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How to transfer data from a MacBook that has a broken screen?

Hi, I have a MacBook Pro (2015) that has a broken screen which after being taken to apple is uneconomical to repair. I have now received a nice shiny new MacBook Pro (2017) which is great. unfortunately, I have no idea how to transfer the data from one to the other due to having no ability to see the screen on the original one. I’ve not been very diligent about backing it up (I know, I know) so I need to get this sorted. I do have an external hard drive ready to go for this, but no other equipment. So essentially what I’m asking for is an idiot's guide to transferring data from one to the other with no ability to use the original screen... any suggestions appreciated - although I'm not particularly tech savvy so it’ll need to be simple!

Best Answered by

Anna Yuan

Answered on Tuesday, December 3, 2024

According to your situation, your old Mac has a broken screen and you've got a new MacBook Pro. Thus, using Target Disk Mode to transfer files from the old Mac to the new Mac should be the most suitable way for you. Follow the below tutorial to get files off your old Mac:

Step 1: Connected your old Mac with the broken screen and the new Mac using USB, USB-C, or Thunderbolt cable.

Step 2: Shut down your old Mac and press the Power button then immediately hold the T key to boot into Mac Target Disk Mode. On your new Mac, the old Mac's drive icon should appear on the desktop or in the Finder sidebar under Locations

Step 3: Double-click on the drive. And if the drive is encrypted with FileVault, enter the FileVault password to decrypt the volume when prompted.

Step 4: Now you can see the files/folders stored on your old Mac drive on your new Mac. Drag and drop the files/folders from the old Mac disk to the new Mac's storage.

Step 5: Once you finish transferring data, on the new Mac, eject the old Mac by dragging its disk icon to Trash. Shut down the old Mac and disconnect the cable between the two Macs.  

See, it's not so hard to transfer files from a broken Mac to a new Mac. You just need to make sure you've followed the above tutorial step by step.