Mojave has banjoed my HD, can I get the files?

[Spugsy]

Ok so I upgraded to Mojave, I don't do backups as all my work files are on Dropbox, but yes I will from now on.

Anyway it ran for a few days ok, then got slow and now won't even start up - the internet stopped working and now it won't boot, even in Safe Mode and I have also run disk utility and it says it's fine?

anyway the only issue is I have some files I'd like from my downloads folder and some photos from IPhoto, but can I get them still?

I have a partition on the SSD HD and I've downloaded Mojave to that and its a clean install and I'm putting Dropbox and y software back on - but from that system can I get the files from the old system?

Many thanks in advance!

 

[honestone]

I am not familiar with Dropbox, but if you do not have an actual backup (preferably to an external device), then you will not be able to retrieve any of the old files.

This is a pertinent example why it is absolutely critical to have at least one backup to an external source, and preferably an actual external device (versus the Cloud or anything similar).

 

[Spugsy]

So there's no way of taking files from the broken system? Files from the Downloads folder?

 

[honestone]

From that folder, yes you can.

 

[Spugsy]

Can you tell me how please? Because I can't boot from the drive and when I boot from the partition on a clean new Mojave system this is what I see:

 

[Spawn_Dooley]

Regarding the image you uploaded, if you can see the Mojave drive on your Desktop, (I too have a small partition that is running Mojave & the drive is visible for me when I boot back into my High Sierra drive) Control click it & choose "Get Info" then down the bottom check the box "Ignore ownership on this volume". If the padlock is locked click it to unlock it & enter your Admin name/password.

As an aside, in your thread title you use the word 'banjoed', the only person I ever heard use this word was my dad, he used it as a substitute for 'sucker punched'.

 

[Spugsy]

Regarding the image you uploaded, if you can see the Mojave drive on your Desktop, (I too have a small partition that is running Mojave & the drive is visible for me when I boot back into my High Sierra drive) Control click it & choose "Get Info" then down the bottom check the box "Ignore ownership on this volume". If the padlock is locked click it to unlock it & enter your Admin name/password.

As an aside, in your thread title you use the word 'banjoed', the only person I ever heard use this word was my dad, he used it as a substitute for 'sucker punched'.

I've managed to get the files and have wiped and reinstalled it now and all is working fine but I shall remember this for next time so thank you - and ha, yes I thought as I had just joined this forum it was better than 'knackered', 'f@cked' or other word...