04-04-2012, 11:43 PM

Thank you for all your help and suggestions...
I have turned off the iMac, and will wait until tomorrow to think more...my heart is broken and my mind is mush...photos are everything to me.

I have also been googling options, and Apple recommends something called Disk Warrior. I also requested a data recovery estimate from Drivesavers. But as you mentione, it is not cheap...

Again, thank you.

PS: Any suggestions for online data storage, such as Carbonite???

04-05-2012, 08:02 AM

Haven't used online Backup, I have several USB and FireWire external HDs that I backup to and switch out.

No idea which software is best. I use and have used this
Amazon.com: Data Rescue 3: Software

It seems to do a decent job with recovering photos.

EDIT: I have been reading the online manual for Data Rescue 3 just to make sure. I don't have the Bootable DVD (what is advertised in the link I gave you). I got my original copy of Data Rescue Pro with purchase of a SD Card Reader and have since purchased the APP store versions of the latest update, which works great, but as I mentioned before won't work on your boot drive.
The bootable DVD above, however, can be used without installing to your Mac (and risking more permanent data loss). You should, though, use an external HD for program workspace and file recovery (the Manual details this and I am posting link to an excerpt below).

http://www.prosofteng.com/docs/Data-...installing.htm

04-05-2012, 02:12 PM

Originally Posted by Hisacorn

OMGEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!

Okay...I have a new macbook pro. Can i download the app you spoke of above and somehow run it for the iMac??? Without having to take that thing out???

Yes, you can use your MBP to recover your iMac hard drive. You will need a firewire cable to connect the two computers. Go ahead and download and install whichever data recovery application you decide on your MacBook Pro. (I personally recommend spending the money on Data Rescue III as opposd to any free/cheap applications out there.) Once that is complete, connect the iMac to your MBP with the firewire cable and start your iMac while holding down the "T" key. This will start the iMac in target disk mode - the entire computer will act as if it were a simple external disk drive. Then you can run the data recovery application, choosing the iMac's HD as the target volume and your MBP drive as the working volume - where the application will write the recovered files. You do NOT want to recover files to the same disk, as the recovered file could overwrite the deleted file and really mess things up.