Apple Hard Drive Crash: Macintosh Data Recovery

It's every computer users worst nightmare. If you've hit this page, you're probably already in trouble. Take a few deep breaths. This will all be over soon. ;)

The first step to take when an Apple hard drive crash happens is to check is the Apple Discussions page. If someone else has had the same problem, there might be a simple fix. (Note, this applies if If you're getting some specific error messages when trying to boot up your computer, because it's usually pretty easy to search and see if others have had the same problem.)

If that didn't yield results, then next up is to determine whether it's truly a hardware or just a software problem. You can do this by trying to boot up your (suspected bad) drive with another Macintosh using Target Disk Mode. This will let you know if the drive is readable at least. For ease of explanation I'll use Good Computer and Bad Computer just to be safe.

Connect the two computers with a FireWire cable. (No need to remove the drive yet.) The Bad Computer should be powered down. Start it up while holding down the T key. Hopefully a disk icon appears on the desktop of the Good Computer. If it does, backup your important data as your next step may be to reinstall the operating system. If you couldn't boot up the drive using another computer, or you don't have another Macintosh, then the next step is to download:

Apple Data Recovery Software

This step will definitively tell you whether you have a software or hardware problem. What's involved is downloading some demo software (all of them allow you to try before you buy) and see if it can access the files. Usually the demo versions will just scan the drive to see if it's readable but you'll have to pay for the software in order to transfer any files.

Prosoft Engineering's Data Rescue and Stellar Phoenix's Macintosh Data Recovery are the two most popular programs (which you'll ultimately have to pay for) but you can also try Disk Drill which is a freeware app. It can also be used to rescue accidentally deleted files, so it's a good app to have in general.

Once you run one of these programs you'll likely be advised about the next step. If it's a software problem that means those data fixers can recover data from hard drive failure by repairing the damage and get you up and running quickly. If however (brace yourself) you have a hardware problem, then you're best off seeking out a...

Hard Drive Data Recovery Expert

Mechanical problems with your hard drive need to be repaired by professionals because there's just too much risk involved if you don't know what you're doing. (And if you did know what you're doing, would you be reading this page??)

Even though hard drives are pretty generic (usable in either PCs or Macs) you're better off sending it to a Mac expert because they'll be more experienced in dealing with the Apple file system. Sassinsky Data Services is one company that has a great deal, offering free shipping back and forth and a new hard drive with the repair job. They'll also do a free estimate to tell you what it will cost to get your data back. (Disclosure: I don't know them or get an affiliate fee for the recommendation. They just look like someone I'd go to if I was in trouble.)

Don't expect this to be cheap... whatever the cost, you have to weigh it against the data you are recovering. If you use this drive for work, what are you going to lose in lost productivity? In this situation, no expense is too high.

Lessons Learned About Data Recovery - Apple Style

Hopefully you already have a backup of all of your data. However, it seems like everyone (myself included) learns the hard way. I now use three different backup drives to copy my work files, photos, music, emails and all the other miscellaneous junk. I've never used Time Machine because I've heard some horror stories from other Mac friends. Maybe Apple has worked out the kinks, but it's not worth the risk IMHO.

Once you get your machine up and running again you should check MacUpdate.com for Carbon Copy Cloner. It's a great little app that can schedule automated backups of specific files. I have it set to backup my desktop files, Mail folders and various instant messaging files. The rest I do myself -- it's a great way to never get lazy about data backup!