HELP - Can I boot MBP from OSX disc and see files on HDD?

[jman995x]

I need some quick help.
I rebooted my MBP and for some reason it kept getting stuck on the blue boot screen with the spinning hash marks.
I then booted from Drive Genius and tried "Repair" which started, but then said the drive couldn't be repaired.

At this point I'm less concerned with ever getting the drive to boot again...it's the data on the drive that I want back (the drive is like 6 years old, so it's had a good life).

I tethered my MBP to my iMac via Firewire, ran Data Rescue 3 and it DID show my MBP HDD as an external drive (so it's not entirely shot).

So, my question is...can I boot my MBP from the OSX install disc and be capable of seeing/backing-up/Time-Machining or in any other way getting my files off of my MBP onto an external drive (via the ports on the MBP),...or do I have to do the MBP-Firewire-tethered-to-iMac/Clone Drive/Deep Scan via Data Rescue 3?

Thanks,

Justin

 

[old-wiz]

The install disk doesn't have the capabilities to copy stuff off the HDD. Installer does not have a fully running osx - just enough to complete the install.

Your only way is to use the firewire target disk mode.

 

[jman995x]

The install disk doesn't have the capabilities to copy stuff off the HDD. Installer does not have a fully running osx - just enough to complete the install.

Your only way is to use the firewire target disk mode.

Since I'm able to see my MBP as an external drive (from my iMac), is there a good chance that my files will be easily accessed through that method (ie: just because my MBP HDD won't boot, does that necessarily affect the File Allocation Table or anything else that would prevent me from seeing the files on my HDD...or is the boot process and my FAT totally unrelated?

Thanks,

J.

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Since I'm able to see my MBP as an external drive (from my iMac), is there a good chance that my files will be easily accessed through that method (ie: just because my MBP HDD won't boot, does that necessarily affect the File Allocation Table or anything else that would prevent me from seeing the files on my HDD...or is the boot process and my FAT totally unrelated?

Thanks,

J.

If Target Disk Mode is working and you can see the HDD, then copy the relevant data off from it and see for yourself.

 

[jman995x]

If Target Disk Mode is working and you can see the HDD, then copy the relevant data off from it and see for yourself.

Sorry if my questions sound basic, but I'm just learning about most of this stuff. I did have a FAT get screwed up one time and obviously all of my data was still on the drive...the computer just didn't know how to put all of the pieces back together to make sensible files again.

My last question was more along the lines of, "what are the chances that I go out and buy a totally clean external 500GB HDD, buy the Data Rescue 3 software, do the firewire tether, clone my MBP to the new external HDD....only to have a bunch of gibberish posing as files?"

I just want to have realistic expectations.

Thanks,

Justin

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Sorry if my questions sound basic, but I'm just learning about most of this stuff. I did have a FAT get screwed up one time and obviously all of my data was still on the drive...the computer just didn't know how to put all of the pieces back together to make sensible files again.

My last question was more along the lines of, "what are the chances that I go out and buy a totally clean external 500GB HDD, buy the Data Rescue 3 software, do the firewire tether, clone my MBP to the new external HDD....only to have a bunch of gibberish posing as files?"

I just want to have realistic expectations.

Thanks,

Justin

As you can now see the HDD on your iMac, why not try to access your not backed up files via that iMac on the HDD to see, if any gibberish turns up or you just have your files appear and being normal?
No need to invest 79 USD or more in data recovery software yet before confirming data corruption.

 

[jman995x]

As you can now see the HDD on your iMac, why not try to access your not backed up files via that iMac on the HDD to see, if any gibberish turns up or you just have your files appear and being normal?
No need to invest 79 USD or more in data recovery software yet before confirming data corruption.

Duh....
I was running out the door to work and it didn't occur to me that if my iMac can see my MBP HDD as an external drive in the Data Recovery 3 software, it should be able to see it in Finder as well. Thanks for reminding me of the obvious (which eluded me at time of my last post).

J.

 

[jman995x]

Another related question...
If neither Disk Utility or Drive Genius could "Repair" my MBP HDD, is there any way to determine if that is a software issue (ie: I have to "Restore" the disk), or if that is a hardware issue? Once again, sorry if my questions are n00b in nature, but I'm just learning about the inner workings of my Mac. I'm at work for the next 8 hours and don't have access to the machine, and therefore can't FireWire-mount it and poke around to answer my own question.

Thank again for all of the help.

J.