Best way to recover from a system crash?

Easiest way to retrieve files from the dodgy mac is to hook up another mac to it via FireWire and use Target Disk Mode. Link them together, and hold down 'T' when booting the dodgy mac and its hard drive will appear on t'other. Once all files are safely copied do a clean install and that should sort it 🙂

First, what symptoms are there. Doesn't it boot at all, do you get the gray screen with the blinking question mark, do you get to the blue screen ( 😱 ), or maybe all the way to the Finder? Is he able to boot into single user mode (holding down cmd-S during boot)?

The problem might be one (ore more) corrupted preference files, and deleting some of those may solve the problem, but we need a bit more information of symptoms and which system the machine is (supposed to be) running...

If it still doesn't want to boot, you might see if the machine is able to boot from an installation disk (insert disk and hold down C on boot) he has the option of am Archive and Install, which should give him a brand new system without messing (too much) with his files, settings etc. The previous (corrupt) system will be saved to a designated folder, where he can recover things that the new system didn't install...

Edit: Backing up first, using the Firewire Target mode "tricks" that croshtique described might be wise no matter what, as it's always a good idea to have backup before system (or any large) installs... 😉

Right, we don't really know enough about this problem to give much advice, but a good start in any event is to reboot in single user mode and run fsck.

Mitthrawnuruodo said:

First, what symptoms are there. Doesn't it boot at all, do you get the gray screen with the blinking question mark, do you get to the blue screen ( 😱 ), or maybe all the way to the Finder? Is he able to boot into single user mode (holding down cmd-S during boot)?

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Hi!

My housemate had the great idea to delete some file systems to free some space on her hard drive. Of course, her mac crashed immediatly after after a spinning-ball-of-death thing.
Her mac wont start, and is stuck on the grey apple with bliking question mark.
She bought her Mac in Sept 2009 so i think she got the latest Os? version. Because with my installation disk (Leopard) i only get the "complete re-installation" option.
I don't have a double firewire 400 on the hand, the ones at the mac store (only digital store around) cost 20€. But they told me i wouldnt be able to get to her files from my mac to save the m on a hard drive.


With a complete system crash. What's the best way to save the files before a re-install?
Firewire will still work? or best is to go to a mac store where they can connect it to a "mother computer" and restore the files?