my laptop is dead

ash xxx

I have an ibook g4 that i got at the end of 05. it has just died on me after it froze and i had to force quit. Now when it turn it on it gets as far as the Mac os x loading screen but doesnt go any further. Any suggestions, please???

snollup

sorry to hear about your laptop. do you by any chance still have the disks that came with the laptop when you first got it?

Sad Professor

If it was dead it wouldn't even switch on, there's still hope. The OS may just be screwed. Like snollup said you need the OSX install disk, boot up from it and run disk utility, see if there's any errors, check S.M.A.R.T. status, etc. And then try re-installing.

nialler

hold down the shift key all the way thru the startup phase and see what happens, might help, might not. Once into safe boot login as normal then restart see if it gets a bit further.

ash xxx

oh well, its gone off to the doctors today, tried the install disk that came with it, but nothing. I reckon it had to do with the updates I took down yesterday, as it froze just after they installed and one was an Itunes update and then it wouldnt let me open itunes. Another was a Mac osx update. So I'm on the ****y home PC. I'm getting a new laptop in a few weeks anyway but I just hope they can save my files.

nialler

ash just remembered I had the same problem with a powerbook g4 after I upgraded from 10.3 to 10.4, downloaded the 10.4.11 updater and applied it while the powerbook was in firewire target mode and it booted up fine. Sorry for the delay in telling you that, just reread your post.

ash xxx

Ok, so the company that i sent my laptop to to fix it want to wipe my hard drive so they can fix it. thing is, that will get rid of all my files and I dont have these backed up. i dont really care about the computer as I have a new one now, but does anyone know how I can get those files back??

Sad Professor

Repair centres will often insist on wiping the hdd just to be thorough. I would have tried a lot more before leaving it in. You'll probably have to get the ibook back and try using firewire target disk mode to transfer the files over to your new mac. Do you know anyone familiar with macs could help you do this?

nialler

ash PM me, I have a couple of enclosures, both IDE and SATA for this purpose, pop out the drive, make sure the data is readable, then either migrate the account to your new mac or copy data as needed. Actually I'd say there's a quicker way there but I'd have to establish if the drive is ok.

Niall

ash xxx

No, I dont know anyone that can help me. I need all that stuff, like its all my college work, everything.

WUSBDesign

ash xxx wrote: »

Ok, so the company that i sent my laptop to to fix it want to wipe my hard drive so they can fix it. thing is, that will get rid of all my files and I dont have these backed up. i dont really care about the computer as I have a new one now, but does anyone know how I can get those files back??

Hold on, wipe the hard disk before they can fix it?? Do they actually ask to charge additional to recover the HDD contents? Smells like a rat here...

ash xxx

Yeah, they said they need to wipe the hard drive before they can fix it. Its an approved place in Mulhuddart

Hugh_C

ash xxx wrote: »

No, I dont know anyone that can help me. I need all that stuff, like its all my college work, everything.

just restore from your backups then ....

what? no backup?

nialler

Hugh_C wrote: »

just restore from your backups then ....

what? no backup?

sorry hugh but isn't that being a little bit snooty? we're all foolish at one time or another don't got chowning people out because they haven't backed up, 90% of users don't.

Hugh_C

nialler wrote: »

sorry hugh but isn't that being a little bit snooty? we're all foolish at one time or another don't got chowning people out because they haven't backed up, 90% of users don't.

With pretty much any flavour of osx backups are easy, no excuse. I'd say 90% of users do ...

PS what's chowning? Any relation to a unix command

ash xxx

yeah, that was a bit mean. I had just bought a time capsule to move all my files to my new MBA and didnt get to use it cause it died.

nialler

Hugh_C wrote: »

With pretty much any flavour of osx backups are easy, no excuse. I'd say 90% of users do ...

PS what's chowning? Any relation to a unix command

ok beyond 10.5 name one that is pretty easy that doesn't involve one that is built into the system rather than using the complicated clone/copy in disk utility.

Chowning is tearing the bollix off of someone! Cork term learn't from my brother. Rather than change ownership!

Hugh_C

ash xxx wrote: »

yeah, that was a bit mean. I had just bought a time capsule to move all my files to my new MBA and didnt get to use it cause it died.

my sympathies, what's an MBA?

nialler

Hugh_C wrote: »

my sympathies, what's an MBA?

macbook Air

Hugh_C

nialler wrote: »

ok beyond 10.5 name one that is pretty easy that doesn't involve one that is built into the system rather than using the complicated clone/copy in disk utility.

