Who can retrieve files from "broken" PowerBook G4?

[juliemoox]

"Clunk" it went (we do love our marble floors, but...) and now the hard drive, OS and everything on it is inaccessible. I tried hooking it up to my imac as an external drive, but there is damage to the drive and I can't get to anything. Soooo, at this point I don't care about the laptop but really, really, really need the files from it. Does anyone know who I could go to in Dubai to extract all my files? Appreciate any input.

[Magnus]

A search through the site reveals some prior answers.

[juliemoox]

OK, Geez Louise - I searched and searched. I am definitely missing something as I cannot find any reference to this problem. There is physical damage and I need to find someone who is able to get all my files out somehow. A nudge in the right direction would be helpful.

Thanks.

[Magnus]

OK, Geez Louise - I searched and searched. I am definitely missing something as I cannot find any reference to this problem. There is physical damage and I need to find someone who is able to get all my files out somehow. A nudge in the right direction would be helpful.

Thanks.

Perhaps you didn't click on the word "search" in my previous post.

[juliemoox]

Doh. Well now that you mention it, no I didn't. Aren't us newbies irritating?

[michl]

Doh. Well now that you mention it, no I didn't. Aren't us newbies irritating?

hin, hin... very much so, at least according to Google. Results: about 98,700 for +irritating +newbie.

In fact the first hit is worth a read - funny yet so true - and the website design is real nice too.

But seriously, web links are not always easy to spot these days - blame it on CSS! Look: link or not link?

It can be argued that merely changing the color of a word can be seen as a form of highlighting (like bold or italics) and not necessarily in a good way - esp. if without underline.

Links want to be links, and many people are used to underlines...

[Magnus]

Links want to be links, and many people are used to underlines...

Good point, I'll see if I can tweak the CSS to let links be underlined.

[maccebu]

Sorry but your drive is dead!

I have read somewhere that you could MAYBE and POSSIBLY retrieve files on a dead drive by doing the following

1. find and buy a new similar hard drive as in the same specs and size
2. open the dead drive and carefully removing the disc metal (the shiny silver circle one) not touching the inner layer on the dead drive
3. open the new hard drive remove and insert the disc from the dead drive

in theory it will work but in reality i do not know as I have not tried it.


good luck!

[meherally]

Hi,
You need to open up the PB. It is easy. Google "replacing hard drive on Powerbook G4". Once you open up, retreive the hard disk. DO NOT OPEN THE HARD DISK ITSELF as some other poster has advised here. Get a USB IDE casing, costs around 10 dhs I believe. put your disk in the new casing, attach via usb to a another computer. If you hear it start up, wait for it show up on desktop. If you hear clicks and squeaks. Sorry you are out of luck. The disk and data are unretrievable.

[juliemoox]

hmm, really interesting posts. I did take in the machine to a data retrieval company and they said: "Sorry the drive is not recoverable. The head has crashed on the
media it seems." So really I could try anything at this point. In a way it is a bit liberating. There is so much digi-junk we collect. Having said that, I have discovered that much of my videos and pics, etc. are intact. Finance file up to November, etc. Thinking of an appropriate burial method at moment...