I took my 2017 MacBook Air to a repair shop because it was freezing on the boot screen and wouldn't get past about 40% during startup. I wanted to try to recover my data using Target Disk Mode at home but didn't have the right cable, so I went to this shop, LapFix, to see if they could help. I showed up with the laptop still powered on, even though it was stuck on the loading screen. When I asked about trying Target Disk Mode, they told me I didn't need to leave my second Mac with them and then closed the lid on my MacBook, saying they'd take a look. Later, I found out they never tried Target Disk Mode, removed the SSD without cloning it, and now claim the NAND is failing, giving me a recovery quote of $1,850. They're also charging me $75 for diagnostics, which they never mentioned before. I feel frustrated because I thought they would try the least invasive option first. Did they ruin my chances to recover my data? Is it normal for repair shops to keep diagnostic fees hidden? Should I trust another place to try Target Disk Mode again, or is that pointless now? Am I overreacting?
1 Answer
While their approach may seem a bit harsh, powering off the device and removing the drive was probably for the best in terms of data recovery – keeping it running can worsen data loss. Still, they should have clearly communicated their procedures and potential costs before proceeding. If your data isn't irreplaceable, it might be worth attempting to mount the SSD in a read-only fashion elsewhere instead of spending big on recovery. For future situations, I recommend switching it off if something like this occurs again.
I understand why you'd say that, but when I powered it off, it often turned back on, sometimes even making it to the login screen! That's why I hesitated to let them go straight to invasive measures. They never explained their reasoning behind their choices, so it felt like I was left out of the loop completely.