I think my graphics card is dead

[goosecoupe]

I have a macbook pro, and lately I have noticed that whenever I go on youtube or watch movies, the fan is very loud like it is literally going to explode.

So one day I just closed my macbook and when I opened it again the screen was black, but it was still on. Tried booting it again and it was still black, it chimes and everything sounds fine except it is just black.

Before I go in to get my macbook fixed I want to transfer files over to another macbook, not a macbook pro. The only problem is, is that there is no fire wire on the newer macbook. Is it possible plug in the macbook using a usb to an external hard drive, and then attach the macbook pro to the external hard drive and then boot it up and it will show up as an external hard drive???

I've tried this but no luck with the macbook pro showing up, do I need to hold down certain keys for it to show up???

Thanks!

 

[-tWv-]

so you don't have a backup of any kind of your macbook pro?

 

[Makosuke]

The USB chain layout you're describing won't work. There's no equivalent "USB Target Disk Mode." Am I reading correctly that the computer that isn't showing anything on the screen does have firewire, just the one you're trying to transfer doesn't?

If that's the case, the easiest thing to do by far is get your hands temporarily on a computer that *does* have a firewire port, boot the screenless computer into Target Disk Mode by holding the appropriate keys (incidentally, if the screen works there you've got a software issue), transfer the necessary files onto an external (or the other computer), then either hook the external to the firewire-less machine or use a network cable to transfer files.

(If you're doing a full clone, you can clone to a disk image using either Disk Utility or Carbon Copy Cloner, then use that to import settings or re-clone to another computer.)

If I misunderstood and the bad one doesn't have firewire, you're best off getting a cheap SATA to USB adapter, pulling the hard drive out, and connecting to it that way. Annoying, but the firewire-less 'books have easy-to-remove drives and those adapters can be had for about $20.

 

[goosecoupe]

so you don't have a backup of any kind of your macbook pro?

I have backed up files, but important ones also for my kind of work that are not allowed to be seen by others (like the apple guys)

 

[goosecoupe]

The USB chain layout you're describing won't work. There's no equivalent "USB Target Disk Mode." Am I reading correctly that the computer that isn't showing anything on the screen does have firewire, just the one you're trying to transfer doesn't?

If that's the case, the easiest thing to do by far is get your hands temporarily on a computer that *does* have a firewire port, boot the screenless computer into Target Disk Mode by holding the appropriate keys (incidentally, if the screen works there you've got a software issue), transfer the necessary files onto an external (or the other computer), then either hook the external to the firewire-less machine or use a network cable to transfer files.

(If you're doing a full clone, you can clone to a disk image using either Disk Utility or Carbon Copy Cloner, then use that to import settings or re-clone to another computer.)

If I misunderstood and the bad one doesn't have firewire, you're best off getting a cheap SATA to USB adapter, pulling the hard drive out, and connecting to it that way. Annoying, but the firewire-less 'books have easy-to-remove drives and those adapters can be had for about $20.

Yup you read correctly! Thanks for the input, I'll just find another mac with firewire and transfer.

Thanks again