Mac data recovery

[V Knid esq]

Thankfully not for me, but anyone know how much is a fair price to recover a Mac HD, and/or recommend someone to do it?

[wheezer]

I have had terrible experience with several different data recovery services for Macs. What are the circumstances of the data being lost?

[V Knid esq]

He plugged the Mac into a socket on a plane, and it went kaput.

[wheezer]

Err ok. In that case you probably just need to get the hard disc out of the computer and plugged in to another mac. Just go to an authorized mac repair shop. Stay well clear of actual so-called data recovery services for now.

Btw, it should be pretty unlikely that the computer broke as a result of being plugged into a plane power socket.

[V Knid esq]

he's saying it won't mount internally or externally, just makes clicking noises... his research so far says it requires the platters being put in a new housing, which means sterile conditions etc, which means €€€€

[Loz]

Depending on how cavalier you feel, it sometimes works to drop the hard drive onto a hard surface (usually onto the shortest side) from about half a foot or so. I've fixed a clicking drive like this, and it's been running absolutely fine for six months.

Obviously do this with the drive unpowered.

[kams]

haha Loz

[Loz]

Seriously. Someone told me that years ago and I never believe them. When I had a dead drive, I thought I had nothing to lose.. to my surprise, it did the trick.

[sniffio]

That's very new and interesting

[wheezer]

Originally Posted by Loz

Depending on how cavalier you feel, it sometimes works to drop the hard drive onto a hard surface (usually onto the shortest side) from about half a foot or so. I've fixed a clicking drive like this, and it's been running absolutely fine for six months.

Obviously do this with the drive unpowered.

Yep, you can do this with a hammer as well if you got balls.

The clicking drive pretty much confirms my belief that the computer was not fucked by being plugged into an airplanes power socket. You didn't mention what type of power socket your friend had on the plane, but the three common options are 110V AC, 15V DC cigarette lighter or the EmPower plug which is also 15V DC. None of these can do more than 75 Watts if that. The actual real life power draw has never been strong enough to even charge a battery for me, be it laptop or ipod.

I guess that you will have to go to a data recovery service. They all suck. Expect to burn about 500 to 1200 quid, and don't expect to get any useful data back.

[V Knid esq]

Thanks all. I don't understand any of this personally... but said Mac owner had modded his computer with extra HD in place of the DVD drive, and seems to think that in some way this might have caused the LOW current from the socket to cause it problems. All seems strange to me.