The one thing that will determine your course of action is whether the storage comes out. Storage can typically be removed until around 2017; and there is little relevance to the condition of the computer. From 2018 onward storage is soldered to the logic board of the computer and is encrypted by the same. A simple check through "About This Mac" will tell you where you stand. An example: rebuilding an Apple Mail store after merging folders. Photos deleted prior to when a backup was made are a separate issue — odds of recovering deleted photos discusses location as well.
If the hard drive pulls out, then recovery is normal. If however, the storage is soldered to the logic board and that logic board has also failed, then neither we nor anyone else will be able to recover your lost data — the encryption key died with it. Prior to providing any quote we identify which model you have.
This takes 30 seconds, but it will give you all of the answers you need, so do it first.
You can find your Mac's model and year by clicking the "Apple" menu at the top left corner, then "About This Mac". If your Mac was made up to about 2017, it probably has removable storage – either a SATA drive, or an Apple proprietary blade SSD that you can remove with a screwdriver. Since 2018, all Apple Silicon machines, as well as Intel Macs with a T2 chip, have had their flash memory soldered directly to the logic board. That's a big difference.
This one fact totally divides the possible answers. With removable storage, the state of the Mac is mostly irrelevant — dead screen or dead board or spilled coffee, etc., it doesn't matter as long as you can pull out the drive. If the storage is soldered into the board then the board is the only way to access anything on the board. And if the board goes down, so does the only way to recover the data. When you contact us for help please let us know your model and we'll tell you whether you're in a removable storage situation or a soldered-in storage situation and therefore which path you should follow before sending us either the hard disk or the SSD.
Each generation narrowed what survives a hardware failure.
Before booking an appointment at the Genius Bar, it is good to know how they diagnose problems and what can be recovered. Many users are surprised to learn that the Genius Bar does not recover their data.
We've had several customers arrive after receiving a diagnosis from the Apple Genius Bar. While they are usually correct in their assessment of the problem, the next step is where things go wrong. They do replace the hard drive. This means when the customer picks up the Mac it works again. However all of the customer's files were stored on the original hard drive and therefore are lost. The original hard drive goes out the door with the rest of the old parts. Customers are routinely referred on at the point of diagnosis.
The important thing to remember is how to sequence these steps. First recover the data. Second fix/replace the broken part. If there was enough damage to require replacement of the drive, then once the data is safe, replacing it is exactly the right advice. If the drive is replaced before the data recovery occurs, the new Mac will restore as configured for sale — i.e., empty.
We get into this difficult conversation in advance.
If FileVault is enabled (and most newer Macs will come with it enabled), we need either the password to the user account, or the recovery key. We're not asking because we want access to your files. Without one of them, the volume cannot be opened. And there's no laboratory procedure, equipment, or amount of money that can open an APFS volume that has been encrypted without knowing those credentials. Any company saying otherwise is talking nonsense.
Prior to claiming a password has been "lost," always verify whether or not it still exists. The iCloud account linked to a Mac, where a recovery key is often escrowed, and whoever manages a work Mac in the organisation are common places to first search. This simple 5-minute verification may save jobs which appear to be closed. If the key truly no longer exists, we will let you know as part of our diagnostics process and there is never anything to charge.
The cost of recovery will not depend upon the type of fault nor the amount of data contained within the machine.
£300 +VAT can be applied to any Mac device where the drive is removable (i.e., MacBook, MacBook Pro and Air, iMac, mini), regardless of how the machine is failing or operating.
£550 +VAT flat is applicable to all Fusion Drives. A Fusion Drive presents a single logical volume from two separate devices, which we image separately and recombine. Therefore both parts must arrive together in order to successfully restore the original configuration of the logical volume.
We don't consider soldered storage as part of our service for a failed logic board and you'll be told so during the free diagnostic rather than when we send your bill. We charge 50% deposit for physical drive level services with the remaining balance due only upon successful completion of said service. All other services cost you nothing if they fail. The drop-off location for your service is located at Peter House on Oxford Street in Manchester.
You need to get the drive to us. Please include a short note on the Mac along with the fault. The diagnostic that follows costs you nothing and one quote goes into writing before we begin any work.
The first thing that has to happen is for the drive to be placed on the bench — either the removable drive or both halves of a Fusion Drive. Send it in with a way to get in touch with you. There's no cost to run diagnostics once the unit arrives. We will provide a written estimate prior to doing any work.
Posting it? Use a tracked and insured service. The value of what is on the drive far exceeds the cost of postage. Bringing it in? Weekdays from 9am to 5:30pm, and it still needs packing as described above for the journey.
Thinking about sending it, but unsure if it's worth sending? Tell us what type of Mac and the problem you are experiencing along with any attempts made previously – an engineer reads every detail and provides you with their opinion as to whether it's likely to be recoverable, and a range of prices, before you send anything.
We’ll be in touch shortly. If it’s urgent, call 0161 871 0788.
Some common questions people ask regarding recovering their data from a Mac.
Please check the Apple menu > "About This Mac" to determine which model year your MacBook was made in. If your MacBook was built up to approximately 2017 then it's likely that the storage can come out and we'll have no problem recovering data regardless of what the MacBook is doing. Since 2018 however the storage has been soldered to the logic board and therefore can be recovered while the Mac still runs but not afterwards once the logic board has failed.
No – the Genius Bar will diagnose & replace defective hardware & return the functioning Mac without your files. Customers are often directed to companies such as us at that point. Recover first, repair second.
£300 + VAT for any Mac whose drive comes out, £550 + VAT flat for any Fusion Drive (which is two devices, each recovered & re-combined). Costs fixed in writing after a free 48-hour diagnostic.
Yes – if FileVault is enabled – either the user's login password or the recovery key. A FileVault-encrypted volume is mathematically locked without it, and no technique opens it. It’s worth checking with your iCloud account or IT department before assuming the key is lost.
Yes, and that's exactly what catches people off guard. The way macOS stores your files across the SSD and hard drive means that if you recover just one piece, you'll have parts of every file and no single whole file. They are paired, so both devices must come in together.
No, by anyone. Since the flash is soldered onto the board as well as being encrypted via the security chip, when the board dies so does the key. Doing a "chip off" returns just ciphertext. We ceased accepting those as opposed to charging customers to find this out.
The age of the Mac is what matters when it comes to determining the ability to recover data from the internal storage. For all pre-2016 systems, there is access to removable storage units that can typically be recovered. For all T2 and Apple Silicon systems, all of the storage is encrypted using a key that is created in hardware at the time the motherboard is manufactured, so soldered storage on a dead board is not something we take on.
Names with an arrow have their own guides, i.e., brand-specific failures and what those will mean for the recovery.
£300 +VAT if the removable drive comes out of the case. Flat rate of £550 for a Fusion Drive. Soldered storage on a dead logic board we do not accept. That is what you will hear at our free diagnostic, rather than after we have invoiced you.