I have a 2014 mac mini that
will not open to start up. I have to start and use cmnd+P+R because otherwise on start up it is just a "gray ? file"
when I do I get into disk utilities and have
APPLE HDD HTD545050A7E362 and MAC below it.
The APPLE HDD is full and the MAC below it is not. I cannot do anything else to get this running because it reads full. Any help would be amazing!
Earlier Mac models
While booted into Recovery Mode, launch Disk Utility and provide a picture of the "Data" volume for your internal boot drive. You may first need to mount it before you get any details for it....just select the "Data" volume on the left pane of Disk Utility and click the "Mount" button on the right side of Disk Utility.
The important value on that Disk Utility screen for the "Data" volume is the "Free" value which will be just below the bar delineating various storage aspects.
Also, launch the Terminal app from the Utilities menu on the menu bar. Run the following command and post the results here:
diskutil list internal
Also, try running the Apple Diagnostics to see if any hardware issues are detected. Unfortunately the diagnostics rarely detect hard drive failures.
While booted into Recovery Mode, launch Disk Utility and provide a picture of the "Data" volume for your internal boot drive. You may first need to mount it before you get any details for it....just select the "Data" volume on the left pane of Disk Utility and click the "Mount" button on the right side of Disk Utility.
The important value on that Disk Utility screen for the "Data" volume is the "Free" value which will be just below the bar delineating various storage aspects.
Also, launch the Terminal app from the Utilities menu on the menu bar. Run the following command and post the results here:
diskutil list internal
Also, try running the Apple Diagnostics to see if any hardware issues are detected. Unfortunately the diagnostics rarely detect hard drive failures.
Try using Command + Option + R to see if you can access Internet Recovery Mode for the online macOS installer.
Command + R may not work if the internal drive is bad (or macOS has been erased or damaged) since that key combination will try to boot from the local recovery partition on the internal drive.
If you still cannot boot when using Command + Option + R, then do you have access to another working Mac from 2008 to 2021?
FYI, please take note of the exact keys listed and when replying since it can make a huge difference in success & failure, plus for us knowing what you are doing since I don't know what "Cmnd+R+P" indicates except maybe you were trying a PRAM Reset and forgot the Option key when you replied?
Also, make sure to press these special startup keys immediately after hearing the startup chime. If you wait too long, then the keys won't register as a boot option. Since a Mac Mini 2014 can boot quickly, more than a second delay could cause it to miss the special key press. Sometimes holding the keys before the startup chime will cause them not to be recognized either...it varies for some Macs.
Did you try running the Apple Diagnostics?
Try starting up into Apple Diagnostics, and run the tests.
Use Apple Diagnostics to test your Mac - Apple Support
Unfortunately when Instart with Cmnd+ R the screen stays black. Cmnd+R+P I get gray File with ?
Mac Mini Not Starting and HDD full?
