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What would be the steps to take to recover data from a M2 Macbook Pro (or any Macbook where the hard drive is soldered and not removable), in case one day the laptop just doesn't switch on.

I recently had this issue with a Windows laptop and I was immediately able to open the laptop up, pop the SSD into an enclosure, and access my data.

What would be the equivalent steps to take if such a situation were to arise on my M2 Macbook Pro, if the laptop were to refuse to switch on?

Also what prior preparation can I do for such an eventuality (e.g. do not activate bitlocker encryption, have a second mac handy, etc.)?

nohillside
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Pranab
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  • Make sure you have a good backup strategy. Hardware fails and you might not get your data back. – mmmmmm Aug 29 '22 at 19:40
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    There is no equivalent. This may be a bit unnerving at first, but if you think about it, it's a matter of packaging and economics. Your Windows laptop uses a container to package the SS memory - if you open that container, you'll find a board populated with memory chips. Apple OTOH places the memory chips on a board they manufacture. In this way, Apple gets to charge a premium price for a commodity item. Keep updated backups that you can verify. – Seamus Aug 30 '22 at 00:20

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Make sure to have a recent backup, e.g. by enabling Time Machine to an external drive/SSD; and/or store data in iCloud or similar.

nohillside
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  • If memory serves right, I remember one could connect a second apple computer to another and access the hard drive in some kind of 'Target Disk' mode. Has that method been deprecated? – Pranab Aug 30 '22 at 06:12
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    @pranab No, it hasn’t. But depending on what exactly is broken when a Mac is „dead“ it may not work. So having a good backup strategy (and living it) is the way to go. – nohillside Aug 30 '22 at 06:21