# Rescuing a neo4j database from a dead laptop

**URL:** <https://community.neo4j.com/t/rescuing-a-neo4j-database-from-a-dead-laptop/69496>\
**Category:** Installation\
**Created:** [August 31, 2024, 1:37pm UTC](https://community.neo4j.com/t/rescuing-a-neo4j-database-from-a-dead-laptop/69496 "2024-08-31T13:37:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![afriedman111](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex021/user_avatar/community.neo4j.com/afriedman111/32/32541_2.png) [@afriedman111](https://community.neo4j.com/u/afriedman111)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2024, 1:37pm UTC](https://community.neo4j.com/t/rescuing-a-neo4j-database-from-a-dead-laptop/69496/1 "2024-08-31T13:37:14Z")

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On my windows laptop I was developing an app that uses a Neo4J database. Recently my laptop died and I was able to pull the majority of files out of my drive. I don’t have any of the specifics about the version I was running. I was using neo4j desktop. Is there a way to rescue the local database from the files alone, manually? If so, what folder or files do I need and what are the steps to recover?

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**Author:** ![glilienfield](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex021/user_avatar/community.neo4j.com/glilienfield/32/27534_2.png) [@glilienfield](https://community.neo4j.com/u/glilienfield)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2024, 2:43pm UTC](https://community.neo4j.com/t/rescuing-a-neo4j-database-from-a-dead-laptop/69496/2 "2024-08-31T14:43:16Z")

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I don't have any real knowledge about the neo4j structure, but when I look at my neo4j desktop installation, I see it is contained in a hidden folder within my library folder. Anyways, there is a Neo4j Desktop folder. Within that there is a dbmss subfolder under Application/relate-data. The dbmss directory has a folder for each database defined in the desktop project. Each looks self contained. I was able to start the server in one using the neo4j-admin tool within its bin folder and access it via a web browser. As such, I would suspect these are the folders you may need to recover.

 ![Screenshot 2024-08-31 at 10.26.18 AM](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex021/uploads/neo4jcommunity/original/3X/1/8/18a64dede84e92b438e30ff3f51ec9f2b72a209f.jpeg)

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**Author:** ![afriedman111](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex021/user_avatar/community.neo4j.com/afriedman111/32/32541_2.png) [@afriedman111](https://community.neo4j.com/u/afriedman111)\
**Post date:** [September 1, 2024, 4:37pm UTC](https://community.neo4j.com/t/rescuing-a-neo4j-database-from-a-dead-laptop/69496/3 "2024-09-01T16:37:22Z")

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Thank you very much for this. I will try this out and report back. My computer died a second time so I’m waiting for it to be fixed again.