Target disk on a dead - or near dead - MacBook Pro?

[ChePibe]

My MacBook Pro (2.2 Ghz, 15", June 2008) appears to have just gone kaput*, and I sincerely hope that it is the Nvidia vid card (as that can be replaced.)

I'd like to take into the Apple Store this evening for it to be looked at ASAP. However, I must have the data off of it before I am willing to take it anywhere for repair - I've had too many friends lose their data to warranty repair shops to even think about shipping them my hard drive and crossing my fingers.

Is there any way to do this without physically pulling the drive out? I'd like to avoid this due to both the intensive labor involved and so the Apple techs don't have any reason to accuse me of breaking the system myself.

* Symptoms (if anyone could tell me if this sounds like the vid card, please let me know): system failed to return to normal function after waking from sleep - blank screen, no indication of life. Rebooted and only got constantly lit sleep light with no indication of life - just a blank screen. Swapped RAM for known good RAM to no avail. Reset PRAM and SMC with no effect. Attempts to boot off system disk unsuccessful. Reset results in the same result - sound of optical drive check followed by blank screen, sleep light on constantly, and nothing else.

 

[ChePibe]

Hmm.

I tried holding Command-T on booting with no effect.

Will a fried vid card effectively zap the entire logic board like this?

I really need this data before I ship the laptop off for repair, one way or the other.

 

[ryannazaretian]

Just hold T when you turn it on, NOT Command + T.

You won't be able to tell if it works or not with a dead screen. Just plug it into another computer and see if it shows up as a disk.

Hope this helps.

 

[Sky Blue]

I have the exact same symptoms as you on my MBP. Taking it to Apple tomorrow.