Win 7 and Mac IOS drive: Is it possible to recuperate a file

Hello

My son is overseas and ask me if I could recuperate a file from a failed Mac hard drive.

At the moment, I may not have another Mac to do it so, is it possible to recuperate a file on the mac drive from my Win 7 PC?

Any help appreciate

Martin

Please don't attempt this before getting an expert opinion on this issue:

You could try SystemRescueCD - a live Linux CD. (I am not sure if it would work with Mac IOS, should be no problem if file system is HFS/HFS+). MacOS specific commands are at the end, the rest should be same. You may need to attach the failed drive before starting the PC to an internal port!

- Download and burn the iso to CD - SystemRescueCd
- Start booting with SystemRescueCD
- First screen: select (1) default boot options
- Wait 20 seconds or ENTER to start with US Keyboard (default)
- at root@sysrescdd /root % - startx (ENTER)
- Open emelFM2 - Menu (lower left) - System - emelFM2
- Attach external HDD to backup the files to the PC

The NTFS Windows partitions will not be mounted by default. So we will have to mount them:
- Open Menu (lower left) - System - Show Filesystems
- A new Terminal will open: You can see Disk/Device names. We will use these names to mount the partitions. Note the device name for
the partition you want to mount (example sda2).

To Mount the partitions (change sda2 with the device name you wish to mount, windows is how it will show, you can use another name) -
in order not to delete files/folders we will open these partitions in read-only format:
- Open terminal (on taskbar)
- run the command: mount -t ntfs /dev/sda2 /mnt/windows -o ro
- now sda2 partition is mounted with the name windows

To actually see the files/folders in sda2 partition:
- Return to emelFM2
- Browse to /mnt/windows

Mount the external backup HDD with read/write support (example device name: sdd1)
- return to terminal
- run the command: ntfs-3g /dev/sdd1 /mnt/backup
- return to emelFM2
- on right pane browse to /mnt/backup

To copy the file/folders (emelFM2):
- On left pane - select the files/folders to be copied
- Right click - Actions - Copy (they will be copied to right pane) - there is also an icon to copy in between the two panes (vertical
menu)
-----
For MacOS drives:
mount -t hfs /dev/hdaX(sddX) /mnt/macos
X is the number of the partition which contain the macos (8 or 9) look this with
hpmount (for HFS+)

GokAy said:

Please don't attempt this before getting an expert opinion on this issue:

You could try SystemRescueCD - a live Linux CD. (I am not sure if it would work with Mac IOS, should be no problem if file system is HFS/HFS+). MacOS specific commands are at the end, the rest should be same. You may need to attach the failed drive before starting the PC to an internal port!

- Download and burn the iso to CD - SystemRescueCd
- Start booting with SystemRescueCD
- First screen: select (1) default boot options
- Wait 20 seconds or ENTER to start with US Keyboard (default)
- at root@sysrescdd /root % - startx (ENTER)
- Open emelFM2 - Menu (lower left) - System - emelFM2
- Attach external HDD to backup the files to the PC

The NTFS Windows partitions will not be mounted by default. So we will have to mount them:
- Open Menu (lower left) - System - Show Filesystems
- A new Terminal will open: You can see Disk/Device names. We will use these names to mount the partitions. Note the device name for
the partition you want to mount (example sda2).

To Mount the partitions (change sda2 with the device name you wish to mount, windows is how it will show, you can use another name) -
in order not to delete files/folders we will open these partitions in read-only format:
- Open terminal (on taskbar)
- run the command: mount -t ntfs /dev/sda2 /mnt/windows -o ro
- now sda2 partition is mounted with the name windows

To actually see the files/folders in sda2 partition:
- Return to emelFM2
- Browse to /mnt/windows

Mount the external backup HDD with read/write support (example device name: sdd1)
- return to terminal
- run the command: ntfs-3g /dev/sdd1 /mnt/backup
- return to emelFM2
- on right pane browse to /mnt/backup

To copy the file/folders (emelFM2):
- On left pane - select the files/folders to be copied
- Right click - Actions - Copy (they will be copied to right pane) - there is also an icon to copy in between the two panes (vertical
menu)
-----
For MacOS drives:
mount -t hfs /dev/hdaX(sddX) /mnt/macos
X is the number of the partition which contain the macos (8 or 9) look this with
hpmount (for HFS+)

Thanks GoKey
Martin

Hey Martin, just noticed something :) guess I wasn't careful enough earlier.

When you say Mac IOS, is that a typo? MacOS perhaps or do you mean the IOS as in IPhone?

GokAy said:

Hey Martin, just noticed something :) guess I wasn't careful enough earlier.

When you say Mac IOS, is that a typo? MacOS perhaps or do you mean the IOS as in IPhone?

hehe
Yes the Mac computer not the phone. I'm not to aware about the Apple techonology wording so I used what my son gave me.

Thanks for the clarification

Martin

Alright, then the commands should definitely work, however as the disk may be damaged I am not sure if it can mount properly, mount at all or if you can get the files off.

Hopefully, someone will look at your case and give the method a go.

Side note, I am not familiar with MacOS either :)

take care

GokAy said:

Alright, then the commands should definitely work, however as the disk may be damaged I am not sure if it can mount properly, mount at all or if you can get the files off.

Hopefully, someone will look at your case and give the method a go.

Side note, I am not familiar with MacOS either :)

take care

At the minute, my son just wrote me that I may have acceess to another Macbook. So I will seek info on a Mac forum for info on how to hook it up.

Have a nice day

Martin