You can make a difference in the Apple Support Community!

When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

Mac Mini CD/DVD Drive

I dug up an old Mac Mini. It had snow leopard installed on it, and i set it up, but when i rebooted it, there was a kernel panic and it crashed. Now, the hard drive shows a folder with a ? so that means that the system is gone. then i tried reinstalling mac os x lion on it, but it won't read the dvd. every 10-15 seconds it ejects the disk. but it sounds like its trying to read it. how do i fix this?


Mac Mini Mid-2007

Mac mini 2018 or later

Posted on Apr 26, 2021 12:18 AM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Apr 26, 2021 7:35 AM

You need to be running Snow Leopard 10.6.8 and then buy a copy Lion from Apple.

see > https://www.apple.com/shop/product/D6106Z/A/os-x-lion


To make a Lion installer on a FlashDrive, you need purchase or have previously purchased Lion from the App Store.

see > https://www.lifewire.com/create-bootable-flash-drive-os-x-lion-installer-2260350

5 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Apr 26, 2021 7:35 AM in response to The_Train_Enthusiast

You need to be running Snow Leopard 10.6.8 and then buy a copy Lion from Apple.

see > https://www.apple.com/shop/product/D6106Z/A/os-x-lion


To make a Lion installer on a FlashDrive, you need purchase or have previously purchased Lion from the App Store.

see > https://www.lifewire.com/create-bootable-flash-drive-os-x-lion-installer-2260350

Apr 26, 2021 6:43 AM in response to The_Train_Enthusiast

The 2007 Mac Mini originally came with a 10.4 Tiger Install Disc set.


To upgrade to Snow Leopard or Lion, you must use the Retail Upgrade DVD version(s).

(a disk set from a different or later Mac will not work)


If you have the Retail Upgrade DVD version(s), then the DVD/CD drive could be dirty or busted.

(first try cleaning the Mac Mini's DVD/CD drive with a dry cleaning disc)

(if that doesn't help, try an aftermarket external USB DVD/CD drive)

Mac Mini CD/DVD Drive

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.