Chowning is tearing the bollix off of someone! Cork term learn't from my brother. Rather than change ownership!

ehhhhh, 10.4 and versions before: Backup, Carbon Copy Cloner (aka CCC), rsync etc etc

As regards chowning, if anyone wants to learn the hard way, then don't do backups. Fair enough, your choice. I work with people who habitually backup on a nightly basis. Tough luck to those who don't. QED.

nialler

Hugh built into the system, not downloading from bombich rsynch, remember you're dealing with the average user here who hasn't a clue beyond using word, excel and powerpoint, itunes and the rest of the suite.

Time machine automates that process but fools people into believing they still have a portable HD.

and where do you miss the "pretty easy" bit?

BanzaiBk

I was using rsync when I was 11 and totally an average user. There really is no excuse.

Anyway, Ash have they already wiped the drive? Did they say they would recover your data or send you the hard drive or anything? It sounds fairly odd to me, although the one time (note, one time) I had a mac repaired in Ireland they did the same thing. Will they not let you get your data first?

ash xxx

They havent wiped it yet. I think ill get it back and see if anyone can do anything wit the hard drive

BanzaiBk

If you get it back I'm sure some boardsies (like Niall offered above) will be able to give you a hand or whatever retrieving your data if you need it.

Hugh_C

nialler wrote: »

and where do you miss the "pretty easy" bit?

CCC ain't rocket science. It never was. If the average user can use powerpoint, excel and the like, my guess is they're smart enough to download CCC or whatever and use it.

Daily.

Backing up is an integral part of using computer. It's a fact of life and I've pretty much no sympathy for users who don't.

Take it or leave it.

My guess is the OP will start backing up pretty regularly from now on.

nialler

BanzaiBk wrote: »

I was using rsync when I was 11 and totally an average user. There really is no excuse.

Anyway, Ash have they already wiped the drive? Did they say they would recover your data or send you the hard drive or anything? It sounds fairly odd to me, although the one time (note, one time) I had a mac repaired in Ireland they did the same thing. Will they not let you get your data first?

THis says it all

Below is the text of a script called backup.sh that can be used to backup all of the main hard disk, with a specified set of exceptions listed in a file called backup_excludes.txt.

#!/bin/sh

# To use Apple's rsync switch commented lines below
# To use rsyncx:
RSYNC=/usr/local/bin/rsync --eahfs --showtogo
# To use built-in rsync (OS X 10.4 and later):
# RSYNC=/usr/bin/rsync -E

# sudo runs the backup as root
# --eahfs enables HFS+ mode
# -a turns on archive mode (recursive copy + retain attributes)
# -x don't cross device boundaries (ignore mounted volumes)
# -S handle sparse files efficiently
# --showtogo shows the number of files left to process
# --delete deletes any files that have been deleted locally
# $* expands to any extra command line options you may give

sudo $RSYNC -a -x -S --delete \
--exclude-from backup_excludes.txt $* / /Volumes/OSX/

# make the backup bootable - comment this out if needed

sudo bless -folder /Volumes/OSX/System/Library/CoreServices

You can copy and paste this text into a new new and then execute chmod u+x backup.sh to make it into an executable command.

Ermm terminal commands are NOT beyond an eleven year old, what age are you now? You may have grown up on unix, so let's get real we need a good backup solution that doesn't involve the terminal.

Hugh_C

nialler wrote: »

so let's get real we need a good backup solution that doesn't involve the terminal.

Yeah, it used to be called CCC, now it's called Time Machine. Where's the problem?

nialler

Hugh_C wrote: »

CCC ain't rocket science. It never was. If the average user can use powerpoint, excel and the like, my guess is they're smart enough to download CCC or whatever and use it.

Daily.

Backing up is an integral part of using computer. It's a fact of life and I've pretty much no sympathy for users who don't.

Take it or leave it.

My guess is the OP will start backing up pretty regularly from now on.

Hugh we're always wise in hindsight, ccc is complicated, and is now scriptable, my average user is not capable, and to be honest do not want to know, they just want their backup to work, that's what I do.

Hugh_C

nialler wrote: »

Hugh we're always wise in hindsight, ccc is complicated, and is now scriptable, my average user is not capable, and to be honest do not want to know, they just want their backup to work, that's what I do.

I can't recall anything complicated about CCC.

I don't understand the above - are you responsible for a bunch of users? If so, it's your responsibility to make sure they know how to run a backup.

Sad Professor

Backup app, pfff! Before Time Machine I did most of my backups by dragging and dropping important files over to my external hdd.

nialler

I'm sorry Hugh my job is to make sure that my clients have the simplest setup possible, that backups happen at a certain time that they are aware that they happen that if anything goes wrong they are recoverable, now that's my soho/home users.

