MacBook = Fucked (Hard Drive)

Akilae729

So i get of the plane today, and my MacBook is straight fucked. Wont boot, get the folder icon, when i boot using the start up disk all i get is the install and I cannot choose the hard drive as the start up disk.

So i have a borked Hard Drive.

Are there any tips that could potentially boot this computer, and/or get some of my data back.

I've heard rumors stuff like putting the hard drive in the freezer and such can potentially let me access the drive.

Thanks

DrFrylock

I wouldn't try the freezer method until you've exhausted every other possibility, as the freezer method is basically geared toward fixing a particular low-probability mechanical failure and has the potential to let moisture get into the drive, which sort of screws you from doing anything else with the drive later on. Try putting the drive in a machine and booting into a Linux Live CD and seeing what you can see from there.

Uncle Long

Uh, jiggle the handle? Sorry. Try reseating the hard drive. I don't know if this is anything like the ibook but that may be a fun way to spend a few hours. But, while you have it out you can always use an adapter and hook it up to another machine and see if you can't extract any data that way.

FF

If the hard drive does show up, there still may be some hope. Find yourself a copy of DiskWarrior, it's usually pertty good at being able to, at the very least, scavange a hard drive for data.

If you have access to a second mac with a firewire port, you may also be able to boot your Macbook into Target Disk mode. Start up the Macbook while holding 't'. Ideally the Macbook will mount just like an external firewire drive and you'll be able to grab files off of it that way.