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I dropped my Macbook last night... =(
- Thread starter selsabeela
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This thread has spoke to me.
It has told me to start using Time Machine even though I have no idea if it even allows me to use it to put everything back to normal.
It has told me to start using Time Machine even though I have no idea if it even allows me to use it to put everything back to normal.
Good for you. And, yes, it'll let you restore everything should your computer's (main) HD die.
What do you mean back to normal? I used Time Machine to restore my MBP as a test and it actually did it very nicely. Just select the option after the install is done to restore and BOOM, done.
what if when the hard drive was dropped there was a portion of the disk that got scratched (creating a bad sector?), which happened to cross across the portion of the disk that these files were in? I don't know how hard drives work, but if they are like CD's then just imagine a scratched cd, you can access some of the data but not all of it.
But, to play my own devils advocate, haven't all the Apple laptops in the last two years had accelerometers built in so that when the laptop was dropped the reading head locked into position (or was it that it retracted) to avoid scratching the platters?
Now, to completely speculate, what if the way the data on the disk is written from in inside edge of the disk to the outside. Then the system data would be at the inside edge (since it would naturally be the first data on the disk) and everything else would be toward the outer portion where maybe a scratch occurred? Again, I'm completely pulling this idea out of thin air so someone please tell me if I am wrong.
But, to play my own devils advocate, haven't all the Apple laptops in the last two years had accelerometers built in so that when the laptop was dropped the reading head locked into position (or was it that it retracted) to avoid scratching the platters?
Now, to completely speculate, what if the way the data on the disk is written from in inside edge of the disk to the outside. Then the system data would be at the inside edge (since it would naturally be the first data on the disk) and everything else would be toward the outer portion where maybe a scratch occurred? Again, I'm completely pulling this idea out of thin air so someone please tell me if I am wrong.
You don't even need to do a install. You can restore before you start the install process.
I purchased a Mercury Extreme because I wanted to "stop saving" my $. Interesting how it was the external drive that failed on me with all my files. So what now, stupid Yaba, you need to back up your back up!?
I have since then gone with the tried and true medium of DVD/CD and my various flash drives that have never failed me.
In this case you clearly haven't understood the concept of backing up, which isn't very complicated:
If you have an external drive and you make a copy of your internal drive on the external drive, you have a backup of all your files.
If you have an external drive, make a copy of a selection of files from the internal to the external, you do not have a backup of all your files.
It's not that difficult you see, because if you run into the problem of a failed backup drive and you say: "Dang, well at least I still got all the files on the main computer", then you can return your backup drive and get a new one, or buy a new one if the warranty expired.
If it happens and you say: "Dang, what is this? Why is all my important files gone, even though I only had one set of them on the external? I just don't understand it...", then you need to sit down and think about the choices you made when you didn't make a full backup of the all of a sudden important files!
Moral: a backup means you have TWO copies, not one. If you have only one set of files on the backup drive, then you did something wrong. Failing to realize this will get you in trouble, as you said it did.
Maybe when you dropped it, those files slipped out of the macbook and are scattared all over your floor and you didn't notice.
Now seriously, if you were to loose some files like that you'd probably have lost everything. I don't think it was to clear, but if you had your Macbook on at the time you dropped, maybe it reverted to some restore point or did a reset of some kind, if that's the case try restoring it to the very new point you can find and see if you can get some of those files back.
Now seriously, if you were to loose some files like that you'd probably have lost everything. I don't think it was to clear, but if you had your Macbook on at the time you dropped, maybe it reverted to some restore point or did a reset of some kind, if that's the case try restoring it to the very new point you can find and see if you can get some of those files back.
Then it's your own fault. You should have made backups. Never assume "it will never happen to me."
For the record, a backup isn't TRULY a backup (in my opinion) if you also don't have off-site backup.
So: Your actual data on the computer, your back up of that data on an external hard drive or optical disk, and another backup somewhere offsite.
Some people additionally make sure they have different media backups: one backup on a hard drive and a second on optical, for example.
My friend runs a hard drive restoration company and has a great motto:
There are two kinds of people. Those that backup, and those that will.
So: Your actual data on the computer, your back up of that data on an external hard drive or optical disk, and another backup somewhere offsite.
Some people additionally make sure they have different media backups: one backup on a hard drive and a second on optical, for example.
My friend runs a hard drive restoration company and has a great motto:
There are two kinds of people. Those that backup, and those that will.
have you turned file vault on? this could cause instant damage to your user files if it's not being closed properly. and is your macbook the latest one with the disc motion sensor to protect your data in such scenario? if your answer's no to this question, then you should really back up on a frequent basis! well, or if you're rich, get a new mba 64gb ssd.
Maybe so, but i'd rather have spent £200 now incase a HD fails in the future.
Ok its HIGHLY unlikely that 2 HDs will go at once... but still
