need to extract files & Safari links - Powerbook G4 - HELP!

[explorer777]

My Powerbook G4 OSX 10.4 has been briefly exposed to a strong magnetic field in the vicinity of the hard drive.

THE RESULTS:
1) can't open finder
2) Safari does not open
3) the many desktop folders of jpegs and document files display the names I've assigned to them but NOT the folder icons - they do not display. I am able to open the folders and view/display the contents, thus the files themselves seem to be intact.

GOALS:
1) remove/copy desktop folder contents to another Powerbook (or external HD). I tried this with a USB transfer cable (GigaWare) without success as the icon would not open (was not viewable) on the affected Powerbook. Maybe Firewire transfer would work?

2) remove/copy Safari links to another Powerbook. Since Safari does not currently open I have no clue as to how to accomplish this.

If I did a reinstall of the OSX 10.4 OS would that affect or delete the Safari links and/or the desktop folders?

Any thoughts for solving this problem will be greatly appreciated. I have many of the desktop files backed up on external hard drives - but definitely not all - and no backup for the many Safari links gathered over about 5 years.

THANKS!

 

[cwa107]

When you connected it to another machine to retrieve your data, was that other machine also a Mac?

 

[explorer777]

YES, the other working computer was a G3 Pismo (OSX 10.2) - my only other Mac - but now I'm I'm getting another Powerbook similar to what I have. If this helps.