If your MacBook screen is damaged, I’d like to know one thing before we talk about repairs: where is your latest copy of the file you can’t lose? A backup from Tuesday might contain your invoice template but miss the invoice you finished Thursday. Here’s how to check without erasing or restoring anything.
Compare two dates
If the Mac is safe to use and you can see the desktop, look in the Time Machine menu for the date of the last completed backup. Compare that with when you last changed the file. Plugging in a drive doesn’t mean the backup finished.
If you already have a configured backup disk and need a newer copy, connect it and choose Back Up Now from the Time Machine menu. Wait for completion. If macOS asks to erase a disk, stop. Don’t erase a drive that holds your only copy of anything.
Look inside the backup before you count on it
Open the Finder folder where you normally save the file. Use the Time Machine menu to browse backups. Pick the completed backup you want and look for the file by name. Check its date if several versions are there. For a folder of work, look for a recent item inside it, too.
You can leave the backup view once you’ve checked. You don’t need to click Restore to see what’s there. Restoring returns an item to its original location. Finding one file is useful evidence about that file; it doesn’t verify every document, photo library or account on the Mac.
If the screen is unusable, tell us what is unknown
Don’t erase or reinstall macOS to find out whether your backup is good. If the laptop is wet, swollen or unusually hot, don’t power it up to run this check. Leave the backup status as unknown.
A useful quote request sounds like this: “The Mac starts, but I can’t read the screen. My last confirmed backup was Tuesday. I need the project I edited Thursday. Please discuss the files with me before any step that could erase them.” Include the model and the symptom. Keep passwords and recovery keys out of the form.
Sources and further reading
Common questions
My backup is dated yesterday. Is that enough?
It depends when the file changed. Look for that file in the completed backup and compare the dates. If you can’t check, say so before service.
Do I need to restore the whole Mac to check?
No. On a working Mac with access to its Time Machine backups, browse the folder and backup date first. A whole-system restore is not part of this check.
Related repair help
Get a clear next step.
Call your nearest Phone Repair Guy store or send the device and symptoms for a repair evaluation.