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Can I recover memory from my broken Macbook 2015?

pallapolum

pallapolum

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Apr 10, 2017
4
0
Good afternoon everyone, I bought a new 12inch Grey Macbook in 2015 (Retina Version)... I recently broke the laptop into 2 pieces... A perfect snap, the screen/monitor being one piece and the keyboard/CPU being the other piece. I was wondering if the SSD inside the macbook is ex-tractable because I want to put the SSD in another Apple laptop. If this is possible will I be able to put the SSD in a macbook air or the new macbook pro touch bar? Or even a Toshiba Satellite? If not then is there any way i can transfer the information on the SSD to another computer? weather wireless or from SSD through USB to computer. Please help me out! I have very valuable information on that laptop such as old photos and scholarly documents.
 
pallapolum said:
Good afternoon everyone, I bought a new 12inch Grey Macbook in 2015 (Retina Version)... I recently broke the laptop into 2 pieces... A perfect snap, the screen/monitor being one piece and the keyboard/CPU being the other piece. I was wondering if the SSD inside the macbook is ex-tractable because I want to put the SSD in another Apple laptop. If this is possible will I be able to put the SSD in a macbook air or the new macbook pro touch bar? Or even a Toshiba Satellite? If not then is there any way i can transfer the information on the SSD to another computer? weather wireless or from SSD through USB to computer. Please help me out! I have very valuable information on that laptop such as old photos and scholarly documents.
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I'd suggest trying to hook up an external display using an adapter that also allows for a flash drive, like Apple's digital AV multiport adapter (just as an example doesn't have to be that one). The SSD itself is part of the the system board in the Macbook and cannot be physically removed.
 
LotusLord said:
I'd suggest trying to hook up an external display using an adapter that also allows for a flash drive, like Apple's digital AV multiport adapter (just as an example doesn't have to be that one). The SSD itself is part of the the system board in the Macbook and cannot be physically removed.
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will the laptop still operate even if the monitor is physically detached from the macbook?
 
pallapolum said:
will the laptop still operate even if the monitor is physically detached from the macbook?
Click to expand...

No idea, but I would try that...
Note that the screen part contains not only the display, but also the wifi antenna, so display is not the only functionality of the laptop that is out.

Another suggestion is to try to get it fixed, either by Apple, or by taking it apart and figuring whether a DIY repair is feasible (see ifixit).
 
icymountain said:
No idea, but I would try that...
Note that the screen part contains not only the display, but also the wifi antenna, so display is not the only functionality of the laptop that is out.

Another suggestion is to try to get it fixed, either by Apple, or by taking it apart and figuring whether a DIY repair is feasible (see ifixit).
Click to expand...
is there really a DIY on ifixit?
 
pallapolum said:
is there really a DIY on ifixit?
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The SSD is soldered onto the logic board (the iFixit teardowns show it) and I believe you need a specific tool to read data from it since its not removable in the sense a normal removable SSD is. I'd try the monitor hook up someone suggested if you don't have exposed wires in contact with one another or any other conductor. Perhaps risky but it should be the easiest method I assume.

You might need an adapter with both an output for your monitor and a port to connect external storage to since wireless may not work as another user mentioned.
 
Last edited:
pallapolum said:
is there really a DIY on ifixit?
Click to expand...

I just checked (sorry could not yesterday due to shabby connection), and there is this:

https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Retina+MacBook+2015+Display+Assembly+Replacement/44274

It may apply to your case or not... The part is $450, and you need a few tools as well. It might be worth repairing, unless there is more damage to the rest of the laptop (that would be my biggest concern). If you are not really sure, the Apple repair option is probably safer.
 
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icymountain said:
I just checked (sorry could not yesterday due to shabby connection), and there is this:

https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Retina+MacBook+2015+Display+Assembly+Replacement/44274

It may apply to your case or not... The part is $450, and you need a few tools as well. It might be worth repairing, unless there is more damage to the rest of the laptop (that would be my biggest concern). If you are not really sure, the Apple repair option is probably safer.
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thank you so much!!
 
Best solution is probably some computer repair shop,that has equipment to save data from wrecked computers. I tried that with an old dell laptop that was cracked totally after falling 5 meters into a concrete floor,the hard drive was the only part still in one piece,and the repair shop could save everything stored there.
 
Stefan johansson said:
Best solution is probably some computer repair shop,that has equipment to save data from wrecked computers. I tried that with an old dell laptop that was cracked totally after falling 5 meters into a concrete floor,the hard drive was the only part still in one piece,and the repair shop could save everything stored there.
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soldered on SSD. cant just pop out the drive or SSD card and toss it in an external cage, you would need a specialty shop that can pull right from the chips themselves which very very few can.
 
Note: If both the top and bottom halves have damage, you will likely need to replace the casing for the bottom half as well. This will likely drive cost up to the point where it's probably better to just buy a new base model, and then take the logic board out of the broken one, and put it in the new one (assuming the logic board in the broken one is undamaged.) Then, you could theoretically recover your data (or just use it like that.)

If it were me, and both halves were damaged, I would buy another one with same specs, swap the logic boards, recover data, wipe the storage, swap boards again so that new one is back in new casing, and then sell the damaged unit for parts to recover some of the cost of buying another new one.
 
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