Last week, I began having serious issues with my Early 2011 MBP 15". It crashed several times, after seeing a screen full of blue-green lines; split screens (for no reason); then, a green apple and pinwheel with the screen filled with lines (after restart). Used several keystroke "tricks" to reboot from hard start (Command/Option R; and PR), to try to get it to work... but anytime I needed software that required intensive use, it would crash, again. Then I found out there has been a major issue with the 2011 MBP graphics card/logic board and there is a repair extension offered through next year (due to a class action suit lost by Apple). So, before taking it to the Genius Bar (40 miles away), I needed to backup my files, apps, photos, etc.
At the recommendation of a "Mac" salesperson, at Best Buy, I was sold a Seagate 1TB external drive, to do an emergency backup using Time Machine. Of course, I had to "reformat" the drive from PC to Mac (with Seagate tech help). BUT I was told by both Best Buy and Seagate techs that the Time Machine would backup "everything from files to applications, photos, music and desktop, and even the OS", etc.
I managed to reboot the crashed MBP and it took 13 hours to transfer/backup files to the Seagate External. When I opened the Seagate disk up... there were no Applications, Documents, Pictures, Apple, Music or Desktop files included. When I hard-rebooted the MBP, it totally crashed, with white/gray screen; nothing showing on the screen, afterwards.
I finally did one more hard reboot on my 2011 MBP and held down "T", to startup in Hard Disk Mode; attached a much older MBP via Firewire and managed to "see" and gain access to most of my files. BUT then discovered that the Macintosh HD Startup Alias was now in a Desktop folder, that was filed under the second-level regular saved folders (not on the official desktop "Places" which I cannot see at all). I believe that is why the 2011 MBP won't start up, at all, as it cannot locate the Macintosh HD alias to boot it.
Is there a way to just drag the "Macintosh HD" alias over to the Mac HD Icon (in the Finder), in order to get it out of the wrong level and back to the regular Desktop -- without causing more major problems... or another crash? Would that help the 2011 MBP locate the alias and possibly allow another startup, so I can complete the transfer of Apps, Pictures, etc. through Time Machine? Or will I have the same problems with missing files, like Apps, Photos, Documents, etc. I presume I cannot just drag file folders over to Time Machine. Looking for good news... I'm at a loss, here, and hope I'm not SOL.
Thanks, in advance!
At the recommendation of a "Mac" salesperson, at Best Buy, I was sold a Seagate 1TB external drive, to do an emergency backup using Time Machine. Of course, I had to "reformat" the drive from PC to Mac (with Seagate tech help). BUT I was told by both Best Buy and Seagate techs that the Time Machine would backup "everything from files to applications, photos, music and desktop, and even the OS", etc.
I managed to reboot the crashed MBP and it took 13 hours to transfer/backup files to the Seagate External. When I opened the Seagate disk up... there were no Applications, Documents, Pictures, Apple, Music or Desktop files included. When I hard-rebooted the MBP, it totally crashed, with white/gray screen; nothing showing on the screen, afterwards.
I finally did one more hard reboot on my 2011 MBP and held down "T", to startup in Hard Disk Mode; attached a much older MBP via Firewire and managed to "see" and gain access to most of my files. BUT then discovered that the Macintosh HD Startup Alias was now in a Desktop folder, that was filed under the second-level regular saved folders (not on the official desktop "Places" which I cannot see at all). I believe that is why the 2011 MBP won't start up, at all, as it cannot locate the Macintosh HD alias to boot it.
Is there a way to just drag the "Macintosh HD" alias over to the Mac HD Icon (in the Finder), in order to get it out of the wrong level and back to the regular Desktop -- without causing more major problems... or another crash? Would that help the 2011 MBP locate the alias and possibly allow another startup, so I can complete the transfer of Apps, Pictures, etc. through Time Machine? Or will I have the same problems with missing files, like Apps, Photos, Documents, etc. I presume I cannot just drag file folders over to Time Machine. Looking for good news... I'm at a loss, here, and hope I'm not SOL.
Thanks, in advance!
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