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Mac HD crash - Need to backup files & reinstall OS

Hi Guys,

My iMac HD crashed and I'm unable to boot into my Mavericks OS. From the Recovery partition, I used the Disk Utility feature, but in vain. It's unable to repair the HD. I have also not taken any backup of recent files, nor have I used the Time Machine either. I tried using an old Ubuntu startup disc and was able to access the other files in the HD, apart from the root user files. However, my important files are the root user files. Also, I'm unable to use my Mac keyboard with Ubuntu and that makes matters worse. Moreover, the system now seems to assume the default startup disc as the CD source itself, and states that the boot device is missing if I don't insert a CD. Hence, I'm unable to use Recovery partition or Disk Utility unlike earlier. I need to be able to change the default startup disc. Also, should I maintain a bootable Mavericks OS installer from a USB and re-install the OS on another partition? Then I can take a backup of the required files from the main HD and then proceed to re-format and system and re-install the OS.

I have earlier undergone a similar issue and was able to succesfully backup the files & reinstall the OS. I just can't seem to remember what I did previously. There's no physical problem with my HD.

Please help.

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Hi

Can you answer me some questions.

1.Do you have another MAC machine in reach of you.

2.Did you enable Time machine.

3.Do you have a external drive .

How to set up and use target disk mode

To get started, connect your two Mac computers with a FireWire, Thunderbolt, or USB-C cable that supports sufficient data transfer speeds. Then follow these steps:

If the Mac that you'll use as a disk is off, start it up while holding down the T key and skip to step four. If it's on, click the Apple () menu and choose System Preferences.

Click Startup Disk and then click Target Disk Mode. If you see a closed lock at the lower left, click it and type your password to make the Target Disk Mode button available.

A message asks "Are you sure you want to restart your computer in target disk mode?" Click Restart.

After the Mac starts up in target disk mode, it appears as a disk icon on the desktop of the other Mac. Double-click the disk to open it and browse its files.

Transfer files by dragging them to or from the disk.

Eject the disk by dragging its icon to the Trash (the Trash icon changes to an Eject icon).

To exit target disk mode, press and hold the power button on the Mac you used as a disk. Then disconnect the cable.

If you have External drive install OSX on it and than boot from the external and than if your internal hdd is still access by the system than u can backup all your file.

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