G4 powerbook - cannot extract files/links

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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!

I posted this about a month ago but no relevant responses so here goes again.

USB to USB data transfer cable does not work as icon does not show in damaged powerbook.

Cannot move with firewire - have tried. It fails. Using another G4 Powerbook (fully working) OSX 10.5, but that has no helped me extract the files - so far.

My next thought is to remove the hard drive from the damaged powerbook and reinstall in working powerbook to see if that lets me get the data.
 
Joined
Dec 11, 2010
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Location
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Your Mac's Specs
late 2012 mini w/SSD
I'd be trying whatever I could think of. I don't think you've permanently damaged the drive - but I do think there's little hope of getting a full backup/copy. Files have been corrupted and are unrecoverable.
 

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