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I'm dead!! :,( how can I restore to yesterday my MacOS Leopard?! all work files gone!

macmania82 said:
I just called a friend, I borrow his 300GB hdd for today, I will do it as soon as I get the hdd. if it works and get my files back. wish from me whatever you want my friend!! i hardly can breathe since the moment I lost files :(
Click to expand...

Sorry but I may have misunderstood but if ur creating a time machine backup for the first time, you won't get the old files back??
 
it is not for taking backup, it is to run Data Rescue 3. I will install Data Rescue 3 on this external hdd and scan my MBP for deleted files.

but I noticed sth, Data Rescue 3 doesnt ask for "from what date I can scan" or anything like that. it starts straight away. so for how long time it scan? 1 day, 2 days, or few hours back?

G.T. said:
Sorry but I may have misunderstood but if ur creating a time machine backup for the first time, you won't get the old files back??
Click to expand...
 
It will scan the entire HDD, regardless of date or time.
It's not Time Machine or that Windows feature of restore points.

It might take up the entire day, it depends on many variables.

Once it took me over a week to scan 232GiB of data, but I could recover it.
 
The software will scan your drive for files that have been deleted but havent been overwritten yet. Its worth noting that every time you use your computer, files are saved and there is a chance the files are being written over right now. Run the recovery software as soon as you can. After you have recovered the files, THEN make a time machine backup.

Also, Windows System Restore would not have helped in this instance. It only reverts 'System' files and settings. Your personal files (such as websites) are not backed up and they would have been lost. The only benefit of windows in this instance would have been the MAMP folder would have merged and only over written existing files rather than wipe out your entire htdocs folder.
 
This thread reads like a Hollywood thriller :) Poor chap had terrible luck, and now we are waiting on a cliff hanger - will he get his files back?

Waiting for an update,

Patrick
 
i installed macos to external hdd. than at Startup Disk panel, i chose the external hdd, and clicked Target Disk Mode.

when it reboots, it shows a huge usb-like icon ay screen and the icon moves at screen like a screensaver!! and not booting up!!!

any idea why is that? :confused::(
 
macmania82 said:
i installed macos to external hdd. than at Startup Disk panel, i chose the external hdd, and clicked Target Disk Mode.

when it reboots, it shows a huge usb-like icon ay screen and the icon moves at screen like a screensaver!! and not booting up!!!

any idea why is that? :confused::(
Click to expand...

You are now in Target Disk Mode, which is for connecting the Mac to another Mac via Firewire.
It will then be seen by the other Mac (which booted without being forced into Target Disk Mode) as an external HDD.

That is not what you want, unless you have another Mac and a Firewire cable at hand.


Restart the Mac, right after the startup sound press and HOLD the Option/Alt key and wait till you see the following similar graphic:
option-boot.jpg
.

The external HDD will show up on the right and will be orange and look like this:
4436475156_cc1d8893ee_o.png

Click on that or select it via the arrow keys and press enter to boot from it.
 
wow! thanks for giving time for such nice format post!!

but I cant see the external hdd when I press Option at startup. I see my main MacOS, my Bootcamp, and my macos dvd, but not the usb that i just installed macos.

im sure macos installation to usb completed successfully. but i cant see that at startup :/

is there any setting that i need to enable for usb bootup?

spinnerlys said:
You are now in Target Disk Mode, which is for connecting the Mac to another Mac via Firewire.
It will then be seen by the other Mac (which booted without being forced into Target Disk Mode) as an external HDD.

That is not what you want, unless you have another Mac and a Firewire cable at hand.


Restart the Mac, right after the startup sound press and HOLD the Option/Alt key and wait till you see the following similar graphic:
option-boot.jpg
.

The external HDD will show up on the right and will be orange and look like this:
4436475156_cc1d8893ee_o.png

Click on that or select it via the arrow keys and press enter to boot from it.
Click to expand...
 
No, there is no setting to be activated for USB boot up.

It is an Intel Mac (almost any Mac build since 2006) that you want to boot, isn't it?

Are you sure the HDD is connected and that the installation went fine?

Can you start from DVD again and see what Disk Utility has to say about the external HDD and what the installer says, when you select the external HDD as the place to put the OS on?
 
I just wanted to post and wish the OP good luck!

Hope you get your files back! Also, if you're a lite user you can definitely get away with a 500GB external for TimeMachine. Just set some folders you don't care about as excluded folders.
 
I just hope it wont take too long to recover his files.

once I did a recover from an external harddrive that I flipped over while backing up and it took +3weeks to recover certain folders.
 
yes it is Intel Mac. the latest version 17" Macbook Pro.

I'm sure HDD is connected. installation completed successfully, I saw the success message at last, no error at all. than I booted up mac from internal, and looked into external hdd, and i see all system folders, files, etc.... so it looks that macos installed well.

I post some photos for your questions. i just took them. I hope they help :/

i also tried the other usb ports as well. but still no detect.

Bx4bi.DSC00072.JPG


Bx8b1.DSC00068.JPG


Bxc30.DSC00069.JPG


BxeT.DSC00070.JPG


Bxi7o.DSC00071.JPG

spinnerlys said:
No, there is no setting to be activated for USB boot up.

It is an Intel Mac (almost any Mac build since 2006) that you want to boot, isn't it?

Are you sure the HDD is connected and that the installation went fine?

Can you start from DVD again and see what Disk Utility has to say about the external HDD and what the installer says, when you select the external HDD as the place to put the OS on?
Click to expand...
 
