Not sure if this has been posted before but here goes.
One of my users has asked me to look at recovering data from a failed mac laptop. I've not seen the laptop yet and my thoughts are that it is a standard 2.5 SATA style connection that I can maybe plug into a PC. I have a SATA disk dock which allows an internal HDD to function as an external HDD (mainly for recovery purposes).
The laptop apparently doesn't see the hard disk
Any idea if it will work and what OS should I be connecting to, to try and interrogate?
I've not had much dealing with Apple's desktop offerings, its just been mainly iPads, iPhones etc.
Will it try and format as a Windows disk if it does see it (that is my worry)
I have quotes for professional recovery of which she will have to swallow if I cannot recover it.
it is non-business data.
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I don't have much knowledge of Apple but you don't want to be formatting it if you are hopeful of retrieving data from it...
If it's in the right filesystem (i.e. one which Windows recognises) then you should be fine.
Looking at this page guides.macrumors.com/File_systems the only format not supported by windows is HFS+ which you can get 3rd party support for. Or maybe mount under a flavour of Linux.
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Thanks Smokie, I didn't mean intentionally formatting it but when I recall trying to recover failed old Windows HDD's via secondary IDE, often XP prompted to format before you could see it.
That was when you know you was in the doo-doo.
All this palava for personal photos, thank god I've got OneDrive!
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SWMBO gave me her USB stick yesterday cos it stopped working in the car. I put it in the Win10 PC and it didn't like it, folder names were gobblydegook. Next thing I knew it had formatted it.
I don't think I'd have had a chance of recovering it but it would have been good to have the opportunity...
Must admit, faced with your task I'd be seriously considering trying a Linux OS. Even though i';m not very familiar with it, I'd feel I had more control.
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..windows really shouldn't format a drive without prompting you first.
The seemingly most documented (free) method of doing what you wish is to use HFSexplorer on the windows m/c.
www.pcadvisor.co.uk/how-to/windows/how-read-mac-os-hfs-drives-in-windows-for-free-image-3369574/
www.catacombae.org/hfsexplorer/
No particular knowledge of it's use, but a pointer at a possibility.
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Pyhsically removing the disk and slipping it into a caddy very much depends on what the Mac Laptop is and its vintage. Some will be easy peasy, some wont.
If it were me, I would be looking at two options
1/ Performing an over the air recovery - See the Apple Support forums for how this is done, it may work if the disk is not knacked, and may save the data ( I assume she hasn't made an icloud backup of data)
2/ Sticking in a bootable USB stick with one of the linux based disk recovery suits, of which there are many around. You may be able to fix the MBR or suck the data off.
3/ Rap her knuckles with a ruler.
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If this is an older Mac laptop then it's probably a SATA drive. But in recent years they have moved to PCI Express based flash storage. if it is PCI Express based flash then you're going to struggle.
If it is a SATA drive, can you connect the caddy to another Mac? The format of a Mac drive will be of type OS X Extended.
Your other problem will be if the disk has been encrypted on the Mac.
So far there's not enough information to go on to help you. Find out more and get back to us.
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Another thought... when you say the laptop isn't seeing the drive, have you got them to try some of the 'obvious' checks. e.g. reset NVRAM, PRAM, and SMC?
www.macworld.com/article/2881177/how-to-reset-your-macs-nvram-pram-and-smc.html
If that doesn't work, maybe it's not seeing the main boot partition but the recovery partition is okay. You should try booting into the recovery partition.
I would also try booting into the recovery tools from a flash drive. On the more modern Macs you can even boot into recovery using the Internet as the source.
osxdaily.com/2014/12/14/reinstall-os-x-mac-internet-recovery/
If you can get into the recovery mode run the Disk Utility.
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Cheers all, plenty to go on there. I may take a look.
Hardly touched Macs before but plenty of resource on the internet by the looks of it, I will have an initial look and see what methods I can use (As suggested) just to try and see what is on the HDD first without attempting to recover or compromise the data.
I assume an iCloud backup isn't setup but I could be wrong - I need to ask and check.
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They might even have a local backup using the inbuilt Time Machine functionality.
Before removing the drive I'd see if resetting PRAM/NVRAM etc. makes a difference.
I'd also ask them what they might have done that caused this - e.g. dropped it!
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So I have the offending device in my possesion. On boot it chimes, and just displays a "no-entry" sign and a rotating circle.
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Indicates hardware ok but no valid boot partition.
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Seems that way, tried a recovery / verify / repair - no joy.
Am I up s*** street and maybe a job for the recovery pros?
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Why boot from it? Can't it just be an additional drive?
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That would be a fine scenario if I could have alternative drive, I'm struggling to get it to read the HDD, even trying with a linux boot CD.
It can see the recovery partition ok.
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Is it a regular spinning drive thing or an SSD?
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5400rpm, standard spinny thing.
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just tried RTJ's NVRAM reset tip for the non-removable battery section - still no-entry.
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Thanks T Junction.
I'm in the Target Disk Mode, how would I physically connect to my PC?
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>> 5400rpm, standard spinny thing.
