Recovering data on a Macbook and iMac that won’t start can be a challenging task, but certainly not impossible.
In this article, we’ll explore nine different ways to recover data from various Macbook models, ranging from the older models to the latest ones with advanced technology.
If you find yourself in a situation where your Macbook won’t start and you don’t have an iCloud or Time Machine backup, don’t worry, there are solutions available.
After all, data loss is a frustrating situation, but recovering data on a Macbook and iMac that won’t start may be possible.
However, the complexity of recovering data on a Macbook depends on the model of the device and the storage technology used.
That’s why, in this guide, we’ll cover several ways to recover data on Macs of various models, including MacBooks, MacBook Pros, MacBook Airs and iMacs.
Recover Data on MacBook and MacBook Pro (Models A1181, A1304, A1342, A1278, A1286, A1297)
If you have an older MacBook or MacBook Pro (manufactured between 2008 and 2012) with a standard SATA mechanical hard disk or SSD, data recovery is relatively simple. Follow these steps:
- Use a screwdriver to open the back of your Mac.
- Unscrew the mounting bracket from the hard disk or SSD.
- Disconnect the SATA cable and remove the hard disk or SSD from your Mac.
- Start the process with us to evaluate and budget the hard disk or SSD for data recovery.
Data Recovery on MacBook Pro with Retina Display (Models A1425, A1502, A1398)
If you own a MacBook Pro with retina display manufactured between 2012 and 2015, you can use “Target Disk Mode” to recover data. Follow these steps:
- Turn off your MacBook Pro.
- Turn it back on and press the “T” key until you see the lightning bolt symbol on the screen.
- Connect the MacBook Pro to another working Mac using a Thunderbolt 2 cable.
- Copy the data from the home folders of each account to the external drive.
If the MacBook is completely dead, you can remove the SSD drive and install it in a working Mac to recover the data. If that doesn’t work, start the process with us to evaluate and budget the SSD for data recovery.
Data Recovery on MacBook Pro without touch bar
The 13″ MacBook Pros manufactured between 2016 and 2017 without the touch bar (models A1708) also have a removable SSD drive.
To recover data on Macs of these models, follow these steps:
- Remove the faulty SSD drive from the Mac.
- Install it in a working Mac.
- Copy the data from the SSD drive to an external drive.
If the Mac is booting, you can also use “Target Disk Mode” as described above.
Data Recovery for MacBook Pro (models A1707 and A1706)
The 13″ and 15″ MacBook Pros with Touch Bar manufactured between 2016 and 2017 (models A1707 and A1706) have SSD drives soldered to the logic board, which makes recovery more challenging.
To recover data from these models, an advanced Apple and Mac data recovery lab is required.
Data recovery on MacBook with T2 security chip or M1/M2 CPU
The latest MacBooks, manufactured between 2018 and 2023, with T2 security chips or M1/M2 CPUs (models A1989, A1990, A2141, A2159, A2171, A2251, A2289, A2338), present an additional challenge, as the data is encrypted at the hardware level.
Recovering data from these models requires repairing the logic board, and only an advanced Apple and Mac data recovery lab can do the job.
MacBook Air data recovery
Older MacBook Airs (models A1465, A1466, A1932, A2179, A2337) have removable SSDs, which can be recovered following the steps mentioned above.
However, more recent models have soldered SSD drives and recovering data from these models also requires repairing the logic board. Only labs like Bot Recuperação can do the job.
Data recovery on an iMac
Older iMacs (previously with hard disk drives, 21.5″ and 27″ models) can have their hard disks removed and connected to another working Mac to recover data. If the hard disk has problems or has had data erased, you will need the hard disk data recovery service.
Newer iMacs with SSD drives soldered to the logic board present similar challenges to newer MacBook Pros, Bot can help you with recovery.
Data recovery on a Mac Mini
Older Mac Mini models (A1283, A1347, A1993, A2330) can have their hard disks removed and connected to another working Mac for data recovery. If the hard disk has problems or has had data deleted, you will also need the hard disk data recovery service.
Newer models with soldered SSD drives face similar challenges to other newer Macs, labs like Bot Recovery will be able to do the job.
Conclusion
The mission of recovering data on a Mac that won’t start can vary significantly depending on the model and storage technology.
Older models are generally easier to deal with, while newer ones with soldered SSD drives or hardware encryption can be more difficult to recover.
In the case of newer Macs, only very professional data recovery labs like Bot can do the job. After all, starting in 2016, Apple adopted the practice of soldering SSDs directly to the motherboard of Macs. This made it impossible to conventionally remove the SSD for data recovery purposes.
In this context, Bot has developed specialized expertise in a highly complex process. This process involves the delicate transfer of chips from damaged motherboards to operational boards.
Thanks to this approach, Bot is able to successfully perform data recovery on any model of Mac, be it a MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, MacMini or even iMacs.
What’s more, Bot’s approach is based on using state-of-the-art equipment and codes, which allows it to thoroughly treat and filter out files that may be corrupted or not relevant, as they arise as a by-product of the recovery procedures.
The result is the delivery of your recovered data in a clean and organized manner, ensuring that you enjoy a flawless experience.
Trust those who have a tradition of more than a decade in the market and have successfully solved more than 150,000 cases: start your Mac data recovery with Bot now!
