Backup dead macbook pro before sending in?

[karajan]

Hi, so I sadly have a dead MBP that shows a blank screen and nothing else when turned on, except for the sleep light that does turns on. Tried the PRAM and SMC reset and other suggestions like removing the RAM, holding power button and command key for 10 secs etc.

Now how do I back up everything in my hard drive first before handing it over to Apple repair? I was thinking of removing the hard drive, putting it in a 2.5" casing and connecting it via USB to another Mac, and then...Time Machine it (is this possible)? Then I was thinking of wiping the drive before putting it back into my MBP.

Any input much appreciated.

 

[spinnerlys]

Have you tried Target Disk Mode yet?
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1661

 

[guydude193]

You should always have your hard drive backed up, regardless of going to the Apple store or not. That said, the casing should work. But don't 'Time Machine it'; just drag out everything onto the Desktop of the other Mac and then wipe the HD. When you get your 'Book back, you can drag all the contents back onto the hard drive.

 

[karajan]

Whoa, replies here fly really fast! Thanks guys, it sure helps a depressed guy like me.

No i haven't tried Target disk mode and will do so, but will it work via USB instead Firewire, since I only have a USB 2.5" SATA casing.

Yes yes I know I should always backup but ever since switching from PC I've become complacent. Too late for me now...

Why I initially said "Time Machine it" was because I'm worried applications and their respective settings/data won't work when transferred back. Then again everything's stored in '/applications' and '/library/application support/' isn't it? So shouldn't be a problem?

 

[spinnerlys]

Whoa, replies here fly really fast! Thanks guys, it sure helps a depressed guy like me.

No i haven't tried Target disk mode and will do so, but will it work via USB instead Firewire, since I only have a USB 2.5" SATA casing.

Target Disk Mode (TDM) is for connecting two Macs via Firewire, not connecting an external HDD via something else.

So if you have another Mac with Firewire, and have a Firewire cable, you can both connect them, start the not working MBP, press and hold down the "T" key immediately after the start up chime sounds.
Then you should be able to see the MBP as an external HDD on your other Mac.


Otherwise you can also remove the HDD from the MBP, which could be a little bit of a hassle, depending if you have an older Alu model.

Look here for a guide to your specific model: http://www.ifixit.com

 

[aiterum]

i have a question i asked in my topic that nobody bothered to answer about target disk mode;

do you have to have another mac already connected to yours to get it to go into target disk mode? I don't have a firewire cable atm and mine won't go into target disk mode as it is, so i'm wondering if it is hopeless, or if i were to get a firewire cable and hook it to my iBook if it would then work

 

[karajan]

Target Disk Mode (TDM) is for connecting two Macs via Firewire, not connecting an external HDD via something else.

So if you have another Mac with Firewire, and have a Firewire cable, you can both connect them, start the not working MBP, press and hold down the "T" key immediately after the start up chime sounds.
Then you should be able to see the MBP as an external HDD on your other Mac.


Otherwise you can also remove the HDD from the MBP, which could be a little bit of a hassle, depending if you have an older Alu model.

Look here for a guide to your specific model: http://www.ifixit.com

Thanks for clarifying! Clearly I didn't understand the TDM instructions. It's the 1st time I ever had to perform recovery on a Mac so I'm still new at this.

But what if there isn't even a chime startup sound when powered on (like mine)?

I'm still going to try TDM tomorrow when I buy the Firewire cable tomorrow. Failing which, I'll break out the HDD then...