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26 April 2024  Jennifer Thatcher  Technology Manager of Test Dept.
 

Summary
Learn how to perform macbook pro data recovery on hard disk with a simple and practical method. Find out more in this article.



Table of contents

table iconI. Symptoms and causes of MacBook Pro hard drive failure/damage
table iconII. How to recover MacBook Pro hard drive data?
table iconIII. How to repair damaged hard drive on MacBook Pro computer?
table iconIV. Expansion: Regularly back up MacBook Pro hard drive data to prevent data loss
macbook pro data recovery

I. Symptoms and causes of MacBook Pro hard drive failure/damage

When we use MacBook Pro, if the following symptoms appear, then the hard disk may have failed:
● The computer responds/runs very slowly.
● The computer often shuts down suddenly.
● Frequent program crashes or disk errors.
● Files/folders/partitions suddenly disappear.
● The hard disk cannot be recognized.
● The drive makes strange noises (such as clicking or buzzing) when you start up or use the computer.
When the above situation occurs, it is recommended that you back up the data in the computer as soon as possible to prevent data loss. There are many reasons for hard disk failure/damage, such as:
● Sudden power failure or unstable current.
● The hard disk is overheated or in a humid environment for a long time.
● Virus or malware infection.
● Faulty internal component or hard disk cable.
● File system error.
● Physical impact.
Should your MacBook Pro still boot after a sudden hard disk failure, promptly back up critical files. For any lost data, employ professional recovery software to scan and restore. If booting fails, attempt entering macOS recovery mode to repair the disk via “Disk Utility.” Inaccessible recovery mode may necessitate removing the disk to connect as an external drive to another computer for repair and data restoration. This process carries risks; seek assistance from official support if not experienced.

II. How to recover MacBook Pro hard drive data?

If you discover that data on your hard disk is missing, it’s crucial to immediately cease using the hard drive to prevent new data from being saved and overwriting the deleted/lost files, as this makes recovery impossible. A highly effective data recovery tool is Renee Undeleter, compatible with both Mac and Windows operating systems.

1. What is Renee Undeleter?

Renee Undeleter is engineered to retrieve a wide range of data files. If you’ve accidentally deleted files, emptied the recycle bin, or formatted a disk/storage device, this software stands ready to assist you in restoring your precious data. It incorporates four principal features: file recovery, format recovery, partition recovery, and image creation, to effectively tackle all data loss situations.
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2. How to use Renee Undeleter to recover lost hard disk data?

As a professional data recovery software, Renee Undeleter not only has comprehensive functions, but also has a very simple operation process. The specific steps are as follows:
Step 1: Download, install and run Renee Undeleter on a Mac computer, and select the (Whole Partition Scan) option on the main interface.
Note : In order to avoid data overwriting, it is not recommended to install Renee Undeleter on the disk with lost data. If the hard disk you need to recover data from is an internal hard disk and is the only hard disk in the Mac computer, please download the software to an external U disk or hard disk. If the hard disk to recover data is an external hard disk, you can download and install the software to the internal hard disk of the Mac computer.
select whole partition scan in renee undeleter on mac
Data recovery function:

  • Fast Partition Scan – Quickly retrieve files lost due to accidental deletion or emptying the recycle bin.
  • Whole Partition Scan – Quickly recover files lost due to inaccessible or formatted partitions.
  • Whole Disk Scan – Analyze and get partition information and perform a full scan of the entire partition.
  • Image Creation – You can create a mirror image for a partition to back up the current partition state.
Step 3: Select the hard disk partition from which you want to recover data. After the selection is complete, click (Next).
click to select a target drive in whole partition scan in renee undeleter on mac
Step 4: Wait for the scan to complete; duration depends on the size of the hard disk partition. While scanning, preview files by double-clicking them. If you find the file you need, select it and click Recover to stop the scan and start the recovery process. If you prefer to wait until after the scan, pick the files you wish to save from the results and click Recover to save them to a different hard disk or partition.
click to recover files in whole partition in renee undeleter on mac
After successfully recovering/transferring the data in the failed hard disk, you can refer to the following methods to repair the hard disk.

III. How to repair damaged hard drive on MacBook Pro computer?

1. Repair the external hard drive

For repairing an external hard drive, Mac computer users can try to use Disk Utility to repair the damaged hard drive. The specific steps are as follows:
Step 1: Find and click (Disk Utility) in the launchpad; you can also click (Finder) > (Applications) > (Utilities) to find and open (Disk Utility).
Mac Disk Utility
Step 2: Select your hard disk in the list on the left, and then select the (First Aid) function above.
select the First Aid function on Mac
Step 3: Click on First Aid to bring up a confirmation window that explains this function will check for and repair volume errors. Click on Run to begin the disk check and repair procedure.
run first aide

2. Repair the internal hard disk installed with the Mac system

If you want to repair the internal hard disk partition installed with the Mac operating system, you need to enter the macOS utility menu to operate. Proceed as follows:
Step 1: Restart your Mac computer, then press (Command + R) while restarting.
Step 2: Choose (Disk Utility) from the macOS Utilities menu.
disk tool on mac
Step 3: Open Disk Utility and select the disk you wish to repair, typically called “Macintosh HD.” Choose Repair Disk Permissions. If the option Repair Disk is present, use it. If not, proceed with Verify Disk.
● Repair Disk Permissions: Restores file and folder permissions to their expected system and application settings, adjusting flags that determine read, write, and execute access.
● Repair Disk: It can make minor repairs to the file system of a volume/partition, and it can make most repairs to the directory structure of a drive.
disk utilities repair disk
To enhance the protection of hard disk data on a MacBook Pro, cultivate good computer usage habits and utilize “Time Machine” for routine backups. This strategy ensures that in the event of a hard disk failure, you can promptly repair or replace the disk and restore your data from the backups.

IV. Expansion: Regularly back up MacBook Pro hard drive data to prevent data loss

Time Machine, the built-in backup feature of Mac, effectively protects your personal data—including apps, music, photos, emails, and documents—from potential data loss due to hard drive failure, system errors, or accidental deletions. To initiate this protection, simply connect an external storage device and assign it as your backup disk. Once set up, Time Machine diligently performs hourly backups for the past 24 hours, daily backups for the previous month, and weekly backups for all preceding months. It manages storage efficiently by deleting the oldest backups when the backup disk reaches its full capacity.
Specific steps are as follows:
Step 1: Connect an external high-capacity hard drive to the Mac computer as a hard drive for saving backups.
Step 2: Select (Time Machine) in (System Preferences), click (Select Backup Disk).
select backup disk
Step 3: Select a backup disk from the displayed choices. If encryption of your backup is desired, tick the Encrypt backup checkbox located at the lower-left corner. Subsequently, press the Use Disk button situated at the lower-right corner. In the event that the disk requires reformatting to be compatible with Time Machine, an Erase alert will manifest—acknowledging this will expunge all pre-existing data on the disk.
Back up MacBook