After long waiting I tried to update my Mac mini to Catalina today. During installation the Mac made a shutdown, the fan was loud for one minute or so and since that time the Mac is dead. No chance to restart it. No Led, no noise, nothing.
Any tips for me?
Thanks Philipp
Mac mini 2018 or later
After doing additional reading about this - it seems my 2018 Mac mini's T2 chip software was either corrupted, incompletely flashed, or something else happened causing it to not allow the Mac to boot after shutting down during the 10.15.4 update. After thinking my Mac mini logic board was fried, I came across a KB document on how to revive Mac firmware for Macs with the T2 chip here: https://support.apple.com/en-au/guide/apple-configurator-2/apdebea5be51/mac
You need:
• another Mac capable of running macOS 10.14.6 or later
• proper USB-C cable to connect dead Mac to working Mac above (I used the power cable from a MacBook Pro)
• Apple Configurator 2 (free from App Store)
Thankfully this revived my mini, but also frustrating me after a helpless Apple Support phone call it was something I could have fixed on my own all along but never would have known about the procedure.
After doing additional reading about this - it seems my 2018 Mac mini's T2 chip software was either corrupted, incompletely flashed, or something else happened causing it to not allow the Mac to boot after shutting down during the 10.15.4 update. After thinking my Mac mini logic board was fried, I came across a KB document on how to revive Mac firmware for Macs with the T2 chip here: https://support.apple.com/en-au/guide/apple-configurator-2/apdebea5be51/mac
You need:
• another Mac capable of running macOS 10.14.6 or later
• proper USB-C cable to connect dead Mac to working Mac above (I used the power cable from a MacBook Pro)
• Apple Configurator 2 (free from App Store)
Thankfully this revived my mini, but also frustrating me after a helpless Apple Support phone call it was something I could have fixed on my own all along but never would have known about the procedure.
If your recovery Mac is on Sierra it will not work as Apple Configurator 2 requires 10.14.6 or later.
There are two options to restoring the T2 Chip, and while the KB warns:
"When you restore the firmware on a Mac that contains an Apple T2 Security Chip, you are restoring the firmware on the T2 chip and on any volumes on your internal SSD storage. When this process is complete, any data on any SSD volumes is unrecoverable."
I did not choose the restore option, but the revive option. I also have TimeMachine enabled so even if it did erase the storage, it wasn't a big deal. I'd make sure you communicate this to the authorized dealer you go to, asking them to try reviving first as your data may be able to be retained. Also, make sure you have a backup for the future :)
I too have this same issue. I've been running Catalina since its release, then when the last update (10.15.4) came out, installed it and found the mini off (it's my home server.) Pressing the power button does not power on the unit. I've even replaced the power supply with a new-in-box replacement from eBay and doesn't fix the issue. Sadly I'm out of warranty and with the Corona virus having shut down most/all repair options from Apple I'm stuck waiting for Apple retail stores to open back up.
Hello folks. The same thing happened to me two days ago. Normally I don't install updates right away, but when the Catalina 10.14.5 update option popped up on my screen and seemed to have a fix for FaceTime (which we all use a ton these days), I accepted it and choose to have it install overnight (which I also have never done). I woke up to find my late 2018 Mac Mini (just two months over warranty) would not start or hum or buzz or anything. Tried a replacement power cable. Removed peripherals. Plugged directly into an outlet. Zapped the NVRAM. Reset the SMC. You name it, not a peep. Seems like there are numerous cases like this. Is there nothing Apple can do? Has anyone taken their machine into a service provider yet to find out how dead it really is?
I came across this last night, too. But I haven't tried it yet. I think it wipes your hard drive, no? Also my MacBook Air is stuck on Sierra, so it might not work. I'll investigate and let you know what happens.
Thank you *so* much for your advice!!!! I have an appointment at an authorized dealer in NYC on Tuesday, and I was assuming it's a fried logic board, too. So frustrating that Apple support will not tune you in to these solutions. Fingers crossed I have the same luck you had with Configurator 2...
I think, this would have been the solution for my problem! I haven't found that in the Apple knowledgebase (or I used the wrong searchwords) and there was no help from the support. So I decided to bring the mini to an Apple repair center. And they found out, that the mini changed in a sort of technical status (because the update went wrong). They used a tool an other Mac (I think, they talked about the configurator), they could start the mini and the Catalina installation finished. After a lot of tests, the mini is ok now. Fortunately no hardware error, I paid 29€ for that.
But: I think, none of the users with this problem made a mistake, it's a real Apple problem and they should solve it. And they should inform their own support about this, so they can help other users.
100% agreed, Philipp. I wish Apple took more responsibility for this. After jumping through a bunch of hoops I could not locate a Mac running Mohave with the right cables to run the Apple Configurator 2 fix myself (made more difficult by COVID19 isolation) and ended up dropping it with an Authorized Repair center yesterday. I have yet to hear back from them, and I’m really nervous since all I could do is point them to Configurator revive fix and leave it in their hands. Hoping for the best!!
Hello,
sorry, none of your suggested tests is helping. No reaction while powering on.
btw: it was Catalina 10.15.4 I tried to install.
Philipp
Got it. Thanks again. I'll let you know the result. Hm, of course with TimeMachine. Hind sight, you know?
Catalina-Update killed my Mac mini late 2018
