12" MacBook Won't Boot, Trying to Retrieve my Files Before Factory Reset?

[imdog]

I have a 2017 12" MacBook and ever since updating to Catalina it constantly shuts off and goes to this screen..

I tried updating the OS to the latest version of Catalina, but it won't finish updating. Now it just flashes the apple logo & loading bar for a second and turns off. These are two other error messages I get:

When I try Command+R and re-installing the OS I get to 2 or 3 minutes remaining and it just gets stuck on that every time. I don't have a backup (I've had Apple computers dating back to the iMac G3 and literally never had an issue, so I stupidly never felt the need to backup anything). So it seems the best idea is to just factory reset the whole computer (unless you have any other advice about what the problem could be and what I should do?) what's the best way for me to retrieve my files? I've read about Target Disk Mode, but I don't know what cable I'd need to do that. I have a 12" MacBook which I believe the USB C port doesn't support Thunderbolt 3? And a late-2015 27" 5K iMac which doesn't have it either.

Thanks

 

[JustAnExpat]

I would try putting Linux Mint on a flash drive, booting it up, and try mounting your hard drive (assuming, of course, your drive isn't encrypted).

 

[hobowankenobi]

You can grab data via Target Disk Mode....but you would need another Mac and a cable. You can also boot to an external, but you would need to have a bootable external drive. You could create one on any USB drive...boot to external and see your internal drive, and hopefully grab data off it.

 

[Fishrrman]

" I don't have a backup (I've had Apple computers dating back to the iMac G3 and literally never had an issue, so I stupidly never felt the need to backup anything). So it seems the best idea is to just factory reset the whole computer (unless you have any other advice about what the problem could be and what I should do?) what's the best way for me to retrieve my files?"

Kind of a hard way to learn WHY you "need a backup", isn't it?
I'm going to say "I could have told you so", because I learned the same way -- 30 years ago.

Go forth from this day and walk anew -- a sadder, but wiser man.

OK, so what can we do to get things going again?

You tried "command-R" to boot to the recovery partition, and that didn't work.
Have you tried "command-OPTION-R" to boot to INTERNET recovery?
TRY THAT FIRST.
Then open disk utility and go to the view menu and choose "show all devices".
Then try the first aid option on all the available partitions.
Does that change anything?
If disk utility gives you the ok, then open the OS installer and try to re-install. Doing this shouldn't disturb the personal data on your drive, it will just re-install the OS.

IF that doesn't work...

Since it looks like the Catalina update has messed with your internal drive (or perhaps the Mac's firmware, we don't know that yet), the best way to get booted is through an EXTERNAL drive.

But... you don't have an external drive that's bootable -- not yet.
(one more reason you always want to keep an external bootable backup drive "in reach")

OK, perhaps we can make one.

You're going to need an external drive that we can install a copy of the OS onto.
It could be an external USB3 hard drive (HDD or SSD)
or
It could be an external USB flash drive (needs to be 32gb or larger)
or
It might even be an SD card (in an SD card reader) if you have one around.

Do you have something that could be used?

The other option would be to boot to internet recovery, ERASE the internal drive using disk utility, and do a completely clean re-install of the OS, but... that's going to "wipe your data" and you will NEVER get it back... not sure if you're willing to do that.

 

[KPOM]

I have a 2017 12" MacBook and ever since updating to Catalina it constantly shuts off and goes to this screen..

I tried updating the OS to the latest version of Catalina, but it won't finish updating. Now it just flashes the apple logo & loading bar for a second and turns off. These are two other error messages I get:

When I try Command+R and re-installing the OS I get to 2 or 3 minutes remaining and it just gets stuck on that every time. I don't have a backup (I've had Apple computers dating back to the iMac G3 and literally never had an issue, so I stupidly never felt the need to backup anything). So it seems the best idea is to just factory reset the whole computer (unless you have any other advice about what the problem could be and what I should do?) what's the best way for me to retrieve my files? I've read about Target Disk Mode, but I don't know what cable I'd need to do that. I have a 12" MacBook which I believe the USB C port doesn't support Thunderbolt 3? And a late-2015 27" 5K iMac which doesn't have it either.

Thanks

That happened to me, too (also a 2017 MacBook). Unfortunately, even Target Disk Mode wouldn’t work to restore it (I cloned from another Mac), but you can try accessing your files from it. You will need a USB 3.0 data USB-C cable (a Thunderbolt cable will also work since it supports USB 3.0 data).

Since it is a secondary Mac for me, I shipped it to an authorized service center and they are looking at it now. Unfortunately it will take a while before they can get to it. Catalina was working fine on this until 10.15.4.