Recover files from dead 12" Powerbook
Fred Finisterre
Powerbook.
The Powerbook's hard disk is OK, and the battery is fine, but it can't be
charged or powered on because the battery is dead, and the charging socket
is knackered.
What's the best way to go about this?
I suppose I need to get the HD out? Do I need special screwdrivers? And is
there an adapter that will let me use the now removed (assuming I can get it
out) hard disk as an external; drive on a PC or another Mac (or PC)?
I have access to several PCs and another 15" aluminium Powerbook (running
10.6).
The broken PB is probbaly running 10.something, and it does have a login
password enabled, but I should be able to find out what that is.
Cheers,
Fred.
JohnB
Hi Fred
Removing the HD from the 12" is a pain in the proverbial. See the
ifixit.com guide for instructions on how to do it (or I have a 12"
service "manual" I could eMail you). I did mine recently and the only
tools you need are standard torx jeweller's screwdrivers and a
"spudger". Put spudger into eBay and you will see what one is. It may
not be essential but it certainly makes life easier.
Took me a couple of hours to do the job.
Once out it will go into any standard laptop sized USB HD caddy and you
can then get at the content by Mac or PC
There nay be some other way to do it without removal e.g. use firewire
Target Disk mode - but I am pretty sure that the 12"er need to be
powered for that. Others will be along to advise on that.
--
JohnB
Jaimie Vandenbergh
<finis...@gmail.com> wrote:
>I've been asked to help recover some files from a dead 12" aluminium
>Powerbook.
>
>The Powerbook's hard disk is OK, and the battery is fine, but it can't be
>charged or powered on because the battery is dead, and the charging socket
>is knackered.
>
>What's the best way to go about this?
>
>I suppose I need to get the HD out?
Yup. But what JohnB said, it's a long process involving about 40
screws.
However, while you're in there you could instead replace the charging
socket (or rather, the "power board" as it's called) - that's easier
to get to than the hard drive, on some models much easier, and they
only cost ~�15.
Cheers - Jaimie
--
A: Think about it. Come on, you can figure it out.
A:>> When half the group posts top and the other half posts bottom.
Q:>>> What's even more annoying than topposting?
Q:> Why would that be annoying?
David Empson
Firewire Target Mode will need power, so that's out. (The CPU must be
running to act as a Firewire to ATA bridge, and the Firewire port can't
supply enough power for that.)
The only solution (short of fixing the power input) is to physically
remove the hard drive.
--
David Empson
dem...@actrix.gen.nz
Graham J
"David Empson" <dem...@actrix.gen.nz> wrote in message
news:1j9mnr2.x7nxox1lo45rpN%dem...@actrix.gen.nz...
> JohnB <john.b...@ntlworld.com> wrote:
>
>> Fred Finisterre wrote:
>> > I've been asked to help recover some files from a dead 12" aluminium
>> > Powerbook.
>> >
>> > The Powerbook's hard disk is OK, and the battery is fine, but it can't
>> > be
>> > charged or powered on because the battery is dead, and the charging
>> > socket
>> > is knackered.
Put the battery into another PB to recharge it. Then use it in the failing
PB to recover the data. Can you do that on one charge?
--
Graham J
Arthur
> Once out it will go into any standard laptop sized USB HD caddy and you
> can then get at the content by Mac or PC
The USB HD caddy needs to takes 2.5" IDE drives, as in the powerbook,
rather than the now more common SATA drives.
Agreed that taking the drive out of a 12" powerbookout is a pain, it's
not particularly difficult bit needs time and patience.
Arthur
SteveH
Although I assume it's a tad easier if it's a dead laptop and you don't
really care about putting it back together again....
<reaches for angle grinder>
--
SteveH
Jaimie Vandenbergh
wrote:
Horrid thing to do to such a cute laptop! Replacing the power board
takes about 20 minutes, and is definitely the way forward here.
Cheers - Jaimie
--
"And I hope my Sam's behaved hisself and given satisfaction?"
"Perfect satisfaction, Mr. Gamgee," said Frodo.
Jon B
> On Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:53:11 +0000, itali...@gmail.com (SteveH)
> wrote:
>
> >Arthur <arthursst...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> >
> >> JohnB wrote:
> >> > Once out it will go into any standard laptop sized USB HD caddy and you
> >> > can then get at the content by Mac or PC
> >>
> >> The USB HD caddy needs to takes 2.5" IDE drives, as in the powerbook,
> >> rather than the now more common SATA drives.
> >> Agreed that taking the drive out of a 12" powerbookout is a pain, it's
> >> not particularly difficult bit needs time and patience.
> >
> >Although I assume it's a tad easier if it's a dead laptop and you don't
> >really care about putting it back together again....
> >
> ><reaches for angle grinder>
>
> Horrid thing to do to such a cute laptop! Replacing the power board
> takes about 20 minutes, and is definitely the way forward here.
