HT2622: Troubleshooting: Mac mini won't turn on

Learn about Troubleshooting: Mac mini won't turn on
kevelme1

Q: I just migrated a Mac Mini to a Power Book, went fine. I zeroed out the mini and installed OS Lepeord now won't boot Folder w/ ?

Yes, the Mini will not recognise it's hard drive, after I zeroed it's HD out while mounted in Target Mode. I then took the Mini home. Using my iMac I then remotely installed Snow Leapord from an install disk.

 

I am running my Imac from the drive installed in the Mini via Fire Wire and installed all upgrades, works fine from here! For some reason (stupidity, most likely) it no longers boots itself; dumb luck vs computer skills. I'm quite sure all is well with both computer and it's Hard Drive. Possibly, I formatted it wrong/incorrectly. Someone out there knows what I did ... will you tell me now?

Mac mini, Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on Nov 19, 2012 9:06 PM

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Q: I just migrated a Mac Mini to a Power Book, went fine. I zeroed out the mini and installed OS Lepeord now won't boot Folder w/ ?

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  • by BDAqua,

    BDAqua BDAqua Nov 19, 2012 9:31 PM in response to kevelme1
    Level 10 (123,501 points)
    Nov 19, 2012 9:31 PM in response to kevelme1

    HI, where does the Powerbook come in?

     

    Which iMac is it? which Mini?

     

    What shows on the non-booting one for Boot choices if you hald the alt key at powerup?

  • by kevelme1,

    kevelme1 kevelme1 Nov 19, 2012 9:40 PM in response to BDAqua
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 19, 2012 9:40 PM in response to BDAqua

    If alt is Opt on a mac: When I put in the OS Lep disk and hold down the opt key, hoping to get it to boot from that, I get a circle arrow in a box on the left and a right pointing arrow in a box on the right. Weird

  • by BDAqua,

    BDAqua BDAqua Nov 19, 2012 9:53 PM in response to kevelme1
    Level 10 (123,501 points)
    Nov 19, 2012 9:53 PM in response to kevelme1

    Yes, alt/option, same key, but I'm still not certain which Mac we're trying to boot.

     

    What color is the Install Disc, & what is the 2z691-****-A number on it?

     

    Which mini is this... if that is the one?

     

    At the Apple Icon at top left>About this Mac.

     

    Then click on More Info>Hardware and report this upto but not including the Serial#...

     

    Hardware Overview:

     

      Machine Name:    Mac mini

      Machine Model:    PowerMac10,1

      CPU Type:    PowerPC G4  (1.2)

      Number Of CPUs:    1

      CPU Speed:    1.42 GHz

      L2 Cache (per CPU):    512 KB

      Memory:    512 MB

      Bus Speed:    167 MHz

      Boot ROM Version:    4.8.9f1

     

    If you don't know the model, & canno tboot it, find the Serial# & use it on one of these sites, but don't post the Serial# here...

     

    http://www.chipmunk.nl/klantenservice/applemodel.html

     

    http://www.appleserialnumberinfo.com/Desktop/index.php

     

    How to find the serial number of your Apple hardware product...

     

    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1349

  • by kevelme1,

    kevelme1 kevelme1 Nov 19, 2012 9:59 PM in response to BDAqua
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 19, 2012 9:59 PM in response to BDAqua

    I'm off that drive and booted from my iMac, ,I'll restart and if your still there we'll go to work. Thanks

  • by kevelme1,

    kevelme1 kevelme1 Nov 19, 2012 10:10 PM in response to BDAqua
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 19, 2012 10:10 PM in response to BDAqua

    Model Name:

    iMac
      Model Identifier:iMac9,1
      Processor Name:Intel Core 2 Duo
      Processor Speed:2.66 GHz
      Number Of Processors:1
      Total Number Of Cores:2
      L2 Cache:6 MB
      Memory:8 GB
      Bus Speed:1.07 GHz
      Boot ROM Version:IM91.008D.B08
      SMC Version (system):1.36f3
      Serial Number (system):
      Hardware UUID:D88EF935-ED5F-578B-9106-6EDFD67F6A62

     

    The Lep disk is 27691-6428-A

    And I have ---- 6560-A

  • by kevelme1,

    kevelme1 kevelme1 Nov 19, 2012 10:15 PM in response to BDAqua
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 19, 2012 10:15 PM in response to BDAqua

    Whoops, that's my iMac info. I'm all screwed up. Impossioble to read this number on the bottom of the Mini right now. I need to get this running, but I'm fried. I need some ZZZZ. Thank you so much for your attemp to help me. I'll resume in the nmorning, I'm just all fuzzy right now.

  • by kevelme1,

    kevelme1 kevelme1 Nov 19, 2012 10:20 PM in response to BDAqua
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 19, 2012 10:20 PM in response to BDAqua

    I just noticed this "Mount Point". Everyother mounted drive has a mount point the Mini's doesn't, just a slash??   Reformat and start over?

