How to Access User Library (OSX 10.7) from External Drive?

[Isidore2daMax]

Dear Mac Forum,

My mid 2011 MacBook Pro (2.2 i7, 10gbRAM, 6750m) has begun only booting to a grey screen despite PRAM and SMC resets and plenty of HDD Space. I haven't tried all the solutions but the Hard Drive is bootable from a friend's mac mini, and thus I have recovered most of my files. HOWEVER, there is one folder in my user library that want to back up. I understand that one can use the finder, terminal, or 'alt' key on the actual computer to access the user library, but right now I am looking at the hard drive via another iMac, and its viewable via USB since I have a USB-SATA adapter. Is there a way to access the user library when viewing the hard drive via an adapter like this? It's not booted, just being viewed as though it were an external drive.

Thanks in advance for your help folks!

- Ellery

 

[chscag]

I believe you will have to unhide the user library first when booted from OS X before you will be able to view it from the adapter. Use the terminal from OS X 10.7 to unhide the library so that it remains viewable.

The terminal command to unhide it is: chflags nohidden ~/Library/

 

[techiesteve]

As well as above, a simple way to view hidden files and folders is by installing a free application called invisible. See http://www.northernspysoftware.com/software/invisible

Re your Macbook Pro problem, its fault symptoms match those I see regularly that are covered by an Apple repair extension program. See http://www.apple.com/support/macbookpro-videoissues/

 

[cradom]

Or you could use Terminal: cd /Volumes/nameofdrive/Users/yourname/Library