Mac mini wont turn on after power outage

I have had the same problem. I had a power failure a while back and from then onwards it iOS a nightmare to start the computer. The last time it took a bout 4 days to restart it.

The way I have managed to restart it was to leave the computer unplugged overnight and then press command+alt+p+r in addition to pressing the power button. If nothing happens unplug from the wall for at least 5 minutes. and do it all over again. occasionally you will see a light blinking and then go. regardless do the instruction again

You may then see the start up sound coming on. in this instance wait until the gray bar completes or it fails again. or the fan going full blast. either way let it start until it either stops and the computer crashes or if the fun is going full blast and you may have the start up screen if this is the case click on restart (DO NOT CLICK ON SHUT DOWN OR SWITCH THE PC OFF).. Imagine I did this for 4 days until it started initially the gray bar would go half way and then it would crash or the fan would come full blast. I persevered over and over again until at one moment the gray bar went all the way to stat the computer. I have not switched it off since.

what I think the problem is.

The EFI firmware on the pram has been corrupted and the instruction to start the computer is not being properly executed. EFI firmware is the same as the BIOS on a windows machine

I have asked for some help on this forum since the efi for my computer is not compatible with osX sierra that I am using and I am waiting for instructions..

I hope it helps and good luck

Leslie

🙂

Yeah.. I am not that patient either. I used the weekend to do it evenings until very very late (or very, very early depending how you look at it 😠). But there was no choice.. Either that or bin it.. and a new one equal to mine is another 1000 at least..

It is really hard work

Anyway

Once you have managed to get the computer run

install the update for your computer. Here are the latest updates for a mac mini. (this was the one I installed in my computer). The one bellow is a generic good for all computer and the one I have used.. My computer is now running like a dream (touch wood.. so far)

Security Update 2017-001 macOS Sierra

Good luck and all the best

Leslie

My pleasure I hope it works.. Mine was like this for a few months since the power failure. It gradually became worse. Until the last time. I always used the procedure that I told you about (one needs to be very drextous because you need nearly 3 hands to do it 4 buttons separated plus power button is not easy..

Anyway good luck

Leslie

I am sorry to hear of your problem.

But I have to tell you, and I am very sorry to say to you, I knew your guy would not solve the problem.

Anyway

The issue is that your EFI firmware has been changed for some reason or the other (I believe the efi that is there is corrupt or the wrong one. When I investigated mine that was there was for a i5 mother board yet my machine is a i7). My computer behaved exactly the same as your. IT WAS DEAD. No lights nothing.. nothing .. nothing was working..

The solution is the one I told you above. Well it worked for me but it took 4 days to get it restarted. Then I managed to reset the EFI with a new installation and a further final version that just came out this past weekend. IT IS NOW WORKING PERFECTLY.

in addition to the instructions I gave you in my previous message I bought a wifi wall plug that I could switch of and on from my mobile telephone so that when I was pressing the 4 buttons + the power button I could still (if the phone was close enough to my hand that was close to the computer power button still press the iPhone button that would switch on the the wall wifi wall plug)..

It is possible that your computer is really dead but I seriously doubt it. I believe there is really absolutely nothing wrong with your computer other then what I told you about.

However.. If you want to try the way I told you about then .. You need a lot of patience to try and fix it. Its will not work other wise.. When I mean patience I really do mean patience.. I tried it over and over again some 200 times during a period of 4 days.. I knew I had to try and restart the computer since I had, once that happens, to change the EFI.

If you hear the fan going crazy fast.. ITS A GOOD SIGN..

If you see a lights blinking. thats a good sign..

When you have done that and you have managed to start it come back to me and I will give you further instructions.

All the best

Leslie

waaaawww...!! that is so great news.. Really so good news.. I am so, so happy to hear it.. I am jumping for joy..🙂🙂

I imagine that you found 6 fingers to the keys and button clicking 😁😁.. that was the hard part.. 😢

don forget.. do not power off.. do the security installation that I sent you. let it do its thing.. It will be fully stable after a few times of restarting..

Yes mine was a lot longer. It was so frustrating.. The problem was that I didn't know what the issue was so i was working "blind". I then started thinking it could be what in windows was called "bios" and researched and came to the conclusion that it was the EFI, the equivalent to what the bios is. Once I arrived to that conclusion I had to force the machine to start long enough for me to somehow try and change the EFI. I further discovered,after I managed to restart the computer, that the EFI that somehow was installed in my machine (mac mini i7 2.7ghz mid 2011) was in fact a i5. How could that be possible? I have never did that only installing updates from Apple. Go figure..!!

It was then the case of finding a EFI that was compatible and through the "apple communities" site there was a nice guy that sent me the initial one that made it a little better but not perfect. Later, one the same day, incredibly and by luck, a final one was updated by apple with the correct EFI (the same generic one that I sent you). I think my computer it is actually working better then it was new. It now flies..

I just wonder how many guys have thrown away their perfectly good machines 😟

Once again well done ..!!!

Warmest of regards and if we don't speak before Christmas "merry Christmas"