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User profile for user: alfrichard
alfrichard Author
User level: Level 1
4 points

mac mini 2010 usb-harddisks are not booted

Our Mac mini (mid 2010; OS 10.11.6) stopped to recognize several external USB-harddics (including the shortly before used time-machine-drive) that work fine at other macs. It is therefore not an issue of the discs (or the cable). The disc utility program shows the harddisc, yet not the volumes (or their name) on it, and first aid program is not checking the volumes. However, usb-sticks work normally. I first thought, the power supply of the ports would not work, however the CD drive (apple superdrive) works also fine. Resetting SMC and PRAM had no effect.

Any idea what could be wrong and how to fix it?

Mac mini, OS X 10.11

Posted on Apr 24, 2023 12:16 PM

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User profile for user: D.I. Johnson
D.I. Johnson
User level: Level 7
24,095 points

Posted on Apr 24, 2023 12:23 PM

It sounds like some glitch may have confused the OS.


If a simple reboot of your Mac doesn’t fix things, see if the problem still happens in Safe mode (press and hold the shift key down at startup). It can take much longer to safe boot (5 min) so be patient.

How to use safe mode on your Mac - Apple Support 


Safe mode is non-destructive to user data. It’s not a cure-all, but very often corrects weird software behavior. When you're in safe boot, the machine will not be at its best performance, especially with graphics, but that's expected.


Does the problem persist while in Safe mode?


Exit safe mode by restarting your Mac normally and re-evaluate the issue again.


If the problem is still unresolved, please return here and post a reply and we’ll see what else we can come up with for help.

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply
User profile for user: D.I. Johnson
D.I. Johnson
User level: Level 7
24,095 points

Apr 24, 2023 12:23 PM in response to alfrichard

It sounds like some glitch may have confused the OS.


If a simple reboot of your Mac doesn’t fix things, see if the problem still happens in Safe mode (press and hold the shift key down at startup). It can take much longer to safe boot (5 min) so be patient.

How to use safe mode on your Mac - Apple Support 


Safe mode is non-destructive to user data. It’s not a cure-all, but very often corrects weird software behavior. When you're in safe boot, the machine will not be at its best performance, especially with graphics, but that's expected.


Does the problem persist while in Safe mode?


Exit safe mode by restarting your Mac normally and re-evaluate the issue again.


If the problem is still unresolved, please return here and post a reply and we’ll see what else we can come up with for help.

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mac mini 2010 usb-harddisks are not booted

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