Laptop Failure - Images may be LOST!!

[nycxaro]

I tried turning on my laptop the other day. It would not boot. I called apple to arrange service and I was about to send it in, when I thought, what if they reformat my hdd? I decided to check my external backup drive with a buddy's computer to see if all of my data was there (I backed up a couple days earlier). To my shock, the external drive failed as well. It just kept clicking. I learned my lesson... I will backup and backup again and again...

My question to all of you is, can I remove my laptop hdd and copy the files to another computer? I want to get this professionally done since I have no experience with popping open laptops and I don't want to mess with my apple warranty. Would circuit city do this? How much will this service cost me? Please advise.

 

[jfrancis]

Do you have an Apple Store locally? It might be better to take it there where you can explain to a tech. Seems odd that your external drive failed also. Data on that should be recoverable though. Good luck.

 

[nycxaro]

Thanks for your reply John. Unfortunately, the closest apple store is an hour away and I don't own a car. I want to recover the files from my notebook drive. I am fairly certain that my external drive is gone since its clicking. I really want to know if circuit city will help open my laptop and recover the files for me since it is one of the only stores in the area that I can imagine repairing computer. I will try calling them later today and visiting some local computer stores for a fix. Thanks for the kind words.

 

[icetraxx]

Why don't you go pickup a usb or firewire notebook drive shell. The ones that you can add a hard drive to and it becomes an external drive. You do that and connect it to your desktop. You might be able to take the backup drive out of its case and insert the one out of your laptop in there.

I thought that I had an external drive fail on me about a month ago the drive would spin up clunk and spin down then repeat the process. Turns out it was the case that was the problem and not the drive. Replaced the case and all of the files were safe and sound.

Larry

 

[Doug]

file recovery will not be in their vocabulary. Believe it.

It's gonna be on you, I am willing to bet. unless you want to pay their shop rate, and even then, you'll have people that may not know what they are doing.

Cracking open most notebooks is really not all that difficult, but then I have not been in an apple. Ask others here, I am sure someone has done hard drive upgrades themself.

It's possible even clicking, you could still save data off it, without the OS on it. You may have only lost 1 sector the OS was on, but data sectors still exist. But you obviously can't boot from it. Also, the more you try, the worse it could get.

you probably need to replace the drive, and do a clean install, get your computer back, then later, when you have more time/money, get a USB or firewire driven shell that you can put the drive in and search it using recovery software.

These are your best options in my non professional opinion, as a computer programmer/self PC manager.

Even if I had to buy the drive to keep my drive, I'd do it if you have much on it of value. That of course, is a judgement call-

Sorry for the problems, but if you use a computer long enough, this will happen, it is as they say, inevitable.

 

[JohnR]

Which Apple laptop do you have?

I can tell you from personal experience that changing out hard drives is not that hard to do and actually does not void the warranty.

iBook G4 HD replacement

http://manuals.info.apple.com/en/MacBook_13inch_HardDrive_DIY.pdf Macbook instructions from Apple (PDF file)

Powerbook HD replacement

Looking for the macbook pro's now.

 

[JohnR]

Hmmm...according to this site, you can do the macbook pro one but you probably will void the warranty.

 

[mrsollars]

i've heard great things about ''Disk Warrior".

it's about $100 but it's save a LOT of folks.

just an option.
matt

 

[rocrusso]

I'm a Mac IT pro in NYC and Disk Warrior is more than worth the $100...but it won't help you here with a clicking hd

as for the OP... nycxaro.... if you are in NYC, you have 2 Apple stores you can go to but that doesn't matter since they don't do hd recovery....

for that you have to go to the better than an Apple store TekServe on 23rd st between 6th and 7th ave.... they were the Apple store in NYC before there even were Apple stores...

they have moderately priced hard drive recovery, but its still not cheap (but if they cannot get anything, last i checked, there is no charge, but double check).... if they cannot recover your data, then its time for the big boys ($$), i recommend Drive Savers who can recover just about anything, but be prepared for sticker shock... the last time i dealt with them (in 2004 i believe) their estimate was:

The estimate to recover data from the 60gb hard drive you described is:
* Standard 1-2 Business Day Service: $900-3900.
* Economy 5-7 Business Day Service: $500-2700.
There is a $200.00 attempt fee if the data is not recoverable.
* Priority Round-the-Clock/Weekend Service: $1800-6900, with a $400.00 attempt fee.

anyway, good luck!~

 

[rocrusso]

just re-reading things here....and see that just the back up drive is clicking, not your actual hd in the powerbook...

what happens when you try and turn the powerbook on? you just say "it would not boot"

what exactly happens?

 

[Lowolf]

can you get your Mac into Target mode?

 

[JohnR]

He's having problems with both hard drives. His laptop won't boot and his external is clicking when hooked up to another pc.

I tried turning on my laptop the other day. It would not boot. I called apple to arrange service and I was about to send it in, when I thought, what if they reformat my hdd? I decided to check my external backup drive with a buddy's computer to see if all of my data was there (I backed up a couple days earlier). To my shock, the external drive failed as well.

 

[nycxaro]

Thanks for your suggestions and support everyone. I finally had time to take the mac to a local shop. They are apple certified. I left my laptop and a just-bought external hard drive with them overnight. The next day, I came back with all of my data on the new external hard drive. The service cost me about $100. Well worth it in my opinion, but I have learned my lesson. I am very surprised that both my laptop AND external failed at the SAME time. I guess I need to use several backup methods.

What do you guys do for backing up? I think I will be using two externals and leaving each one in a different location.

Lastly, I have to send in my laptop to get it fixed by apple under warranty. This will be the third time I'm sending it in. It may interest some of you that I bought it refurbished. I heard from many different websites and friends that refurbished apple products are good as new and a great deal. My next purchase will not be refurbished.

 

[Clix Pix]

I have externals on each of my machines and duplicated stuff on some of them..... I've never bought a refurb machine so your situation is a good warning and head's-up......

 

[JohnR]

I bought 2 items refurb: iBook G4 laptop and a G4 iMac. Sold the iBook after 2 years of use with no problems and the iMac is still running after 3 years with 0 problems.

Sorry you are having problems but the Apple certified refurbs are as good as new.

 

[dmwphoto]

A plugged in external HD that is bad will prevent the Mac from booting. Not sure if this is the sequence that occurred but for what it is worth in the future.
Glad things are back to normal.
Dave