You should be able to take it and stick it in a caddy
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Yes firewire also known as IEEE 1394. You will also need drivers to quote "to read a Mac's HFS-formatted partitions, extra drivers such as MacDrive, TransMac, MacDisk, or HFSExplorer are necessary"
Zero's method will also work giving you a USB interface but you will need to get the drive out of the mac, some are easier than others, and you will still need the drivers.
If you could give us the models of the Mac and PC may be able to advise further.
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How old a Mac is it? More modern Macs allow you to do from Apple' servers. Okay takes a bit of time but you could get into disk utility on the Mac then... I'm assuming it's not newish because you've not been given the option.
If this is an older Mac, does it have a DVD drive? If yes, then do you have access to a OSX installation DVD?
Last edited by: rtj70 on Mon 11 Jan 16 at 17:48
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Just to re-cap on this, I will have a look at the options presented tomorrow.
I wont risk un-backed up data even more so as its not work related, its an employee's personal laptop, done as a favour to try and save them a few quid and to score brownie points as she is quite high up in the tree.
So booting into a "Knoppix" linux CD, presented the DVD drive and recovery partition on the HDD, the Macintosh HD was there but wouldnt mount. I dont think the HFStools were on this particular CD.
Mac built-in recover manager saw the partition but verify told me to repair and it wouldnt repair.
Disk looks easy enough to remove, I had the back off but nothing further.
Mac appears to be dated 2010 on the bottom.
Z's point about plugging to external SATA is valid (where would I get the drivers?). My worry is that Windows may they and make the drive Windows compatible and maybe format it if it cant recognize the file system type.
She said she isn't bothered what happens to the laptop but needs the data (told it is photos) although once sorted a new SSD would have it as-new I guess, unless its a board problem (though cant see that as it can read the Recovery HD.
All the time spent is out of work hours and will have to hand it back if it impedes my time and work too much.
I cant contact the user at the minute as she is on a US holiday.
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>> Z's point about plugging to external SATA is valid (where would I get the drivers?).
>> My worry is that Windows may they and make the drive Windows compatible and maybe
>> format it if it cant recognize the file system type.
It will ask first. The disk is goosed full time it seems, your only option at this point is to use a file recovery tool to read the drive sector by sector. Which is the technique a disk recovery firm will use. Its pretty time consuming so will be expensive (of your time if you do it)
>> She said she isn't bothered what happens to the laptop
Send it to Zero's Green Computer Disposal Inc. I'll drop you my delivery address. She wont get her photos back, but It will help save the planet.
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First thing I would do is take out the drive and do a full drive backup (not partition level but the whole drive). Then you've got a backup. For this I've used a Linux partition bootable CD like Clonezilla. I would not try fixing the original drive yet.
I would personally then restore this image as is to a larger spare drive and try to fix that. I've used this method of copy/restore to clone an OSX install (admittedly installed and running on a PC) to an SSD as is, resizing along the way.
Once I have my copy, I'd mount it in a caddy and try plugging it into a Mac. That way the native Apple filesystem is fully 100% supported. I have seen the situation where the Disk Utility cannot repair a filesystem when it is mounted but booting off a recovery disk allowed it to be mounted and successfully repaired.
As said above, I advise making a full low level disk copy of this original, problematic disk before attempting anything else.
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Of course Zero could be right and the disk is not repairable and the photos are gone. But if you can read the disk to copy it at least you've left the original intact and can't be blame for deleting the data.
Next step is to explain to this senior person that they should either use iCloud to secure their precious files or the very least use the excellent Time Machine facility to perform regular backups in future. Being as it's a laptop then plugging/unplugging a USB drive might be forgotten so a network based solution compatible with Time Machine could be used, or, how about an SD Card that fits flush with the SD Card slot.
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Thanks RTJ,
Just a thought, I might find it hard to lay my hands on another mac. Can I chuck any old SATA HDD in the mac, restore it to factory fresh - I have an assortment of CDs/DVDs in the bag that look like the installation disks.
I could then present the above back up via USB caddy (on a separate drive)?
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I thought the problem was getting the data off not rebuilding the Mac with an old 2.5" SATA drive as clean build and not return the photos etc.
Putting the old drive in a caddy is not going to instantly fix it. It sounds like it needs some form of file system repair at minimum. The drive itself may have actually failed too.
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I think there is confusion.
The new drive, reload question was to provide "another mac" to view the cloned and backed up copy of the original drive.
I appreciate the drive may have failed, I have a copy of the clonezilla and later will look at least getting a copy of the current state of the disk and work with that.
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Apologies. Yes that's a good idea and worth a try. It will also prove the laptop itself isn't the problem.
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Currently re-building the Mac with a spare SATA 2.5 HDD to see if the laptop is ok in its self. Hopefully, once built I can present the disk in caddy via USB to see what is on it.
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I've gave up!
The laptop restored on another HDD works fine - albeit no data on the disk.
Clonezilla looks too risky for me, I could end cloning the wrong HDD.
My other Linux boot CD (which works brilliantly in any other instance) sees exactly the same with the suspect HDD plugged via a USB SATA caddy.
Handing it back to her with the website of the pro recovery people.
I've learned a bit about Mac along the way.
Thanks for all your replies.
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Don't forget to ask her for her remedy ticket number, or department charge code..........
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Recovering Mac data to PC - smokie
