Mac Mini AppleHDADriver Crash and Kernel NOT finding directories

I am not sure how to boot from the mini in FW Target Mode.... I can do some research to find out how. Can this be done from an iMac? I do have an iMac if this would work.

As for some additional information I found... The HFS: Very Low Disk: freeblks error seems some indicate this comes from the swap drive on the OS. As the explanation I found describes what is happening:

"A process is filling the OS swap drive the OS uses and requires for adequate operation".

I haven't had time to research this any further yet, but it does seem to explain how Get Info on the drive would reflect so much free space while giving the HFS error. Of course this leaves question if something in the graphics driver is the culprit in filling the swap drive.

I further thought about doing a clean install of Lion this weekend and running it with nothing installed, not even iLife to see if putting the unit to sleep creates the same errors seen. Right now I am leaning towards it will not take long for the error to appear even with nothing installed, based on my experience so far and the information provided in those 7 pages.

I further think the FW Target Mode is something I would like to try before the clean install.

What are your thoughts?

Was not able to FW Target Drive to my iMac. Not because the iMac wouldn't run lion, but because the Mid 2010 Mini only has a firewire 800 port. I only have a firewire 400 cable... 😟

Next step was to do a clean install, nothing but Lion, completely cleaned hard drive... Booted, didn't even configure Time Machine, simply completed the install and let it start... Once again there was found a kernel.log file which isn't on any of the other macs I work on.

Once again there were these errors:

Apr 14 13:24:51 localhost kernel[0]: Sound assertion "0 == fAudioEngineArray" failed in AppleHDADriver at line 4490 goto Exit

Apr 14 13:24:51 localhost kernel[0]: Sound assertion "0 != result" failed in AppleHDADriver at line 4472 goto handler

Apr 14 13:24:51 localhost kernel[0]: Sound assertion "0 != result" failed in AppleHDADriver at line 4062 goto handler

Apr 14 13:24:51 localhost kernel[0]: Sound assertion "0 != result" failed in AppleHDADriver at line 4072 goto handler

Apr 14 13:24:51 localhost kernel[0]: Sound assertion "0 == fAudioEngineArray" failed in AppleHDADriver at line 4490 goto Exit

Apr 14 13:24:51 localhost kernel[0]: Sound assertion "0 != result" failed in AppleHDADriver at line 4472 goto handler

Apr 14 13:24:51 localhost kernel[0]: Sound assertion "0 != result" failed in AppleHDADriver at line 4062 goto handler

Apr 14 13:24:51 localhost kernel[0]: Sound assertion "0 != result" failed in AppleHDADriver at line 4072 goto handler

Some additional errors from the system.log file:

Apr 14 13:24:35 localhost fseventsd[15]: could not open <</.fseventsd/fseventsd-uuid>> (No such file or directory)

Apr 14 13:24:47 localhost UserEventAgent[11]: CaptiveNetworkSupport:CaptiveSCRebuildCache:81 Failed to get service order

Apr 14 13:24:47: --- last message repeated 3 times ---

Apr 14 13:24:48 localhost configd[14]: bootp_session_transmit: bpf_write(en1) failed: Network is down (50)

Apr 14 14:45:03 Andys-Mac-mini sandboxd[434] ([429]): Safari Webpage P(429) deny file-read-data /Library/Caches/com.nvidia.OpenGL

Apr 14 14:45:03 Andys-Mac-mini sandboxd[434] ([429]): Safari Webpage P(429) deny file-write-create /Library/Caches/com.nvidia.OpenGL/66FE927B-DCB6-3D51-B713-90D9676AA079/03D2F325 2172316F/4FF275F1-3B9D-3D77-8B05-C903C46F4CF9.toc

Again this is a completely clean install, nothing more than Lion, not even iLife... No wireless configured, RJ45 networked for internet....

From what I am seeing, I don't know how the people at Applecare can argue with me this is a hardware issue...Nothing is here but Apple software and even that isn't fully configured.

Anyone else see anything other than hardware that could be causing me problems?

I did do a disk repair, well at least tired one before the clean install. I did think of a DOD erase and filling it with zeros but didn't see the point in spending the week making sure it happened... (lol)....

The directory doesn't exist.

Yes, we both have been saying all along this sounds like hardware issues, not software as Apple wants to tell me...

Thanks for your help, but I will turn the problem back to Applecare Monday morning... This time I told the senior advisor to turn it over to his boss... Now I am at the manager level... Think I might get different responses?