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Second Hard Drive Install - Nightmare!

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LeicaMan111

macrumors member
Original poster
Jul 26, 2010
30
0
I just physically completed the installation of the second hard drive in my new Mac Mini, using the OWC kit.

Taking it all apart was the easy part. Putting it back together, what a nightmare. It was very difficult. And I am a person that has put together a ton of PCs.

Anyway the second Hard Drive is recognised and all seems to be well. So I will now do the software part of installing Mountain Lion on the newly added SSD and getting it to boot from it, etc.

BUT before I continue I want to make sure that all is well with the machine. I had to put together tons of tiny, microscopic cables, and how do I know that one of them isn't connected.

What do I need to test? Is there a checklist? How do I test the IR?

Thanks!
 
johnhurley

johnhurley

macrumors 6502a
Aug 29, 2011
777
56
LeicaMan111 said:
I just physically completed the installation of the second hard drive in my new Mac Mini, using the OWC kit.

Taking it all apart was the easy part. Putting it back together, what a nightmare. It was very difficult. And I am a person that has put together a ton of PCs.

...

How do I test the IR?
Click to expand...

Boot up your machine and hold option key and D key ... will take you into hardware diagnostics testing screen.

Geez I just did the same replacement on mine and thought it was not very bad ... just have to be patient.

As far as testing the IR receiver ... you may need an apple remote control?
 
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paulrbeers

macrumors 68040
Dec 17, 2009
3,963
123
LeicaMan111 said:
Taking it all apart was the easy part. Putting it back together, what a nightmare. It was very difficult. And I am a person that has put together a ton of PCs.


BUT before I continue I want to make sure that all is well with the machine. I had to put together tons of tiny, microscopic cables, and how do I know that one of them isn't connected.
!
Click to expand...

There are are only like 6 cables in that thing entirely! Fan, IR, main motherboard, wifi and two hard drive cables.... You wouldn't even need to touch the main motherboard one if you only pop the board out about a half inch. I followed the ifixit "hard drive" replacement instructions and it was easy as pie (I've done it twice over the last year and a half). The only hard part is popping the motherboard out initially. There really isn't even that many screws and most are a specific length and width so the wrong ones can't even go into the wrong spot....

Seemed pretty simple to me, just saying.
 
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LeicaMan111

macrumors member
Original poster
Jul 26, 2010
30
0
johnhurley said:
Boot up your machine and hold option key and D key ... will take you into hardware diagnostics testing screen.

Geez I just did the same replacement on mine and thought it was not very bad ... just have to be patient.

As far as testing the IR receiver ... you may need an apple remote control?
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip. I will give it a shot.

No I don't have an Apple Remote :( Any other way?

By the way apart from the Apple Remote, what is the IR used for? And apart from Front Row (now discontinued) what is the Apple Remote for?

----------
paulrbeers said:
There are are only like 6 cables in that thing entirely! Fan, IR, main motherboard, wifi and two hard drive cables.... You wouldn't even need to touch the main motherboard one if you only pop the board out about a half inch. I followed the ifixit "hard drive" replacement instructions and it was easy as pie (I've done it twice over the last year and a half). The only hard part is popping the motherboard out initially. There really isn't even that many screws and most are a specific length and width so the wrong ones can't even go into the wrong spot....

Seemed pretty simple to me, just saying.
Click to expand...

I followed the OWC video which is 11 minutes long. I guess if I had to do it again it would be a lot easier, but still it is hard, hence the rating of "challenging" by OWC themselves. Actually dislodging the motherboard for me was easy. The tool supplied made it easy.

.
 
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ndmx52

macrumors member
Aug 12, 2009
39
0
G-Rap, Mi
I just did my 2nd drive install on Saturday. Went pretty easy. Taking it apart was painless (accept the T8 screws on the bluetooth/airport attenna, those were in pretty solid).

The only problem I ran into during reinstall was sliding in the logic board too early. I had to pull it out again to get the original HDD to set correctly and forgot to unhook the IR connector. Pulled out 2 of the wires, but luckily was able to use tweasers and get them back into the connector.

took about 30 minutes or so. Not a bad experience.
 
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LeicaMan111

macrumors member
Original poster
Jul 26, 2010
30
0
ndmx52 said:
took about 30 minutes or so. Not a bad experience.
Click to expand...

You are fast! OWC's own (optimistic) estimated time is 45 minutes. I took me 1 hour and 40 mins!

Also the OWC kit should have come with some mini pliers to pull the clip under the power connector. Luckily I found some.

For me the hardest part was getting the original hard drive into place properly, i.e. into those two holes.

Oh well, I at least I got me a 256GB SSD and 1TB HD :)
 
D

Drharrington

macrumors member
Jan 1, 2012
94
0
I did on two MMs. I thought easy. Very little cable. Followed instructions to a tee and took my time.
 
C

chrise2

macrumors 6502a
Sep 17, 2012
504
70
You can use the remote to control iTunes for music / video. If you have an Apple TV, its the same remote. Also, like someone else said, if you have a programmable remote like the Harmony, you can use that.
 
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pkh540

macrumors newbie
Oct 22, 2011
16
0
Washington
Thickness of 2nd HDD?

I'm planning on adding a second HDD to my 2011 MM. I'd like to use a larger capacity drive perhaps pulling the drive out of this Toshiba 1.5TB portable. link

How thick of a HDD can the MM hold? I know some MBP's can only take a 9.5mm and this Toshiba drive is 12.7mm thick.

Is there another large capacity drive anyone would recommend?

Thanks!
 
M

MJL

macrumors 6502a
Jun 25, 2011
845
1
These days installing stuff is simpler than in the old days. Imagine to have to take a mechanical camera apart, wait for several weeks / months for a part to arrive and then putting it all back together.

A camera repair man showed me how he uses a video camera to record the taking apart and then plays that back when he assembles again. Easy!
 
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paulrbeers

macrumors 68040
Dec 17, 2009
3,963
123
pkh540 said:
I'm planning on adding a second HDD to my 2011 MM. I'd like to use a larger capacity drive perhaps pulling the drive out of this Toshiba 1.5TB portable. link

How thick of a HDD can the MM hold? I know some MBP's can only take a 9.5mm and this Toshiba drive is 12.7mm thick.

Is there another large capacity drive anyone would recommend?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

You have around 22-23mm worth of height in the mini. I believe some have gotten in a 15mm heigh drive into their Mini but if you want a second drive you have to go with one of the "slim" 7mm SSD's (I think there might be some single platter hard drives that are also 7mm).
 
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