Black screen when trying to boot to CD (using Option or C) on startup

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Level 1

17 points

Black screen when trying to boot to CD (using Option or C) on startup

Hi, everyone. I'm working on a Mac Mini (mid-2011 vintage) with an attached Superdrive (recently purchased). My monitor is an older VGA monitor linked up to the mini using a Mini DisplayPort to VGA adapter (plugged into the Thunderbolt port). Video runs fine, but when I try to boot to CD to try to reinstall OS, and either hold the Option key or hold C when I hear the chime, I never get any video. The screen is completely black. The moment I release Option or C, I get the usual logon screen. So I never get a screen with selection of boot devices and the mini never boots directly to CD. I'm not sure where to proceed with this and don't really want to go out and purchase a Thunderbolt monitor ⚠ just to see if that would work. Anyone have any ideas that I could pursue? Thanks.

Mac mini, Mac OS X (10.7.3)

Posted on Apr 22, 2013 1:47 PM

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Answer 1

BDAqua

Level 10

239,189 points

Apr 22, 2013 3:53 PM in response to gbledsoe

Hi,

What OS version is the CD/DVD?

I doubt anything prior to Pre-Installed MacOS: X 10.7 (11A2061) wiil work or have drivers foryour Mini.

Hold alt key at bootup to see boot choices, not that that'll work, but that's where a choice can be tried.

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Answer 2

gbledsoe Author

Level 1

17 points

Apr 22, 2013 4:26 PM in response to BDAqua

Thanks for responding. I'm actually trying to set up the Mac mii as my VMware ESXi 5 server (per Paraguin software guide, see http://paraguin.com/2012/01/10/the-mac-mini-vmware-esxi-5-server-part-2-installa tion/

Nobody following their procedures and posting on their site has had any (reported) video issues, but that was my guess, that somehow video drivers are not being loaded.

BTW, did you mean "hold the option key" at bootup cause my mac keyboard doesn't have an alt key?

Thanks. Still looking for other options.

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Answer 3

BDAqua

Level 10

239,189 points

Apr 22, 2013 6:38 PM in response to gbledsoe

Yeah, Apple has called the same key alt, option, both, or none with a strange symbol on it.

Hmmm, & the VMware ESXi 5 install went fine?

Could you have this setup?

Firmware password protection in Mac OS X ...

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1352

It would block usage of all the startup keys, like C, N, T, D, CMD+s, CMD+Option+p+r, CMD +v, Option boot will show a lock, and Shift, as well as booting from anything but the Hard Drive.

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Answer 4

gbledsoe Author

Level 1

17 points

Apr 22, 2013 8:04 PM in response to BDAqua

Actually the point of failure is the boot from the ESXi install CD. The firmware password protection doesn't seem to apply since the mini is mid-2011 model currently running Lion server. Thanks for the suggestion.

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Answer 5

BDAqua

Level 10

239,189 points

Apr 22, 2013 8:21 PM in response to gbledsoe

I'd try making another Disc myself, but firmware password protection could apply to any OSX version, but if you didn't set it then that's not the problem.

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