3 weeks?! noooo! it means I already loose my current projects and clients and job and and and... :(

I wish I could come to that process to start recover... I'm still fighting to start recovery :/

babboxy said:
I just hope it wont take too long to recover his files.

once I did a recover from an external harddrive that I flipped over while backing up and it took +3weeks to recover certain folders.
Click to expand...
 
thanks for good luck! I really need that!! :(

i can say my most important files are about 100GB. So i dont actually use all 500GB. I'm not a gamer or not a big movie, music downloader. just my photos and work files. so I think 500GB should be fine for me. I cant afford 1TB now anyway. is it possible Time Machine to ignore some folders?

thanks for advice!!

ViViDboarder said:
I just wanted to post and wish the OP good luck!

Hope you get your files back! Also, if you're a lite user you can definitely get away with a 500GB external for TimeMachine. Just set some folders you don't care about as excluded folders.
Click to expand...
 
macmania82 said:
thanks for good luck! I really need that!! :(

i can say my most important files are about 100GB. So i dont actually use all 500GB. I'm not a gamer or not a big movie, music downloader. just my photos and work files. so I think 500GB should be fine for me. I cant afford 1TB now anyway. is it possible Time Machine to ignore some folders?

thanks for advice!!
Click to expand...

Oh yea, definitely. I usually have it ignore my Movies folder as well as my Downloads folder. I figure if I downloaded it or ripped it once I can do it again. :) Also, they are huge files and not really needed for me. If you wanted you could ignore almost everything BUT your Documents, Desktop and Photos folder. Those are usually the things you want to keep safe.
 
sorry you mean that i need to erase? I already did that before installing MacOS. it is Mac OS Extended (Journaled), is it wrong?


BLUE ERASE TAB: screenshot from my running macos, from Application folder.
ORANGE ERASE TAB: screenshot from mac os installing process. booted from dvd.
you can see the differencve from background wallpaper.

I didnt use RAID Tab to set up anything before. I didnt touch there at all

BxM1X.DSC00073.JPG


spinnerlys said:
Your external HDD is set to RAID as it seems.
You need to use the ERASE tab, not the RAID tab.

Bx8b1.DSC00068.JPG
Click to expand...
 
No, the format is right.

But why is the HDD icon blue while you have the ERASE tab selected and is orange, while you have the RAID tab is selected?

Have you used the RAID tab before to set something up?


500GB will be alright, or 250GB or 320GB.

And you can edit your posts via the
edit.gif
button, consecutive posts by the same user are not really liked here.
 
silly me, I didnt know that. I had 250GB external hdd a while ago. and I had tried to setup timemachine, but i could not use that cos of size. cos, I remember, when I start time machine, it wanted to make all HDD and I could not see any option to pick my desired folder. so i actually could pick the important folders for time machine!

ViViDboarder said:
Oh yea, definitely. I usually have it ignore my Movies folder as well as my Downloads folder. I figure if I downloaded it or ripped it once I can do it again. :) Also, they are huge files and not really needed for me. If you wanted you could ignore almost everything BUT your Documents, Desktop and Photos folder. Those are usually the things you want to keep safe.
Click to expand...
 
macmania82 said:
sorry you mean that i need to erase? I already did that before installing MacOS. it is Mac OS Extended (Journaled), is it wrong?


BLUE ERASE TAB: screenshot from my running macos, from Application folder.
ORANGE ERASE TAB: screenshot from mac os installing process. booted from dvd.
you can see the differencve from background wallpaper.

I didnt use RAID Tab to set up anything before. I didnt touch there at all

BxM1X.DSC00073.JPG
Click to expand...

You have a skin/theme set for Mac OS X?

That may explain the different icon colour and the tab colour and marble "form".

When you are already booted to Mac OS X can you go to System Preferences > Startup Disk and see if the USB HDD is recognized there, and if it is restart from that using the restart button?

Also can you make a screen shot or photo from the USB HDD, to see what is on it? Go to Finder and select list view, CMD+J > SHOW ALL SIZES, and if you're not afraid to use Terminal, put the following command into it to see all the hidden files and folders.

defaults write com.apple.Finder AppleShowAllFiles YES

You may need to restart Finder for that to take effect > CMD+OPTION/ALT+ESC.
Then make the photo/screenshot.

InfoSecmgr said:
Face palm.
Click to expand...

What is your problem? Do you know the obvious solution? If so, why don't you enlighten us then?
 
yes i have theme, that's the reason.

Finder Screenshot:
20100315-8c424qg782ifk41bwi7m2y5swk.jpg



Startup Disk screenshot:
when I click the usb one, and Restart, system boots up from internal HDD. it is like ignoring the usb :/
20100315-1dwaqd6ixxdptjndm1a37byr1e.jpg


When I try the Terminal command, it gives error "Command not found"

spinnerlys said:
You have a skin/theme set for Mac OS X?

That may explain the different icon colour and the tab colour and marble "form".

When you are already booted to Mac OS X can you go to System Preferences > Startup Disk and see if the USB HDD is recognized there, and if it is restart from that using the restart button?

Also can you make a screen shot or photo from the USB HDD, to see what is on it? Go to Finder and select list view, CMD+J > SHOW ALL SIZES, and if you're not afraid to use Terminal, put the following command into it to see all the hidden files and folders.

defaults write com.apple.Finder AppleShowAllFiles YES

You may need to restart Finder for that to take effect > CMD+OPTION/ALT+ESC.
Then make the photo/screenshot.
Click to expand...
 
Okay, it's time to get some heavy objects as it seems.

Try an SMC reset and se if you can boot up from the USB HDD then.


Shut down the computer.

Plug in the MagSafe power adapter to a power source, connecting it to the Mac if its not already connected.

On the built-in keyboard, press the (left side) Shift-Control-Option keys and the power button at the same time.

Release all the keys and the power button at the same time.

Press the power button to turn on the computer.

I'm running out of ideas to be honest.

What is the name of the theme btw?
 
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