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How to recover files from dead MacBook?

I have a dead Macbook Pro. As in, it won't even turn on. This is key, as most discussions on this topic involve computers that will turn on, but won't totally boot. Is it possible for me to recover files from that computer if it won't turn on, and how? The hard drive is in working condition. The computer won't start, according to Apple, because a coffee spill caused some damage to the area around the start up button. Everything else on the computer is in grand working condition as far as I'm aware.

Best Answered by

iBoysoft author Eudora Liu

Eudora Liu

Answered on Wednesday, November 26, 2025

What you need to do first before you recover files from your dead MacBook is to take off your hard drive from the dead MacBook, put it into a USB port, and then insert it into another computer.

If the hard drive is still working, you can recover your files by using iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac, a powerful data recovery tool that can help you recover kinds of files, such as photos, videos, documents, etc. It supports you to recover data from unbootable Mac/MacBook as well. Here's how:

  1. Free download and open iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac.
  2. Select your hard drive and search for your lost data.
  3. Preview the search results and click Recover.

After that, you can check if you get back all your data.

And for your MacBook won't boot, you can try the following methods to fix it, if these methods are still not working, you need to send your MacBook to a professional local office.

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