airdrop?

    Your going to have to find some alternative.  See Dukto will work.
    "Dukto is a simple application that allows you to share files between devices connected to the same (wireless) LAN network."
    http://www.tidal.it/?page_id=309&lang=en
    http://www.msec.it/blog/?page_id=11
    "Box lets you store all of your content online, so you can access, manage and share it from anywhere. Integrate Box with Google Apps and Salesforce and access Box on mobile devices" Rated the most secure cloud storage by SkyHigh Networks.  You can buy a license to run box one of your servers.
    https://www.box.com/
    Files Connect -- "Cloud Storage services like Dropbox, MobileMe iDisk, Google Docs/Picasa, Facebook photos, FTP, SFTP, WebDAV ... AFS (Apple File Shares) SMB (Windows shares)  protocols"
    https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/files-connect/id404324302?mt=8
    "The kiteworks mobile file sharing solution provides secure creation, viewing, and sharing of enterprise content on smartphones and tablets while providing IT and security teams the administrative controls to manage user privileges and access rights necessary to ensure enterprise security and compliance."  " Includes choice of private cloud on-premise."
    http://www.accellion.com/solutions/mobile-enablement/mobile-file-sharing

  • How do I transfer files from a Macbook pro to an Ipad 3?

    How do I transfer files from a Macbook pro to an Ipad 3?

    You can use 3rd party apps in conjunction with Files Sharing in iTune. Different types of file need different apps.
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4094

  • How can I transfer files from my macbook pro hard drive to another target drive

    The hard drive on my Macbook is corrupted and so I am trying back up files from the hard drive on my Macbook to a target disc so that I can wipe the hard drive on my Macbook and re-install the system software. I am only able to access the Macbook via disc utilities using the start up system DVD. Is there a way of accessing the files while I'm in disc utilities so that I can transfer to the target disc?

    Some MacBooks have Firewire, while others do not.  See this tip:
    https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-2502
    If both of yours have Firewire, you can use the Target Disk mode described at the end of the tip.  Otherwise, you'll need to pull the hard drive out of the machine that it is in, and put it in a 2.5" hard drive case that supports the ports that are on the other machine.
    Note, if you can't read the data on the other machine, using a data recovery tool to a hard drive at least as large with no data on it is recommended.  This tip explains how to do data recovery:
    https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-1689

  • How can I transfer files from my macbook pro to my ipad w/ retna display via my USB,  I can't get maverick or icloud to load on my macbook.

    I just bought a new ipad and would like to transfer files from my macbook pro.  I cannot get icloud to work on my Macbook.  I cannot get Maverick to load on my macbook.

    if I plug my ipad to my macbook nothing happens except it charges.  no screen prompt like I would expect.

  • How do i get files from old macbook pro to new macbook pro

    I am geting the new macbook pro soon but first i want to know how to transfer files from my old laptop to my new laptop. so all my files will not be deleted.
                        Please Help!!!!
    Thank you,

    Mac OS X 10.7, 10.8: How to use Migration Assistant to transfer files from another Mac - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4889 - "You can use Migration Assistant in OS X Lion and Mountain Lion to transfer important information, such as user accounts, applications, network and computer settings, and files, from one Mac computer to another via a FireWire cable, ThunderBolt cable, or via an Ethernet or wireless "

  • How can I drag files from my macbook to my external hard drive?

    Hi! I can't seem to drag files to my hard drive using my macbook pro? How can I do that?

    Welcome to Apple Support Communities
    What happens when you try to drag a file to the external drive? If it just doesn't copy, it's because the external drive is formatted in NTFS, and OS X can't write in NTFS hard drives. There are some solutions:
    1. Buy a third-party application like Paragon NTFS, which will allow you to write in your external drive.
    2. Format the external drive with exFAT or FAT32, so you will be able to use the external drive with PCs and Macs.
    If you choose the last one, copy all the data from the external drive to a Mac or PC before erasing the disk. I recommend you to use exFAT because it hasn't got the limitation of files bigger than 4 GB, so you have to format the external drive on a PC. That's because, if you do it in the Mac, PCs won't recognize it

  • How do i move files from my MacBook Pro to my Ipad using bluetooth?

    Apparently the Ipad does not have enough bluetooth services to do the most elemental fuction for what bluetooth was created! File Transfer! Could that be true? or am I just slow and cant figure that out!
    Has anybody tried before?
    G

    Bluetooth on the iPad is aimed at devices such as headphones and keyboards, not for transferring files - which would be a slow anyway. The supported bluetooth profiles are listed on this page : http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3647 . You can sync files via iTunes, or, if they app you want to transfer to supports it, via your wifi network. Plus some apps support Dropbox, email attachments etc

  • How do I move files from my old macbook to my macbook air?

    How do I move files from my MacBook to my MacBook air?

    You should also ask this in the MacBook Air forum.  You should also post this question there to increase your chances of getting an answer.
    https://discussions.apple.com/community/notebooks/macbook_air

  • How do I migrate files from MacBook running OS 10.4.11 to new MacBook Pro running OS 10.6? Thanks.

    How do I migrate files from my MacBook (specs below) to my still in the box MacBook Pro running OS 10.6?  Yesterday, I ran Software Update; it returned the message that all my software was up to date / no updates available.
    I am particularly concerned with moving the 7000+ photos in iPhoto.  I have photos organized into folders and albums and want to preserve this structure.  I use this photo data as part of my lecture content.
    Thanks for your help.
    Best,
    lauri with poodles
    (the big standard poodles without the goofy Hollywood haircuts)
    Specs -  Old laptop
    MacBook 13"
    OS 10.4.11
    2 Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo
    2 GB 667 Mhz DDR2 SDRAM
    112 GB total disk space
    59 GB available
    using  iPhoto 6.0.6
    Specs - New laptop
    MacBook Pro 15"
    OS 10.6
    2.0GHz Quad-core Intel Core i7
    4GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2 x 2 GB
    128 GB Solid State Drive

    Hi, Lauri. Welcome to Apple Support Communities.
    http://web.me.com/pondini/AppleTips/Setup.html
    From Ronda with Pomeranians.

  • I have backed up my disk using Time Machine.  Now I want to delete the backed-up files from my hard drive.  But when I do and reconnect the external hard drive, the files are also deleted on that.  What do I do?

    I have backed up my disk using Time Machine.  I then deleted the back-up files from my MacBook hard drive.
    I then reconnected my external hard drive and find the files I deleted from my hard drive are also deleted from
    my external hard drive.  Can someone tell my what what happened?  I'm confused.

    Hello,
    Time Machine is not a good way to do that, when it eventually needs more room it deletes old Backups to make room.
    If you really want to keep Files but remove them from the Internal Drive, then I'd get another external drive to copy or clone them to that is not used for TM.

Maybe you are looking for