How to Save Your Macbook Hard Drive Data After a Crash

Steps

1. Create a small partition with XP, Vista, or 7 in it. First things first. New Macs are equipped with the ability to run Windows XP, Vista, or 7. .
2. Get the program MacDrive. This allowed me to transfer files from OSX to my Windows partition with no problems. This is where the solution lies.
   • When your Macbook pro crashes, it wouldn't boot into OSX. However, when you hold down the "ALT" key (this brings up the dialogue to choose which OS to boot into), you can boot into Windows.
   • After booting into Windows, if your harddrive is having issues, MacDrive will give you a message saying "DVD RW Drive cannot mount" or "MacDrive is corrupted and is not accessible."
3. On the MacDrive display, you will see your Windows partition and your Mac Harddrive. If you double click on the Mac Harddrive and the message comes up again "MacDrive is corrupted and not accesible", then MacDrive (the program) will give you an option to "Mount Anyway".
4. Click "Mount Anyway" and you will have access to the files on your macintosh harddrive.
5. Quickly backup all necessary files, IPhoto, documents and whatever movies or music you have onto an external harddrive.
   • The fact that you can access my drive means that there is a boot sector issue, or a software issue, but OSX has software mechanisms built in to prevent further damage to the drive. After doing this backup process, you should take your Laptop to an Apple store and have them take a look at it.

Tips

• Make a XP, Vista, or 7 partition.
• Get MacDrive
• Should something happen, mount and backup your files ASAP.
• Get professional help at Apple store while you still have warranty.

Warnings

• This might only work if you already made the XP, Vista, or 7 Partition, I can't tell you if you can install XP, Vista, or 7 with a damaged harddrive.
• This is what I did to merely backup files. I have no idea how long the Vista partition will work, or even why its working. I just know that having Vista allowed me to access my Mac Harddrive files, and save them.
• Do not take it to the Apple store before you implement this method. Once you return a damaged item, Apple will not allow you to try and recover data from it.

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