Devices · MacBooks and Macs
A Mac fails differently than a PC. The volume was encrypted prior to switching it on. Most models have the flash soldered to the logic board, and soldered storage (T2 and Apple silicon Macs) is not taken on; if you're not sure which kind you have, ring us first. A Fusion iMac has one volume across two different disks. All software you may download will stop at the first of those three. Where the drive comes out, obtain a quote first, via phone or with the quote form, then post the drive, not the Mac, tracked and insured from Hull, or wherever in the East Riding you may be located, to the Leeds intake laboratory, or simply drop it off there (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5:30pm, no appointment needed). Include your password with the drive, and neither the encryption nor the Fusion split will be an issue.
An engineer will take the details
0800 6890668
| What you see | What the fault is | What to try |
|---|---|---|
| A flashing folder with a question mark | There is no startup disk available. | Leave it switched off; have that disk examined. |
| At the time of start-up, a circle with a diagonal line through it shows on the screen. | There is an operating system installed (macOS), but it cannot be loaded. | Check the disk first, then check the container. |
| First Aid was run, problems were identified and First Aid gave up. | The problem was due to corruption to the APFS container structure, which Disk Utility could not repair. | Create an image of the damaged disk; then decide what you want to do next. |
| com.apple.DiskManagement.disenter error -119930868 | The APFS volume does not mount. | Usually it can be recovered from a clone. |
| Disk Utility says: File system verify or repair failed (-69845) | It has been determined by macOS that there is nothing else to try. | Switch it off and just let it sit. |
| Stuck in a boot loop since a recent macOS update. | Damaged firmware/container, but all files below are intact. | It usually comes back okay. |
Every piece of gear that shows up receives a case number on the very same day it arrives. An engineer examines it and determines what is really wrong with it and there is no charge for this. We give you straight language about which files we will be able to copy from the disk and which ones we won't be able to. Then we provide you with a single price quote, in writing, based upon these findings. We don't begin working on anything until you agree to the quoted price.
FileVault disk encryption has the keys; what lies underneath is encrypted. If you send your password we perform the usual imaging process. We make an image in a format such that it will decrypt in the future.
A disk that unscrews is treated just like every other disk. When there is solder holding down the flash chips the job drops to component level, and that is not taken on; if you're not sure which kind you have, ring us first.
For a Fusion iMac the beginning of a document may reside on the SSD (solid-state) and the remainder resides on the hard disk. A separate image for each drive is created, and the CoreStorage or APFS mapping table that connects them is mapped. Therefore, you receive all of the contents of each file intact, not the fractured parts that they were stored in.
You will not be charged while you think about this. First, you receive a list of everything that was recovered from the drive. Once you have seen the list and given us the go-ahead, the bill comes next. Files are returned to you on media purchased specifically for this job and we cover the return postage as well. Your job is kept open by us until you can view them on your personal computer.
On the numbers: Apple never publishes individual model data, and therefore, there exist no publicly available failure studies regarding soldered Mac flash. No reputable organisation (including Backblaze) can honestly produce a "MacBook failure rate". These statistics reside exclusively with Apple.
The Apple Store had already informed the owner that the iMac was junk. Inside the iMac was installed a Fusion Drive: flash storage along with a mechanical hard drive, which macOS lists as being one volume. The mechanical part was failing. Each type of storage was separately imaged, and rebuilding the pairing mapping allowed ten years of files to be restored to a design studio.
Yes. The volume is protected by FileVault/T2 chip/Secure Enclave. Your login password/recovery key are the only ways to unlock it. No other way will allow access to data, not on this bench and not at any other service location. T2/M-series Macs have storage soldered to the motherboard, and soldered storage is not taken on; if you're not sure which kind you have, ring us first.
Not always. You called a repair shop asking about recovering a Mac, and they told you to replace the logic board. The old logic board left the shop with your files still stored on it. Retrieving these files requires another process using different equipment, but storage soldered to the motherboard (as in T2/Apple silicon Macs) is not taken on. Where the Mac's drive comes out, it usually still reads; if you're not sure which kind you have, ring us first.
There's one icon in the Finder. There are two drives underneath. The smaller SSD (solid state disk) is faster than the larger mechanical drive. One file can be split so each block may exist on either of the two drives. If you send just half a pair, then you will get only fragments. Each drive is imaged and the maps that link the images together are recreated once again.
No. It becomes board-level work. Soldered storage attached to the board is not taken on. If you're not sure which kind you have, ring us first.
Leave it off. There are only a few start attempts left in your failing drive and each attempt uses up a little more of what remains. Our complimentary diagnosis will determine what files are readable.