>
The DC-in board on the 12" PowerBooks is under the logic board, to get
at those you've got to strip most components out, reroute the wires,
remove the inner frame, then lift out the logic board. Not even I'll
claim I can replace one of those in twenty mins.
<http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Repair/Installing-PowerBook-G4-Aluminum-12-
Inch-867-MHz-DC-In-Board/214/1>
They are what the Haynes manual would call a 4 spanner job.
To just get the data off then getting at the HD and putting it into a
2.5" IDE capable caddy is the easiest route.
--
Jon B
Above email address IS valid.
<http://www.bramley-computers.co.uk/> Apple Laptop Repairs.
Sara
JohnB <john.b...@ntlworld.com> wrote:
> [...spudger]
Oddly, I found the perfect tool for the job at home is my big old
breadknife. The blade is exactly the right thickness and flexibility to
pop open a Mini or any of the laptops. Just imagine the fun I could have
trying to explain that to the rozzers if I were to be stopped with it in
my bag on the way to help someone out one day.
--
Sara
Cuddler of rats, cats and husband
Peter Ceresole
> Just imagine the fun I could have
> trying to explain that to the rozzers if I were to be stopped with it in
> my bag on the way to help someone out one day.
They'd take one look at you and bring you in for questioning. Coppers
are only human...
--
Peter
Sara
pe...@cara.demon.co.uk (Peter Ceresole) wrote:
Actually thanks for that, you old smoothie. I could do with a little
cheering right now. Rog has just had to take Eggbert[1] to the vet to be
put down and we're feeling a little low.
1. We deliberately spelt his name that way to take account of the fact
he was bald as an egg.
>
Yeah I've done it. It's a pain, especially the power button connector (I
broke mine and even now it has a dodgy connection due to difficult
soldering) but not "too" bad if you're relatively used to working with
components.
ISTR it needs a Philips 00 and some Torx drivers but check ifixit fir
the details.
As for converting it to USB, there's a Sharkoon device at Scan.co.uk
which will do 2.5 and 3.5" PATA and SATA drives, you just connect it up,
no need to mess with a caddy. Very useful thing to have.
Cheers
Deryk
--
Correct the spelling of 'usenet' to send me email.
Jaimie Vandenbergh
wrote:
>Jaimie Vandenbergh <jai...@sometimes.sessile.org> wrote:
>
>> On Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:53:11 +0000, itali...@gmail.com (SteveH)
>> wrote:
>>
>> ><reaches for angle grinder>
>>
>> Horrid thing to do to such a cute laptop! Replacing the power board
>> takes about 20 minutes, and is definitely the way forward here.
>>
>The DC-in board on the 12" PowerBooks is under the logic board, to get
>at those you've got to strip most components out, reroute the wires,
>remove the inner frame, then lift out the logic board. Not even I'll
>claim I can replace one of those in twenty mins.
I'm getting my early iBooks mixed up with my PowerBooks again...
that's twice in a month I've come up with that one.
Cheers - Jaimie
--
Actually, the Singularity seems rather useful in the entire work avoidance
field. "I _could_ write up that report now but if I put it off, I may well
become a weakly godlike entity, at which point not only will I be able to
type faster but my comments will be more on-target." - James Nicoll
Fred Finisterre
sellotaping all the screws to a piece of paper next to the relevant step
number in the guide.
I've ordered a cheap caddy, and a screwdriver I was missing from Ebay, so am
paused at the moment.
Having now seen the PB, it's in a bit of a state (fillth/missing keys/bent
etc.), so I don't feel so bad just removing the driver rather than repairing
the power board.
I tell you what though - this is the first Mac I've ever taken apart, and
Apple certainly don't make it easy do they? Never seen so many screws of
different sizes!
Cheers,
Fred.
JohnB
> I tell you what though - this is the first Mac I've ever taken apart, and
> Apple certainly don't make it easy do they? Never seen so many screws of
> different sizes!
>
> Cheers,
>
> Fred.
That's quality engineering mate :-)
--
JohnB
Jon B
If you think Apples are bad, you should try taking apart some other
makes, even more different screws, and often not very logical order of
stripping down, so you are often having to flip the laptop over
repeatedly as you work your way inside.
Woody
Oh Dell are very much like that on their laptops. Made worse that they
are made out of particularly cheap plastic that is desperate to break
given the slightest provocation and doesn't contain all the screws
anyway, so when putting them back together it is hard to tell if there
was meant to be something there anyway.
--
Woody
Arthur
> As for converting it to USB, there's a Sharkoon device at Scan.co.uk
> which will do 2.5 and 3.5" PATA and SATA drives, you just connect it up,
> no need to mess with a caddy. Very useful thing to have.
Agreed, I booted a netbook from a 5.25" CDROM drive using mine the other
day.
Arthur