SOS MBP 2011 not looking good.

[Rooster66]

My wifes MBP seems to be in pretty bad shape.

It wont accept her password to log on..Its the same password she has been using for several years no change...This has been going on for a few days.

I have tries safe mode no good also tried via apple ID but all i get is could not connect to icloud even after i connected it via ethernet.

I tried recovery mode was wondering if i can reinstall OSX safely without wiping everything...She does have some stuff she would like to save and has not backed up.

Hoping the good people of these forums can save my bacon again..

Thanks in advance

 

[chscag]

Reinstalling macOS over the top of what's there may not work at all if you can't get access to the system. It sounds like it may be a hard drive failure but the 2011 MacBook Pro models also suffered from GPU failure (graphics chipset failure). Probably not GPU failure if you can get to the log on screen.

Go ahead and try reinstalling macOS as that will not wipe what's there. Just be careful not to erase the hard drive. If that fails, then you might try removing the hard drive from the machine and either use an adapter or external carrier to attach it to your Mac and see if you can copy the data from it.

 

[Rooster66]

great thanks..

I can restart in recovery only and take install OSX option ?

Will this not wipe existing ?

Or does it give me an option to wipe or not to wipe.

 

[pigoo3]

It wont accept her password to log on..Its the same password she has been using for several years no change...

Assuming there's no hardware issue (which may or may not be the case)...when this situation pops up...two things come to mind:

- One...the password is incorrect. Yes yes I know...she swears it's the right password. But so many times when this happens...it's really not the correct password. This can happen especially when someone 99% of the time puts the computer to sleep when done...and only needs to input the password if the computer is rebooted (which could be rarely)...and the password forgotten.

- But if the password isn't the issue...the second thought that comes to mind is maybe there is some sort of file corruption going on. When you booted into Recovery Partition...did you try repairing the disk?

* Nick

 

[MacInWin]

Really stupid suggestion: Is the CAPS lock key on by accident?

 

[IWT]

I can restart in recovery only and take install OSX option ?

Will this not wipe existing ?

If you can get into Recovery (Command + R on rebooting) and that's far from certain, then reinstalling the OS will not wipe your data. It installs a new version on top of the old.

As your wife has no Backup, any solution carries the risk of losing all the data; sadly. A lesson for the future.

Ian

 

[Rooster66]

I could say to her {I told you so } but i wont..

A few weeks ago she complained the Mac was slowing and had troubles with interent i suggested then she back up even onto a usb but it did not happen and now here we are..

Thank you

 

[Rooster66]

My helpfull friends i feel this is turning into a recovery mission now.

Tried terminal commands last night via apple team guidance and no response...

Is there a way to recover data from the hard drive before i dispose of this unit.

 

[chscag]

Is there a way to recover data from the hard drive before i dispose of this unit.

You can try removing the hard drive from the machine and place it in a carrier or use an adapter (SATA to USB) and then connect it to your other Mac and copy the data from it. That is if the hard drive is functional.

 

[Rooster66]

Carrier ?

 

[pm-r]

You could also try using Target Disk Mode as you seem to have Two Macs.

How to use target disk mode to move files between two Mac computers
https://support.apple.com/en-ca/HT201462

BTW: Did anyone check Jake's excellent suggestion, at not at all stupid. I happens unnoticed sometimes:

Really stupid suggestion: Is the CAPS lock key on by accident?

PS:

Carrier ?

Any enclosure, tray, "sled", bracket, etc. that holds a drive to help with connections.




- Patrick
======

 

[Rooster66]

So i can just go with the USB to SATA connection and try ?

 

[pm-r]

So i can just go with the USB to SATA connection and try ?

That can depend on the Mac model being used and if its USB port can supply enough power.

That's why some such adapters come with a second USB connector and cable, that sometimes isn't long enough to reach some Mac portables second USB port, if they even have one, or a small power brick that will supply the required power for the drive.

PS: That's still a decent MBPro and no real need to trash it!!!




- Patrick
======