Brian

Wow. I remember the Mac LC it reminded me of a Pizza Box. And the Mac SE. And the Mac 128. i don't know of any in the UK. I usually recommend Gillware for data recovery. Gillware.com i also found this one that seems to specialize in Mac Data recovery: https://www.securedatarecovery.com/services/apple-mac-recovery

This whole situation isn't good. Sounds like the motherboard or even the HD has failed. Professional data recovery is not cheap. Like kiss that new MacBook goodbye not cheap. Now splitting the partitions, one for programs, one for data is great for the technical types, not for the average person who hates technology. They will want to dump everything to one partition, no matter what they are instructed to do. Side note: This is why I answer some questions the way that I do. It's for the majority and the folks who really aren't tech-savvy. I'm sure there are plenty of members who are screaming at the keyboard on a normal basis. There is a method to my madness, but I'm digressing here... OK: The old MacBook isn't worth repairing. I'd get a new one and purchase a SATA to USB adapter cable. Basically, you will turn that internal drive into an external. These adapters should be between £10-£20. Maybe as much as £30. You can get them on Amazon. I'm hoping the HD with the data can be accessed with the new Mac. It won't be read on a Windows machine, you'll need a Mac.

Try to find a local authorized Apple repair shop. They might be easier to work with. You could also try calling Apple and see if they have any suggestions.

Yeah, it could be that your user ID is corrupted. Try creating a new one and see if that works better for you. You really should close out your programs once you are done. Bouncing back and forth between profiles with stuff left open is just asking for trouble. Of course, occasionally is fine, it's just not good computing habits in my humble opinion. Edit: The more I think about this, the more I feel you have corrupted software / profiles. I would seriously start backing up everything, including Actions and Brushes, just in case if things go horribly wrong. Corrupted profiles aren't any fun. ESPECIALLY if your profile is linked up to an iCloud account on Apple's servers. I just don't think that there is an easy way out of this, you might have to schedule an appointment with the Genius Bar or wipe the computer and start over to get things really fixed.

No, the USB ports on the display are just pass-thru ports, they don't transmit video. You are actually at a good point for us to get you straightened out. Here is what you need to do: Remove the VGA cable. Either purchase this 3 Foot Micro HDMI to DVI cable or this 6 Foot Micro HDMI to DVI cable. Hook one end into the laptop, and the other end into the big white port that is next to the VGA port on your Dell Display. That's all you need to do. In fact, the image on the display will be better. VGA was only meant for CRT (Tube) Displays up to 20". It's not meant for today's fancy flatscreens. In fact, they are really being phased out now and I don't expect to see VGA ports on anything within the next 5 years.

Yep. I second using VLC.

Which Dell Screen did you get? Don't buy anything until I know what you have.

Does your screen have any other ports besides VGA? It's really better to use a digital port such as HDMI, DVI-D or DisplayPort. VGA has been around since the late 1980's and is being phased out. Plus, colors are better, contrast is better, and things look sharper with a digital port. To answer your question, Cable Matters usually makes good stuff: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00879EZJI/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1456610108&sr=8-2&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=micro+hdmi+to+vga&dpPl=1&dpID=41JxWvqGEgL&ref=plSrch

You are already on El Capitan. If there is an update for it, I'd install it. But since it's working, you might want to leave things alone.

Your resolution is probably set too high. What is it currently?

Please buy this Acratech Viewing Gauge for $14.95. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/650472-REG ----- Here is how you use it.

Just think, that support call just paid for itself. Glad you got it working.

IPS screens give better viewing angles and are more consistent color wise from edge to edge. But you still have the angle problem that you are describing. That's why I don't recommend laptops for photo-editing. But people are so damn determined to use a laptop, and I've given up trying to persuade people...it's a waste of time and energy. Its better to use an external display, which will remain at a single viewing angle, and be in an environment that has consistent ambient light. Basically, you turn your laptop into a desktop.

So you are getting a un-mount chime when you play videos off your internal drive? I'm confused.

Oh no! That was a bad choice. El Capitan has way more issues than Yosemite. Hopefully your problems will be minor, but I think you are going to hate life right now. No, you can't go back to Yosemite.

I'm going to have to troubleshoot this when I get home to my Mac. @Christina Keddie, could you lend a hand?

Hmm. Are you using a USB Hub? Does it have its own power?

No. For a "Proper" MBP for Photo editing, you start with the $2499 MBP and upgrade a few things. By the time you are done, it's around $3600 or so. Which an insane amount of money to spend on a laptop. I'd rather you purchase a Windows laptop instead. The low-end Macs just aren't worth it. That 13" Mac Laptop you are looking at is equivalent to buying a $400 Windows Laptop. Apple really wants you to go big or go home. Which is a shame, since they weren't always this way. Even the 21.5" iMacs are underpowered and not worth it.

Also, what camera body are you shooting with?

You have a lot of black (the dark sky) and this circle thing with a little detail (the moon). That's what your camera is thinking. You don't have as much "stuff" or data in the file. As long as your resolution (image size before cropping) is fine then you are good. If you want to check, take a photo of anything right now. Don't change your camera. Then compare file sizes.

Welcome to El Capitan!! Aren't you glad you updated? It sounds like either the OS is corrupted or the latest round of OS updates didn't install correctly. That format the HD and doing a fresh install of everything seems likely.

Oh, handles noise better than a D800 / D800E. Nikon isn't talking about a D4. Different class of camera.

Well, you do have 36 million pixels crammed into the same physical area as your D700 & D4. What I think you are seeing is known as "Sensor Grain" and not noise. I have heard of problems with the D810 and long exposures creating hot pixels and amp noise. This isn't an example of that. I'd say this is normal and really wouldn't show up on a physical print. I'm going to move this to the land of misfits. Let's see if any other D810 users have a similar experience.

Drives don't care what they are hooked up to, they just needed to be partitioned and formatted with the Operating System. The only gotcha is if you are running a 32-bit version of Windows, as it tops out at 2TB. If you want a big 3TB or larger single partition, you will need a 64-bit Operating System. As for which drive, what is your budget? I'm not a fan of the $79 special from a box store, the drives I typically recommend are a little expensive for some.

Either the drive isn't getting enough power, OR more than likely it's about ready to die. If you are hearing "click-a-thump...plunk...click-a-thump........plunk..." or similar sound, it's not a port problem. It's a drive getting ready die problem. I'd get all your data copied over to a new HD ASAP.