Need Expert Help

I think my Ibook finally died? Just stalled last night in the middle of working. I was testing some php stuff on the apache server. Well, I tried to restart and the screen goes gray like normal with the darker gray apple, but then the hard drive goes into this pattern. It sounds like a skipping record, just doing the same thing over and over again.

I tried safe mode, starting from command prompt mode, starting from disk to use disk utilities (says volume cant be repaired).

I just want to back up some stuff.

What are my options?

the iBook hasn't died but your hard drive is dead. Only way to save the files now is to send it to some company to get the files but they are incredibly expensive

Like trpnmonkey said, it is very expensive to get your files back by sending it to a company to do it for you, but that is the only way. You iBook is not dead, just the hard drive, so it will cost about 80-100$ to buy a new one, and alot more to save the files from sending the broken hard drive to a company that does that.

Maybe try to boot into firewire disk mode?

Hook up your mac to another with a firewire cable and press and hold t right after the startup chime.

If that works, the harddrive should show up on the 2nd macs desktop, allowing you to rescue some files.

Or maybe try software such as techtool pro?

im afraid to say my iMac HD is on its way down that road.

Thanks for the replies.

Only way to save the files now is to send it to some company to get the files but they are incredibly expensive

Click to expand...

Sending it away is out of the question

Hook up your mac to another with a firewire cable and press and hold t right after the startup chime.

If that works, the harddrive should show up on the 2nd macs desktop, allowing you to rescue some files.

Or maybe try software such as techtool pro?

Click to expand...

I think the firewire connection would work, but I won't be able to do that until next weekend. Does techtool pro come with os x?


I was able to start up from my hard disk, but its slow like the dickens. Seems like its damaged badly, but not so that it doesn't work. It just takes a long time to do anything. When I try to put a cd in to copy files, It gives me an error. When I start up holding command s I get access with a command prompt type interface as root user. I can navigate files fine. Is there a way to use my cd rw drive from there?

I guess I could try using ftp, but I imagine I might get errors there too if my hard disk stalls for too long while transfering the data.

I may also try a usb drive.

Well, A clean reinstall of os 10.3 did the trick. My hard drive has had problems in the past (clicking, sometimes It stalls and I tap it to get it to spin again, etc..). This is the second time I have had to reinstall. Both times, the drive (only 20MB) was about 3/4 full. This suggests that when it gets too full, problems arise.

This would have been a perfect excuse to get that new 12 inch power book(or just get a new hard drive), but now Ill just keep using my trusty ibook. Ill have to go easier on it. :headphone Thanks for comments.