Yes, files can often be saved from a water damaged MacBook that will not turn on. The logic board is repaired just enough to start, and the files are copied off. Do not keep trying to charge it.
What should I do right now?
Do these four things.
- Stop trying to start it or charge it.
- Do not let anyone erase it or reinstall the system.
- Find the password You use to log in to the Mac.
- Book it in, and say that the files matter most.
Why can’t the drive just be taken out?
On newer MacBooks the storage is part of the logic board, and it is locked to that Mac. The logic board is the main circuit board that runs the Mac. Locked means the files are scrambled so that only that Mac, with your password, can read them. This is called encryption. Moving the storage chips to another machine does not unlock them.
How are the files recovered then?
The logic board is repaired just far enough to start up once.
- The board is taken out and cleaned.
- The damaged power parts are found and replaced.
- The Mac is started with care.
- You give your password to unlock the files.
- The files are copied to an outside drive and checked.
What does a real data recovery look like?
This is a job I did on a MacBook Pro from Epping.
| Model | MacBook Pro 15-inch (A1990, 2018) |
| What happened | A water bottle leaked in a backpack. The Mac got a lot of water on it and stopped working at once. |
| What the owner tried | Leaving it unplugged for several days, then plugging in the charger. Nothing happened. It came in about five days after the leak. |
| What was at stake | About 180 GB of documents, family photos and work files, with no backup. |
| What I found | Corrosion on several parts of the logic board, mostly around the charging and power parts. The storage chips looked fine, but the Mac could not start. |
| What I did | Cleaned the board. Replaced a shorted part and a failed power chip. Started the Mac, unlocked it with the owner’s password and copied the files to an outside drive. |
| Result | About 180 GB recovered and checked. The Mac itself was not fit to go back into daily use. |
| Time | 5 working days |
| Cost | $695 |
Corrosion is damage that works like rust on tiny metal parts.
Why was the Mac not fixed as well?
There was too much corrosion left on the board to trust it. It ran long enough to copy the files, but it could have failed again at any time. I told the owner it was not fit for daily use.
What does data recovery cost?
This job cost $695 in total. Data recovery starts from $300. If no data comes back, there is no recovery charge. The $150 to open, clean and check the Mac still applies, and it was not added on top in this job because the owner went ahead.
What do I need to bring?
- The MacBook, even if it is dead.
- The password You use to log in.
- A drive for the files, or ask about one when You book.
What should I not do?
- Do not keep plugging in the charger.
- Do not put it in rice. Apple says small grains can get inside the Mac.
- Do not wait. Corrosion keeps spreading while the Mac sits.
When should I get help?
Get help the same day if You can. Files are easiest to save before corrosion spreads across the board.
See prices and more real repairs on the MacBook water damage repair page.
Give me a call or send a few photos of what happened … happy to have a look!!