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Old Mac Mini -

Please can I have some help with a circa 2003 - 04 Mac Min.


Hi -


My family has an Mac Mini Version 10.4.2 with 512 MB DDR SDRAM, an old machine I know but useful enough for what my parents want it to do.


What help I would like is I need to get it to do a pretty big sofware update, which could take days but could anyone advise what would be the first thing I need to do. I'm thinking I may need to start with Safari and go from there.


The other issue I have is that when I try and do a Software update it just won't happen, any advice given would be greatly received.


Thank you. 🙂

Posted on Jun 22, 2012 6:02 AM

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Question marked as Best reply

Posted on Jun 22, 2012 11:27 AM

Hello,


Nice little machines those are.


You'll want to get the big 10.4.11 combo update.


The combo update for PowerPC-based Macs...


http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/macosx10411comboupdateppc.html


But first, Try Disk Utility


1. Insert the Mac OS X Install disc, then restart the computer while holding the C key.

2. When your computer finishes starting up from the disc, choose Disk Utility from the Installer menu at top of the screen. (In Mac OS X 10.4 or later, you must select your language first.)

*Important: Do not click Continue in the first screen of the Installer. If you do, you must restart from the disc again to access Disk Utility.*

3. Click the First Aid tab.

4. Select your Mac OS X volume.

5. Click Repair Disk, (not Repair Permissions). Disk Utility checks and repairs the disk.


http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106214


Then try a Safe Boot, (holding Shift key down at bootup), run Disk Utility in Applications>Utilities, then highlight your drive, click on Repair Permissions, reboot when it completes.


(Safe boot may stay on the gray radian for a long time, let it go, it's trying to repair the Hard Drive.)


If perchance you can't find your install Disc, at least try it from the Safe Boot part onward.

4 replies
Question marked as Best reply

Jun 22, 2012 11:27 AM in response to k_connolly

Hello,


Nice little machines those are.


You'll want to get the big 10.4.11 combo update.


The combo update for PowerPC-based Macs...


http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/macosx10411comboupdateppc.html


But first, Try Disk Utility


1. Insert the Mac OS X Install disc, then restart the computer while holding the C key.

2. When your computer finishes starting up from the disc, choose Disk Utility from the Installer menu at top of the screen. (In Mac OS X 10.4 or later, you must select your language first.)

*Important: Do not click Continue in the first screen of the Installer. If you do, you must restart from the disc again to access Disk Utility.*

3. Click the First Aid tab.

4. Select your Mac OS X volume.

5. Click Repair Disk, (not Repair Permissions). Disk Utility checks and repairs the disk.


http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106214


Then try a Safe Boot, (holding Shift key down at bootup), run Disk Utility in Applications>Utilities, then highlight your drive, click on Repair Permissions, reboot when it completes.


(Safe boot may stay on the gray radian for a long time, let it go, it's trying to repair the Hard Drive.)


If perchance you can't find your install Disc, at least try it from the Safe Boot part onward.

Jun 22, 2012 12:59 PM in response to k_connolly

Also, do yourself/your parents a favour and go to Crucial UK, download and run the System Scanner:


http://www.crucial.com/uk/systemscanner/MacOS.aspx


It's safe and free. It will tell you the maximum RAM you can install, and doing this (to the MAX) will definitely extend the life of this venerable mini!


It means opening up the mini to install it, but it's quite do-able - lots of online vidoes/photos showing you how.

Old Mac Mini -

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