     

    Target Disk Mode LUN:

      Capacity:    80.03 GB (80,026,361,856 bytes)

      Removable Media:    Yes

      BSD Name:    disk2

      Partition Map Type:    GPT (GUID Partition Table)

      S.M.A.R.T. status:    Not Supported

      Volumes:

      Capacity:    209.7 MB (209,715,200 bytes)

      Writable:    Yes

      BSD Name:    disk2s1

    Mac Mini:

      Capacity:    79.68 GB (79,682,387,968 bytes)

      Available:    72.15 GB (72,152,043,520 bytes)

      Writable:    Yes

      File System:    Journaled HFS+

      BSD Name:    disk2s2

      Mount Point:    /

  • by BDAqua,

    BDAqua BDAqua Nov 19, 2012 11:24 PM in response to kevelme1
    Level 10 (123,501 points)
    Nov 19, 2012 11:24 PM in response to kevelme1

    WEel 27691-6428-A appears to be a Snow Leopord/10.6 Retail Disc, not Leopard/10.5 for clarity.

     

    2z691-6560-A seems to be a Drop-in Disc for updating 10.5 to 10.6...

    Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard Drop In & Bootable DVD

    Description
    Upgrade from Mac OS X Leopard with Snow Leopard, a simpler, more powerful, and more refined version of Mac OS X.

    http://www.welovemacs.com/2z6916431a.html

     

    Leopard requirements/10.5.x...

     

        *  Mac computer with an Intel, PowerPC G5, or PowerPC G4 (867MHz or faster) processor

     

    minimum system requirements

     

        * 512MB of memory (I say 1.5GB for PPC at least, 2-3GB minimum for IntelMacs)

        * DVD drive for installation

        * 9GB of available disk space (I say 30GB at least)

    Classic/OS9 Apps no longer supported.

    Trouble is Apple no longer sells it, check eBay & such for the Retail version, not the Gray Discs...

    http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=mac+os+x+leopard+retail+10.5

     

    Snow Leopard/10.6.x Requirements...

     

    General requirements

       * Mac computer with an Intel processor

        * 1GB of memory (I say 4GB at least, more if you can afford it)

        * 5GB of available disk space (I say 30GB at least)

        * DVD drive for installation

        * Some features require a compatible Internet service provider; fees may apply.

        * Some features require Apple’s MobileMe service; fees and terms apply.

     

    Which apps work with Mac OS X 10.6?...

     

    http://snowleopard.wikidot.com/

    It's been pulled from the online store & Apple Stores, so you have to call Apple to buy it, last I heard.

    Call Apple Sales...in the US: 1-800-MY-APPLE. Or Support... 1-800-275-2273

     

    Other countries...

    http://support.apple.com/kb/HE57

  • by kevelme1,

    kevelme1 kevelme1 Nov 20, 2012 4:38 AM in response to BDAqua
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 20, 2012 4:38 AM in response to BDAqua

    I truely believe that it is, somehow, the state of the hard drive. The "Mount Point", as see in the get info on the Mini's HDD is just back slash, there's no designation like /volumes/firewire.

     

    Could this fact/condition/situation be preventing the Mini from booting from this particular HDD? Meanwhile, I'm going back through other posts.

  • by BDAqua,

    BDAqua BDAqua Nov 20, 2012 2:46 PM in response to kevelme1
    Level 10 (123,501 points)
    Nov 20, 2012 2:46 PM in response to kevelme1

    No, the main drive should have a Mount point of /

    DUMountPoint.gif

  • by kevelme1,

    kevelme1 kevelme1 Nov 20, 2012 4:05 PM in response to BDAqua
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 20, 2012 4:05 PM in response to BDAqua

    Well, I'm out of ideas and out of time. It's Thanksgiving time and I'm off to my fmaily, a few states over. Not gonna let this issue drag me down. Thank you for your attempts to help me. I hope your holiday is a good one; if in fact you are somewhere that has a Thanks Giving holiday at this time of the year.

  • by BDAqua,Helpful

    BDAqua BDAqua Nov 20, 2012 5:40 PM in response to kevelme1
    Level 10 (123,501 points)
    Nov 20, 2012 5:40 PM in response to kevelme1

    Thanks, see ya on return.

  • by a brody,Helpful

    a brody a brody Nov 21, 2012 4:25 AM in response to kevelme1
    Level 9 (66,781 points)
    Classic Mac OS
    Nov 21, 2012 4:25 AM in response to kevelme1

    A Mac Mini with 2 USB ports on the rear will not run Snow Leopard 10.6.  It needs a minimum of 4 ports on the rear. The 2 USB port Mac Mini are the PowerPC Mac Minis, and those migrate easily to Powerbooks.  But the 4 and 5 port do not as they are , and you should look at this tip if going between the Mac Mini and Powerbook:

    https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-2295

    10.6 won't install on a PowerPC Mac. When you get back from thanksgiving look this over carefully, and don't confuse USB for firewire.  Look at the ports closely on the rear.

  • by kevelme1,

    kevelme1 kevelme1 Nov 27, 2012 7:57 AM in response to a brody
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 27, 2012 7:57 AM in response to a brody

    Yeah, it's got 2 USB ports  and a Firewire. I'm trying to snap out of the Turkey Fog rand get back to this issue. I will reall all of every response and try every suggestion 'til it's resolved.

     

    I was hoping to use this machine to watch Netflix on a big Samsung flat screen.  I've been told that I can't; supposedly, there's an issue with the Mini  and our N router and WPA encription. Right now I've no HDMI adaptor, but I do have the adapter needed to connect through PC/RGB. First things first though I have to get it  working. The original install disks are coming this weekend. Will post progress reports.

     

    Thank to everyone who's been helping me out.

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