4 Ways to Retrieve Data from a Non-Bootable Mac

Can I recover data from a non-bootable Mac?

"My MacBook Air is having serious issues and won't start up anymore! This MacBook is crucial as it contains many work documents. Can I recover data from a non-bootable Mac?"

You may have a similar issue as this MacBook user, and there are several reasons why Mac users can encounter this problem. Let's take a look:

• Hardware issue. This is the most common reason why your Mac won't start up successfully.
• Incomplete macOS update. If your Mac shuts down unexpectedly during a macOS update, it can prevent your Mac from starting up.
• Mac startup issues. Your Mac might be experiencing unexpected startup problems that prevent it from turning on.
• Power issue. If your Mac's screen doesn't turn on, it could be because your Mac doesn't have enough power to start up.
• Malware or virus infection. Certain malware or viruses can prevent your Mac from booting up.

Now that you know the reasons why your Mac won't start up, we should tell you that there are several ways to recover data from a non-working Mac. This article will introduce you to four tested methods to retrieve files and folders from your Mac, and you can share this piece with many more users!

#1: Recover Data from a Non-Bootable Mac Using Software

When your Mac won't start up, this method is definitely the first solution you should try. You can use portable data recovery software to recover data from a non-bootable Mac. With this recovery program, you can easily get back all your important files.

The do-it-yourself Mac Data Recovery Wizard is just the ticket, and it's powerful and easy enough to use that you can recover data from a non-booting Mac.

You can refer to the following information for more details about the software:

• ✅ These tools can help you recover files from an unbootable Mac. You can create a bootable media of Data Recovery Wizard to save your lost data.
• ✔️ This tool can reinstall macOS without losing data. It comes in handy when you want to fix Mac startup issues by reinstalling the operating system.
• ❓ It can recover data after a failed macOS Ventura upgrade. If the upgrade fails and your Mac won't start, the tool can help you retrieve your data.

We believe that in many emergency cases, you'll need the Mac Data Recovery Wizard. Please refer to this tutorial to learn how to use it to recover data from a non-bootable Mac in Recovery Mode:

Step 1: Boot the utility in Recovery Mode

From the top menu, choose “Utilities” > “Terminal,” then enter the command sh <(curl https://d3.tools.com/mac/boot.sh). Press “Return.” Wait a moment, and the app will launch, which may take a few minutes.

Note: If the terminal returns "No such file or directory" or "Host unresolved," double-check that you've typed the command correctly, make sure your Mac is connected to the internet, and confirm that your version of macOS is 10.15 or later.

Step 2: Select the Volume on Your Mac's Hard Drive

Select the volume where your lost data was located, and click “Search for lost files.” The tool will quickly locate all recoverable data on the selected volume.

Select the Mac hard drive volume:

Step 3: Select the lost data you want to recover

The utility software categorizes the recoverable data by file type and storage path. You can find the desired data by clicking on "Type" or "Path" in the left sidebar, and then check the box in front of the data you want to restore.

Step 4: Recover and save data to an external disk

Click the “Recover” button, and a window will pop up asking you to “Select a location to save.” Choose your external drive as the new location to store the recovered data.

2. Recover Data from a Non-Bootable Mac Using Terminal

Did you know you can copy files to an external hard drive using the Mac Terminal? You might be wondering how to access the Terminal on your Mac when it won't start up normally. Check out the steps below, and we'll show you how to access the Terminal in Mac Recovery Mode:

Step one: Format an external hard drive and connect it to the non-bootable Mac.

Step 2. If you have an Intel-based Mac, press Command + R to enter Recovery Mode. On an Apple silicon Mac, use the Power button.

Step 3: In the Mac Recovery Mode, click Utilities > Terminal.

Step 4: When copying files to the external drive using the terminal, you need to know the path of the files. Here's an example command: cp -R /Volumes/Macintosh\ HD/Users/Dany/Documents /Volumes/External\ Drive/

3. Retrieving Data from an Unbootable Mac via Target Disk Mode

This method requires another Mac and a cable to connect them. Make sure that FileVault encryption is disabled. When ready, follow these steps to use Target Disk Mode to recover data from a non-bootable Mac:

Step 1: Connect the unbootable Mac to a working Mac with a cable.

Step 2: Turn off the unbootable Mac, press the T key, and then start your other, working Mac.

Step 3: Release the T key until you see the Thunderbolt icon on the screen.

Step 4: When the working Mac boots up, you'll see an external drive on the desktop – this is the internal drive from the unbootable Mac. You can now copy the files from the broken Mac to a safe location.

4. Remove the Mac's internal drive to recover data

This is the most difficult method, as it requires removing the internal hard drive from an unbootable Mac and recovering data from it. This will only work with some older MacBook models.

If you don't know how to remove the internal drive from your Mac, try the first method. If you have removed the drive, proceed with the following steps:

Step 1: Connect the non-starting Mac's built-in drive to a working Mac.

Step 2: In Finder, locate the drive and copy the files to an available Mac.

If you don't see your built-in disk in Finder, try these steps:

Step 1. Boot your Mac into Disk Utility, or go to Mac Finder > Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility.

Step 2: Connect the internal hard drive with the data you want to recover.

Step Three: You can then drag files and folders from the hard drive to Time Machine through the Finder.

Bottom line

If you're new to Mac, the first method would be your best bet. It's easy to recover data from a non-bootable Mac with data recovery software. Or you can try to copy files from a non-starting Mac via macOS Terminal or Target Disk Mode. If you're a professional engineer or have great practical skills, you can remove the internal hard drive from the non-bootable Mac and retrieve data.

Frequently Asked Questions About Recovering Data from an Unbootable Mac

Can you recover data from a non-bootable Mac? We guess you've found the answer after reading the whole article. Here are four frequently asked questions about recovering data from a non-bootable Mac for your further reference:

1. How can I recover data from a Mac with a broken screen?

There are 5 ways to perform data recovery from a Mac with a broken screen:

1. Connect an external display to retrieve data from your Mac. 2. Use data recovery software (this method requires a monitor). 3. Recover data with Time Machine on your Mac. 4. Transfer data from a damaged screen Mac using Migration Assistant. 5. Recover data via Target Disk Mode.

2. How can I recover files and folders from a non-starting Mac?

To recover files and folders from an unbootable Mac, you can try one of these methods:

1. Recover files and folders from a non-bootable Mac using a Mac Data Recovery Wizard tool. 2. Recover files and folders from a non-bootable Mac using Terminal in Recovery Mode. 3. Retrieve files and folders from a non-bootable Mac via Target Disk Mode. 4. Remove the built-in Mac hard drive to recover files and folders.

How do I fix a Mac that won't start up?

If your Mac won't start up, try these troubleshooting steps:

1. 1. Power cycle your Mac.
2. 2. Start your Mac in Safe Mode to fix software issues.
3. 3. Reset the SMC (System Management Controller) on a non-starting Mac.
4. 4. Reset the NVRAM or PRAM on a non-starting Mac.
5. 5. Use Apple Diagnostics to troubleshoot.
6. 6. Reinstall macOS in Recovery Mode.

4. How can I retrieve photos from a non-bootable Mac?

You can try using the Data Recovery Wizard for Mac tool to recover photos from an unbootable Mac:

1. Prepare a USB drive and create a bootable media using a recovery tool. 2. Connect the USB to the problematic Mac and initiate the recovery process. 3. Scan the internal hard drive of the non-bootable Mac and select the files. 4. Preview the photos and restore them to a secure location.