Have you ever heard of sarbanes oxley and his disaster recovery protocol, well I had to write the fekker for the company that I used to work for but also maintain their IT system, 30+ macs, a couple of PCs, disaster recovery, in an ideal world I want a mirror but I ain't getting that due to the expense, so I have to make do with LTO 3 autoloader and backing up the raid, unfortunately the laptops are left out so I have to make it as simple for the mobile users as possible which I have done, so there may be competent users out there but some of them aren't and you got to take care of them.


Right I'm going to bed, missus just kissed my ear, wehayyyyyyyy! Night folks and good debating with ya hugh!

whiterebel

WUSBDesign wrote: »

Hold on, wipe the hard disk before they can fix it?? Do they actually ask to charge additional to recover the HDD contents? Smells like a rat here...

Standard practice with all Apple laptop repairs (Was anyway). They make sure its not a SW fault first by wiping the drive completely.

whiterebel

Sad Professor wrote: »

Backup app, pfff! Before Time Machine I did most of my backups by dragging and dropping important files over to my external hdd.

Steady on there, SP!!!! I'm getting dizzy with the sheer simplicity here.

I wish I had thought of that ingenious method for DVD backup of iPhoto, iTunes etc.........:D

Sad Professor

It's these newfangled kids and their backup programs. Laziness, I tell ya. In my day we used floppy discs

Hugh_C

Sad Professor wrote: »

It's these newfangled kids and their backup programs. Laziness, I tell ya. In my day we used floppy discs

in my day we used to write it all long-hand!

Sarbanes Oxley - isn't that something to do with bankers? Seriously dull.

Going back to the OP, if you have the €€€ for an MBA and the Time Capsule, I suggest you also inform yourself about backing up, even if it costs you a few quid. And no it's not mean of me to point out that you're fecked without a backup, it's the reaity of having your exam papers or whatever on a machine that isn't backed up.

As I said before, my guess is you'll start pretty soon.

WUSBDesign

Back to the subject at hand, guys...

ash xxx wrote: »

They havent wiped it yet. I think ill get it back and see if anyone can do anything wit the hard drive

Do that - and don't accept the wiping of the HDD before anything else. It is possible to boot the iBook off from an external HDD and check if the data on the internal HDD is intact.

whiterebel

Data rescue from Prosoft was very good for me when my HD AND Backup fritzed out at the same time:eek:

BanzaiBk

nialler wrote: »

THis says it all


Ermm terminal commands are NOT beyond an eleven year old, what age are you now? You may have grown up on unix, so let's get real we need a good backup solution that doesn't involve the terminal.

This says what all? That I am not an idiot and/or resourceful? I wanted to back up text files. I searched how to do it. I asked my brother to show me how to use the programme. He showed me. I practiced. I still have that data all these years later. If people want their data that badly, they would back up.

muggyog

It is clear that some contributers to this thread dont support normal computer users. From my experience backup tends to be considered just after vital data is lost. I believe the question was related to what to do about the data on the Mac HD rather than the technical abilities of forum contributers.

The answer to that question is that if it is possible to boot the sick laptop in target mode ie boot up with the 'T' key pressed and connect to another Mac with a firewire cable, it is possible to recover the data. The next option, as previously mentioned is to physically remove the HD and as previously suggested put it in a external HD enclosure and read it that way.

When you tried to boot from the system CD/DVD did you hold down the 'C' key on startup? It is strange you can get to the startup window booting from HD but cant boot from CD/DVD.

Hugh_C

muggyog wrote: »

It is clear that some contributers to this thread dont support normal computer users

and

muggyog wrote: »

if it is possible to boot the sick laptop in target mode ie boot up with the 'T' key pressed

Wry smile muggy.

muggyog

Hugh_C wrote: »

Backing up is an integral part of using computer. It's a fact of life and I've pretty much no sympathy for users who don't.

Take it or leave it.

wry smile, Hugh

WUSBDesign

If the two of you have a private war or quarrel or something or have nothing constructive to write for the OP, get the f**k out of this thread.

ash xxx

Hugh_C wrote: »

Going back to the OP, if you have the €€€ for an MBA and the Time Capsule, I suggest you also inform yourself about backing up, even if it costs you a few quid.

Its is a 21st birthday present, so not buying it myself. And yes hindsight is a wonderful thing Hugh, but the fact is that I hadn't got my stuff backed up. But I didnt come here for a lecture, I came here for help, and thankfully most on here have given me that.

Hugh_C

WUSBDesign wrote: »

If the two of you have a private war or quarrel or something or have nothing constructive to write for the OP, get the f**k out of this thread.

back in your box WUSB, it's just friendly debate, if you don't like it, just ignore.

eth0_

Hugh_C wrote: »

back in your box WUSB, it's just friendly debate, if you don't like it, just ignore.

Right, all three of you should get back in your box. Locking this thread. Grow up.