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Question

Getting files from a broken Mac

Jun 2, 2011 11:07AM PDT

Hi there, I've busted
my old macbook L
and the only piece that survived is the hard drive. I purchased cables and hooked
up the HD to the new macbook that I just bought. But somehow I cannot see some of the files on
the old hard drive, for instance the photos that were only saved in iphoto I cannot
find on HD, or files that were saved on desktop I cannot find either. Does any
one know how can I retrieve those files/pictures from the old HD without bringing
it to the apple store.



Cheers!

Discussion is locked

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Clarification Request
It would be nice if you were to tell us
Jun 2, 2011 9:57PM PDT

just what you can see and how you have it connected.

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re:t would be nice if you were to tell us
Jun 2, 2011 10:17PM PDT

I used SATA cable to get connected, no I cannot see iPhoto Library on the drive even if I run search in finder it cannot find photo/file that I know is there. I wasn't able to see desktop items, I was looking for folders that were saved on my desktop but couldn't find them. I can see the user folder but it is empty.
Also, I tried to boot computed with the old HD it just gave me a black screen (looked like DOS). thanks!!!

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A SATA cable?
Jun 3, 2011 11:09AM PDT

How was this connected to your new Macbook, there is no eSATA connection on the Macbook, and how was it powered?

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re:t would be nice if you were to tell us
Jun 4, 2011 3:52AM PDT

SATA to USB adapter....got all the files back with Data Rescue 3

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Nice one.
Jun 4, 2011 9:13AM PDT

Theoretically, that disk should have mounted on the desktop and allowed you to move all the files that you had been using over to the new machine.

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Answer
If you were running the latest Snow Leopard,
Jun 2, 2011 2:20PM PDT

you could try to boot your new mac from your old HDD.

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boot new mac with old HD
Jun 2, 2011 10:19PM PDT

...thanks Ziptie, I tried, it gave me a black screed and nothing else :/

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(NT) What OS is on your old HDD?
Jun 3, 2011 12:38AM PDT
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re: What OS is on your old HDD
Jun 3, 2011 12:45AM PDT

it was 10.5 leopard

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Your new mac will not boot to Leopard
Jun 3, 2011 1:53PM PDT
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re: Your new mac will not boot to Leopard
Jun 4, 2011 3:50AM PDT

that's the adapter I've got but paid about $25 at tigerdirect...btw got all my files back had to run Data Rescue 3 to recover all of them Blush

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Answer
A rough way, but it works
Jun 19, 2011 3:52PM PDT

When I fixed a MacBook pro recently how I saved the Hard Drive, I hooked up externally by an External USB hard drive enclousure. But sounds like you already got that. when starting up the old hard drive connected to another Mac through USB or Firewire, you can hold down the option key at the gray screen. You will have the boot disc options (this is how boot camp works) you can boot off the internal hard drive or an external one. You can transfer the files to the internal drive from the finder window or back up the files using time machine. This might work.

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anoother thing to try
Jun 19, 2011 3:57PM PDT

Another thing is too when you plug it in you can run a disk utility on it, that might fix a few things too.